Saturday’s 4-2 loss was disappointing, sure, but it wasn’t embarrassing. The Nationals just didn’t hit as much as the Phillies did, so they lost the game. And they still have a chance to win the series and enter the week tied with the defending National League champs in the standings. Who wouldn’t have taken that scenario if presented with it from the outset?
The Nats will hope to get their bats back on track while facing Ranger Suárez, a potentially advantageous matchup. They’ve hit left-handers well all season and enter today’s game with an impressive .292/.358/.426 slash line, that .784 OPS good enough to rank eighth in the majors against southpaws. Suárez, who season debut was delayed by an elbow strain, enters with a 7.13 ERA and 1.642 WHIP in four starts, though his last one (two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Mets) was good.
Trevor Williams gets the ball for the Nationals, looking to rebound from his weirdest start of the season, one in which he carried a shutout into the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium but then surrendered six runs, all of them unearned. He’ll have to keep Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos in the yard today, maybe helped out by an unusually cool, northerly breeze that will be blowing in from left field.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 71 degrees, wind 7 mph in from left field
NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
2B Luis García
DH Joey Meneses
3B Jeimer Candelario
LF Stone Garrett
1B Dominic Smith
SS Ildemaro Vargas
C Riley Adams
CF Alex Call
RHP Trevor Williams
PHILLIES
LF Kyle Schwarber
RF Nick Castellanos
DH Bryce Harper
SS Trea Turner
2B Bryson Stott
C J.T. Realmuto
CF Brandon Marsh
1B Kody Clemens
3B Drew Ellis
LHP Ranger Suárez
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