Can Washington Nationals Slow Down Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Yankees on Tuesday?

The Washington Nationals have an extremely difficult task of shutting down a New York Yankees lineup anchored by two stars.

Aug 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees first baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) catches the ball in front of Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) for a force out at first base during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

These two weeks of the Washington Nationals schedule have been brutal. They are getting a first-hand look at all of the World Series contenders in each league, starting with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies.

They went 2-4 in those six games.

A reprieve was provided with a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, who the Nationals took two out of three games. But, it was back to contenders after that.

Over the weekend, Washington lost two out of three games to the Atlanta Braves. They followed that up returning home for three games against the New York Yankees.

Juan Soto was welcomed back with a warm reception, but that was about the only positive thing Nationals fans had to experience. They trailed 4-0 before breaking through for their first run in a 5-2 loss in the opener on Monday night.

On Tuesday, things could get even uglier. Patrick Corbin, who owns an ugly 3-12 record and an even more unsightly 5.73 ERA, will be taking the mound for Washington. He will be opposed by Gerrit Cole, who is still looking to find his form after the start of his 2024 was delayed until June 19th.

Slowing down the dynamic duo of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge will be the No. 1 priority for the Nationals. 

In Game 1, they were able to do that successfully. They combined to go 1-for-8 at the plate with two walks and two strikeouts. 

Judge still managed to have a major impact in the game, robbing Andres Chaparro of what looked like it would have been a home run in the fourth inning that would have tied the game at two.

After hitting home runs No. 50 and 51 on Sunday against the Rockies, fans could be in for fireworks on Tuesday. Judge mashes left-handed pitching and Corbin has given up 20 on the season. Last night, there were five home runs hit between the teams.

It should come as no surprise, given how lopsided the matchup looks to be on paper, that New York is a massive favorite in the game. They are listed at -250 on the moneyline, with run line odds of -156.

The Nationals are an underdog at +201 and a run line of +132. An over/under of nine runs has been set for the game in a game oddsmakers believe some scoring will be done.