Game 125 lineups: Nats at Phillies

By Bobby Blanco

Nationals

August 18, 2024, 10:50am

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PHILADELPHIA – The Nationals need one today. Ideally, it would be a total team effort: Strong starting pitching, a lot of run support and a shutdown bullpen. But honestly, it doesn’t matter how they get it. They just need to win.

Luckily, the guy that gives them the best chance to do that is taking the mound this afternoon. Jake Irvin makes his 26th start in search of his team-high 10th win of the season. He’s coming off six strong innings against the Orioles on Tuesday, during which he only allowed two runs. But now he’ll face a Phillies team that he’s 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA against.

The Phillies are sending Taijuan Walker to the mound for the finale. The veteran right-hander is 3-4 with a 5.68 ERA and 1.509 WHIP in 11 starts this year. He hasn’t completed six innings since May and has allowed three or more runs in four of his last five starts.

If there ever was a time to score some runs this weekend, it’s now.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of scattered thunderstorms, 81 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Alex Call
LF James Wood
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
1B Andrés Chaparro
3B José Tena
DH Travis Blankenhorn
CF Jacob Young

RHP Jake Irvin

PHILLIES
DH Kyle Schwarber
SS Trea Turner
1B Alec Bohm
RF Nick Castellanos
2B Bryson Stott
LF Brandon Marsh
3B Edmundo Sosa
CF Cal Stevenson
C Garrett Stubbs