Game 159 lineups: Nats vs. Royals

Well, today is seemingly the day. Almost seven years after signing a six-year, $140 million deal as a free agent, Patrick Corbin will make what is likely to be his last start with the Nationals this afternoon against the Royals.

Corbin’s impressive debut season and postseason heroics in 2019 have been well documented. So too have been his struggles in the years since being credited as the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series. But through all of that, the veteran left-hander has always been praised for being able to take the ball every five days.

He’ll likely do so for the last time in a Nationals uniform with a 6-13 record, 5.58 ERA and 1.506 WHIP over his first 31 starts this season. If Corbin can turn in one final quality start, he would end his Nats career on a high note with a possible nice ovation from the fans in attendance.

On the other side of the mound, Michael Wacha will make his 29th start for the Royals with a 13-8 record, 3.28 ERA and 1.194 WHIP. If the veteran right-hander can keep this struggling Nats offense in check, the Royals will take one step closer to their first postseason berth since winning the World Series in 2015.

But the Nationals need a win. A week and a half ago, they were only four victories away from surpassing last year’s 71-win total. Now they need to win three of their last four games to achieve that.

Let’s start with a run, which they haven’t scored in their last 31 innings, and go from there.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 77 degrees, wind 5 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
RF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
DH Juan Yepez
2B Luis García Jr.
3B José Tena
C Keibert Ruiz
1B Joey Gallo
CF Jacob Young
SS Nasim Nuñez

LHP Patrick Corbin

ROYALS
LF Tommy Pham
SS Bobby Witt Jr.
1B Salvador Perez
DH Yuli Gurriel
C Freddy Fermin
RF Hunter Renfroe
2B Maikel Garcia
3B Paul DeJong
CF Garrett Hampson

RHP Michael Wacha