Youth of the Nation(als) — Series Preview: Phillies at Nationals, April 5 – 7
Chris Szagola/AP
The Phillies hit the road over the weekend, for the first time all season, as they head down to Washington D.C. for a three-game set with the Washington Nationals.
Both teams enter the series at 2-4 and tied for second in a, so far surprisingly, disappointing National League East. In their previous series, Philadelphia lost two of three to Cincinnati while Washington lost two of three to a white-hot Pittsburgh Pirates team, both at home.
The Nationals are built around their exciting young core in the infield and through five games they are running with their opportunity, shortstop CJ Abrams quite literally. Abrams leads the team with three steals while sporting a .988 OPS and hitting .316. He also has a team-high tying four RBIs.
Joining him from the youth movement are catcher Keibert Ruiz, 2B Luis Garcia Jr., and 3B Trey Lipscomb, all 25 or under and hitting .300 or above. Jesse Winker, the veteran of four teams in four years, is currently hitting .455, albeit in eleven at-bats, to go along with Lane Thomas‘ four RBIs, providing some veteran presence and leadership.
Nationals’ biggest problem
The Nationals’ problem is their pitching, as they have given up 38 runs over six games (6.333/gm) with no starter, other than 32-year-old Trevor Williams (5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) giving up less than 3 runs in a start.
Younger arms MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin each allowed three runs over 5.1 and 5 innings respectively. Josiah Gray, the staff’s top arm, has given up seven and six earned runs, in his two starts, neither lasting more than 4.1 innings.
Closer Kyle Finnegan has two saves but gave up back-to-back home runs in his one-blown save.
Who’s hot? Who’s not?
The easy answer after his three home runs, and six RBI game Tuesday would be Bryce Harper. Let’s take this conversation though to a man whose position in the lineup, not whether he should be in the lineup just spot, was a hot topic all offseason. Kyle Schwarber has started the season strong at leadoff with at least one base hit in every game except Opening Day, hitting .280 with two home runs (one in each series finale), three RBIs, and a (double-checks box score) stolen base. Brandon Marsh is also swing the bat well hitting .333 with two home runs and 3 RBIs, trailing Bryce’s six and Alec Bohm‘s four.
Game 1 starter, Aaron Nola, did not get his season off to the start he or the team wanted after resigning with the Phillies over the winter. He was touched up for seven runs, six earned, on eleven hits by the Braves with three strikeouts and one walk. I know it is only one start out of, hopefully, 30+, however, when you are tied for the team lead in earned runs allowed with recently DFA’d Connor Brogdon, that is not a good look.
Here is the Phillies’ lineup for Game 1 of the series:
Game Times and Broadcasts
Friday, April 5, at 6:45 ET on NBCSP+, WTTM 1680 (Spanish), and 94.1 WIP
Saturday, April 6, at 4:05 ET on NBCSP+, WTTM 1680 (Spanish), and 94.1 WIP
Sunday, April 7, at 1:35 ET on NBCSP, WTTM 1680 (Spanish), and 94.1 WIP
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Aaron Nola (RHP, 0-1, 12.46 ERA) vs Patrick Corbin (LHP, 0-0, 8.31 ERA)
Game 2: Ranger Suarez (LHP, 0-0, 5.40 ERA) vs Jake Irvin (RHP, 0-0, 5.40 ERA)
Game 3: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs MacKenzie Gore (LHP, 0-0, 5.06 ERA)
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