New Faces on the Block?: Nationals vs. Phillies Series Preview, August 3-6
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner attempts to catch the baseball as Washington Nationals Joey Wiemer reaches second base in the third inning on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. Turner was charged an error on the play. (Yong Kim / The Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Phillies are heading home for a seven-game homestand against two sellers from the deadline. After a difficult road trip and the end of July, the Phillies enter the homestand with a little bit of momentum as they took two of three against the Baltimore Orioles.
The stand begins with a four-game set against the division rival Washington Nationals.
The Nationals are not an easy team to deal with; they were solid for a large chunk of the season, and while taking on the role of sellers at the deadline shows their rebuild isn’t complete. Their success this season shows a series like this cannot be taken lightly.
Historic Past Series
The last time the Phillies and Nationals battled was back at the end of June in D.C.
It was a historical series as all remember. The Phillies had multiple all-time comebacks in that series.
The eight-run ninth inning with two outs. Derek Hill‘s go-ahead two-run home run. Then the five-run ninth to close out the series, taking three of four.
It was a series to remember, to say the least. It was during one of the Phillies’ best stretches, two weeks from the middle to the end of June, where the Phils won four straight series, and all parts of the team were firing.
The offense was firing the most. That was the major reason why the team was performing so well throughout the month of May and June, especially that two-week stretch. The offense not performing well has been the biggest reason that’s caused the poor performance of the Phillies to begin the second half of the season.
Expect not to see such historic moments this series, but the Phillies enter this set with major momentum because of that June series.
New Faces in Pinstripes
The Phillies begin the series with a new crop of talent. The trade deadline ends just 40 minutes before the Phillies start; that means that when their Sunday afternoon game against the Baltimore Orioles ends, it will be the last game for several Phillies, in their current role or on the Phillies roster altogether.
Because of that, there could also be new faces circling the news. Now, due to regular logistics, it’s unlikely to see most of these traded-for players in the opener of the series. The rest of the series, these new names will be front and center.
Game Times and Broadcasts
Monday, August 3, 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Tuesday, August 4, 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Wednesday, August 5, 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Thursday, August 6, 6:05 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Aaron Nola (RHP, 3-9, 5.61 ERA) vs. TBD
Game 2: Jesus Luzardo (LHP, 9-5, 3.57 ERA) vs. Zack Littell (RHP, 7-8, 4.94)
Game 3: Andrew Painter (RHP, 1-8, 6.72 ERA) vs. Jake Irvin (RHP, 2-5, 5.56 ERA)
Game 4: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 14-4, 2.61 ERA) vs. Foster Griffin (LHP, 12-3, 3.06 ERA)
The Numbers
- Record
- Phillies: 59-53
- Nationals: 55-58
- Run Differential
- Phillies: -4
- Nationals: +16
- Runs Scored Per Game
- Phillies: 4.38
- Nationals: 5.37
- Runs Allowed Per Game
- Phillies: 4.41
- Nationals: 5.23
Christopher DeMaio
Christopher is a Delaware County Native and a graduate of Devon Preparatory School, class of 2025. He is currently attending university and is in his second semester. Chris, growing up playing since the age of 4, fell in love with his hometown Phillies and continues that love with listening to sports radio, reading articles, writing for Philly Sports Reports’ Phillies team, and, of course, watching the Phils.
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