Game 44 lineups: Nats at Phillies

PHILADELPHIA – It’s a gray, rainy Saturday here in the City of Brotherly Love, which wasn’t very kind to the Nationals on Friday night. The Nats lost their third straight, this one by the count of 4-2 to the Phillies, the only two runs they’ve scored since Tuesday in Chicago. Maybe the rain is just what they need to break out of their funk?

With left-hander Cristopher Sánchez on the mound for Philadelphia, Davey Martinez has a mostly right-handed lineup, certainly in the prominent spots. That includes a 2-3-4-5 of Ildemaro Vargas, Joey Meneses, Nick Senzel and Riley Adams. Joey Gallo and Jesse Winker are still starting, but they’re both down in the lineup. Luis García Jr., who was scratched Friday with a right heel injury, isn’t in the lineup again tonight, though I would imagine we could see him come off the bench later to face a right-handed reliever.

MacKenzie Gore, another lefty, starts for the Nationals, and it will be his task to hold down the Phillies lineup as best as possible. Gore did defeat them earlier this season, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. He’s made eight starts now, and he has yet to be charged with more than three earned runs in any of them. And yet he hasn’t earned a win since April 13 in Oakland, a long stretch in spite of his quality performances.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Rain ending, 67 degrees, wind 5 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
2B Ildemaro Vargas
DH Joey Meneses
3B Nick Senzel
C Riley Adams
1B Joey Gallo
RF Victor Robles
LF Jesse Winker
CF Jacob Young

LHP MacKenzie Gore

PHILLIES
DH Kyle Schwarber
C J.T. Realmuto
1B Bryce Harper
3B Alec Bohm
2B Bryson Stott
RF Nick Castellanos
SS Edmundo Sosa
LF Cristian Pache
CF Johan Rojas

LHP Cristopher Sánchez