Game 107 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

Games like last night, when a recently acquired prospect makes his debut, are about the future. Games like tonight, when a struggling veteran takes the mound yet again, are about something else.

Patrick Corbin is part of the Nationals' future, but that's only because his contract dictates it. He's signed for three more seasons and still owed $82 million. He's not going anywhere. So the Nats need Corbin to figure out how to be an effective pitcher again, something he hasn't been since the 2019 World Series. Over the last two seasons, the lefty has made 31 starts and gone 8-16 with a 5.36 ERA and 1.506 WHIP. That's not good, not even close to it.

The challenge now facing Corbin is to figure out some way to get his mojo back. He's got two more months to at least go into the winter on a more positive note, then come back next spring hoping for a more significant turnaround.

Tonight, Corbin faces the same Phillies team that scored four runs in five innings off him Thursday afternoon. He gave up homers to Rhys Hoskins, Andrew McCutchen and Alec Bohm in a span of four batters.

Earlier that afternoon, in the first game of the doubleheader, the Nationals scored three runs off Zack Wheeler, two of them on Yan Gomes' seventh-inning homer. That made a winner out of Max Scherzer in his final start for the Nationals. That, of course, also proved to be Gomes' final game with the Nationals.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 77 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
CF Andrew Stevenson
2B Adrián Sanchez
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
3B Carter Kieboom
2B Luis García
C Tres Barrera
LHP Patrick Corbin

PHILLIES
2B Jean Segura
1B Rhys Hoskins
RF Bryce Harper
C J.T. Realmuto
3B Alec Bohm
SS Ronald Torreyes
CF Odúbel Herrera
LF Luke Williams
RHP Zack Wheeler