Phillies at Nationals: Series Preview
Sep 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA;
Papelbon (58) argues with second base umpire Alan Porter (64) after being ejected from the game during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Nationals Park.
(Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
It’s hard to imagine a team more disappointing than the Phillies have been in the 2015 season. But if there is one, it most certainly has to be the Washington Nationals team that the Phils will be visiting this weekend at Nationals Park in the nation’s capital.
The Nationals are the defending NL East champions, have won the division in 2 of the last 3 years, and were heavily favored to not only win it again this season, but to likely run away with the crown on their way to a World Series trip.
Things could not have gone worse for the Nats, who are now on the verge of elimination. In fact, if they can find a way to score a few runs, the Phillies just may be the team to put the final nail in their 2015 coffin. That would certainly be one small victory for Phillies fans to enjoy.
The Nationals had won 7 of 8 games to cut the New York Mets lead in the division down from 9.5 games to 6.5 games. That was until their neighbors just 40 miles to the north, the AL’s Baltimore Orioles came in to D.C. and swept the Nats in a 3-game series this week.
Now the Nationals find themselves 7.5 behind the Mets with just 10 games to play (9 for New York), and the ‘Magic Number’ for the Mets to clinch the NL East crown is down to 3 entering the weekend.
The Phillies have their own ‘Magic Number’, if you will. There cominbation of losses and Atlanta wins is just 4 over the Braves in order to clinch the worst overall record in MLB, and the accompanying top pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft.
The Nats feature a leading NL MVP candidate in lightening rod outfielder Bryce Harper. At just 22-years of age, Harper is still younger than most of the game’s top prospects. Yet the right fielder has a .339/.471/.665 slash line with 41 homers, 95 RBI, 116 runs scored, and a 1.136 OPS mark.
The powerful Nats have 7 players with double-digits home run totals, including 2B/3B Anthony Rendon who missed the first two months of the season. Over the last month, Rendon has hit for a .317/.394/.455 slash line with 18 RBI and 27 runs scored.
Perhaps the most surprising of the Nationals’ bats this season has been 3rd baseman Yunel Escobar. Normally a shortstop, Escobar stepped into the 3rd base hole vacated by Rendon’s early season injury. He has a .326 batting average, a .384 on-base percentage, and is just one homer away from joining that double-digit group.
Here in Philly, some of our staff will be working long hours in relation to Pope Francis’ visit, so our coverage at the website and on social media may be a bit limited until Monday. However, keep checking in, including with the individual staffers who are highlighted in a posting at our Twitter feed today. We will be posting as much as possible on the Fightin’ Phils.
Follow our #Phillies writing staff on #FF:@TheRyanGerstel @ethan_witte
— PHILLIES TBOH (@FS_TBOH) September 25, 2015
@TyDiSalle13
@lexgirardo @FightinsFeed pic.twitter.com/54yu0Qxnt0
Of course Phillies fans will be rooting hard against Jonathan Papelbon, the Phils’ all-time franchise Saves leader who was dealt to the Nationals at this year’s trade deadline. Papelbon was not a fan favorite, to put things mildly, and the feelings appear to be mutual. The Nats decline appears to have coincided with the trade, giving Phils’ fans even more to gloat about.
Now let’s take a look at this weekend’s Pitching Matchups. The Phillies are facing tough arms, but are also putting their own best on the hill as well. We’ll also look at the Series Keys, the TV/radio coverage, weather, and DL/injury reports.
Next: PHILLIES-NATIONALS PITCHING MATCHUPS
Jul 4, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Nationals pitcher Strasburg (37) throws to the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park. (PhotoCredit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 3.16 ERA) vs Jordan Zimmermann (13-8, 3.49 ERA) – the Phils have to be ecstatic over what they have seen thus far from Eickhoff, one of the lesser known and considered pieces of the big package received from Texas as part of the Cole Hamels deal. Eickhoff has gone 7 innings in 3 of his last 4 starts, and has delivered a Quality Start in 5 of his 6 outings since joining the rotation in late August. Zimmermann is a double-digit winner for the 4th straight season. The 29-year old righty has pitched into the 7th inning a dozen times across 31 starts, but has not reached that mark yet in September. He will be a free agent this off-season, is expected to get a big payday and have numerous suitors, and is absolutely pitching for his and his family’s future at this point.
SATURDAY: Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.84 ERA) vs Stephen Strasburg (10-7, 3.81 ERA) – there was much speculation about Nola possibly being shut down by the Phillies, including right here at TBOH. However, the staff and management are trusting their eyes and the pitcher’s voice and body, and letting him continue. The prized rookie who is considered a big part of the team’s future will be monitored closely for any sign of fatigue or performance decline. His last four starts have been a roller coaster, one poor followed by one outstanding. If that trend continues, this will be the poor outing. Both he and the club have to be hoping that he finishes strong, allowing everyone to enter the off-season with good memories. Strasburg’s numbers are only as mediocre as they appear because of a poor first half. Since returning from spending more than a month on the DL, Stras has made 8 strong starts, going 5-2 with a 2.24 ERA, a .176 batting average against, and has allowed just 33 hits in 52.1 innings, striking out 72 while walking just 6 batters. None of that bodes well for an extremely weak Phillies lineup.
SUNDAY: Aaron Harang (6-15, 4.93 ERA) vs Gio Gonzalez (11-8, 3.94 ERA) – Harang, who we nicknamed ‘Droopy Dog‘ early on in the season here at TBOH due to his resemblance to that old cartoon character, is wrapping up what will surely be the lone Phillies season of what is now a 14-year career. He was brought here as an innings eater to do just that, eat up a bunch of innings over 30+ starts in what was always expected to be a stopgap performance. He has not been good for much of the season, but he has eaten those innings. Harang has made 27 starts over which he has pitched 160.2 innings. Gonzalez was obtained by the Phils in a trade from the Chicago White Sox in the Aaron Roward-Jim Thome trade. Before he could appear in the Majors with them, the Phils returned him to the Chisox a year later in the Freddie Garcia trade. Just turned 30 years old, Gonzalez has become a consistent big league winner, reaching double digits this season for a 6th straight year. He has pitched poorly over the last month, but had a strong 12-strikeout start vs the Phillies on September 16th.
Next: PHILLIES-NATIONALS SERIES KEYS
Sep 17, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Nationals right fielder Harper (34) against Miami at Nationals Park. (Photo Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
PHILLIES-NATS SERIES KEYS
Score Runs – if you’ve been watching or following from afar, you know that this simple statement is not at all too simplistic with this group of Fightin’ Phils hitters. The team has scored just 14 runs across the last 8 games, and that includes a 6-run outburst in the Miami opener early this week. If the Phillies are going to have any hope of winning even a single game in this series they have to find a way to score. With Zimmermann pitching for a contract, and as ridiculously unhittable as Strasburg has been over the last month or so, that will be tough. Eickhoff and Nola, taking on those two Nationals’ aces are absolutely deserving of some strong support.
Match the Nats Starters – those two rookie starting pitchers, Eickhoff and Nola, are being put up against the veterans Zimmermann and Strasburg. Both young Phils’ righties have been outstanding in the majority of their appearances, and are winding down their freshman MLB campaigns. Facing a powerful Nationals lineup this weekend, having each deliver another strong performance could add an exclamation point to a strong season. Harang is also coming off a strong start, so having him deliver would be nice for the team, but also would help make him look more attractive to any suitors, should he choose to return with some team in the 2016 season.
Turn Papelbon into “Papelblown” – the Phillies franchise all-time Saves leader was easily the one traded veteran whom the fan base was happy to see go. Except for possibly his first season in 2012, Papelbon never connected with the fans, and that relationship turned downright antagonistic following the “crotch grab” incident at the end of the 2014 season. The Nats won their first two games following the trade at the end of July. But since then have gone 24-38 since that time. Fans would love nothing more than to see the Nationals eliminated on a blown Save by Papelbon.
Next: PHILLIES-NATIONALS: MEDIA/WEATHER/INJURIES
Sep 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; A play was under review between Nationals and Orioles at Nationals Park. (Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
PHILLIES-NATS TV/RADIO BROADCASTS
| Friday, September 25/ | @Washington/ | 7:05 PM/ | CSN/ | 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP, WTTM 1680 (Sp.) |
| Saturday, September 26/ | @Washington/ | 4:05 PM/ | CSN/ | 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP, WTTM 1680 (Sp.) |
| Sunday, September 27/ | @Washington/ | 1:35 PM/ | CSN/ | 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.), 98.1 WOGL |
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE forecast for Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
Tonight
A chance of rain after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday
A chance of rain before 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 73. Northeast wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night
A chance of rain, mainly after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday
Rain likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
INJURIES / DISABLED LISTS
| NATIONALS | Updated | Status | Due Back | Injury | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrett, Aaron (P) | 09/04 | Out for Season | TBD | Recovering from Sept. 2015 Tommy John surgery | Underwent Tommy John surgery Sept. 3; transferred to 60-day DL on Aug. 21. | |
| Carpenter, David (P) | 09/01 | 60-day DL | TBD | Right shoulder inflammation | Transferred to 60-day DL on Sept. 1. | |
| Espinosa, Danny (2B) | 09/24 | Out for Season | 2016 | Right hamstring tear | MRI revealed small tear in right hamstring as of Sept. 22 update. | |
| Johnson, Reed (LF) | 08/13 | 60-day DL | Possibly September | Recovering from April 2015 foot surgery | Sent on Class A Advanced rehab assignment Aug. 13. | |
| McLouth, Nate (LF) | 09/15 | 60-day DL | Likely 2016 | Recovering from August 2014 right shoulder surgery | Expected to miss remainder of season as of Aug. 26 update. | |
| Span, Denard (CF) | 09/24 | Out for Season | 2016 | Recovering from September 2015 left hip surgery | Underwent surgery on Sept. 1 to repair torn labrum in left hip. | |
| Stammen, Craig (P) | 06/06 | Out for Season | 2016 | Recovering from April 2015 right forearm surgery | Underwent season-ending surgery April 19; transferred to 60-day DL on June 6. | |
| Storen, Drew (P) | 09/13 | Out for Season | 2016 | Right thumb fracture | Expected to miss remainder of season as of Sept. 12 update. | |
| Zimmerman, Ryan (1B) | 09/24 | Out Indefinitely | TBD | Left oblique soreness | Not in starting lineup Sept. 8-24; unable to do baseball activities as of Sept. 18 update. |
| PHILLIES | Updated | Status | Due Back | Injury | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Araujo, Elvis (P) | 09/04 | 60-day DL | Possibly September | Strained left groin | Placed on 15-day DL on Aug. 28; transferred to 60-day DL on Sept. 4. | |
| Billingsley, Chad (P) | 09/01 | 60-day DL | TBD | Right flexor strain | Transferred to 60-day DL on Sept. 1. | |
| Brown, Domonic (LF) | 09/12 | Out Indefinitely | Possibly late September | Concussion | Exited game early Sept. 2; diagnosed with concussion Sept. 3. | |
| Franco, Maikel (3B) | 09/22 | 15-day DL | 2016 | Left wrist fracture | Rehabbing in Florida, not expected to return this season as of Sept. 22 update. | |
| Harrison, Matt (P) | 09/01 | 60-day DL | TBD | Lower back inflammation | Transferred to 60-day DL on Sept. 1. | |
| Hernandez, Cesar (3B) | 09/14 | Out for Season | 2016 | Dislocated left thumb | Placed on 60-day DL on Sept. 14. | |
| Hollands, Mario (P) | 04/20 | Out for Season | 2016 | Recovering from April 2015 Tommy John surgery | Underwent Tommy John surgery April 8. | |
| Howard, Ryan (1B) | 09/24 | Any day | Day-to-day | Left knee | Not in starting lineup Sept. 15-24; unable to swing bat as of Sept. 22 update. | |
| Lee, Cliff (P) | 04/05 | 60-day DL | Possibly 2015 | Left common flexor tendon tear | Shut down from throwing, placed on 60-day DL on March 16. | |
| Pettibone, Jonathan (P) | 08/08 | Out for Season | 2016 | Recovering from July 2015 shoulder surgery | Underwent season-ending surgery July 22. |