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The Nationals finish up their four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday afternoon, and they are looking to avoid a sweep.

Here are three things to watch for:

1. In the first three games of this series, Washington has scored a combined six runs. Not great. The Nats will have to wake up if they want to avoid a sweep, but as this series has proved, that’s much easier said than done.
2. Stephen Strasburg has put together back-to-back solid outings, going a combined 15 innings with 20 strikeouts and just two runs allowed in his last two starts. Can Strasburg silence the red-hot Cardinals on Thursday afternoon?
3. As mentioned above, St. Louis is arguably the hottest team in baseball, winning five straight games. Ahead of Wednesday’s game where the Nats lost 5-1, the Cardinals had the second-best team batting average in the majors, and their offense has shown no signs of slowing down. Strasburg and the Nats’ bullpen will have their hands full keeping St. Louis quiet in this one.