Philadelphia Phillies Begin Five-Game Series Against the Nationals

The Philadelphia Phillies will take on the Washington Nationals for the first time this season in a five-game set.

© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Following their walk-off win against the Miami Marlins, the Philadelphia Phillies travel south to Washington D.C. to take on the Nationals.

The meeting between the two sides will be the first this season, meaning the Phillies will have now played against all NL East teams. 

Philadelphia comes into the five-game set off on the heels of their 2-1 series win against the Marlins. A series that saw highs and lows, including a high scoring game and two walk-off wins.

The offense of the Phillies has ignited over their previous two series, scoring 27 runs over six games. Some of their biggest contributions have been from Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and Rhys Hoskins.

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The Nationals come into the series on a similar note, with their offense firing on all cylinders. One of their larger contributors has been veteran slugger Nelson Cruz, who slugged .429/.455/.810, with two home runs and seven RBI.

One player who hasn't been up to his top level is Juan Soto, who is hitting an uncharacteristic .228/.378/.455. For most players, this wouldn't be a disappointing slash line but for Soto's standards, this is lower than usual.

Let's take a look at the pitching match-ups for this series:

Game One:

Phillies Starter: Zack Wheeler (5-3, 2.84 ERA)

Nationals Starter: Patrick Corbin (3-8, 6.65 ERA)

Zack Wheeler will open the series for Philadelphia on Thursday. Wheeler is coming off of a gem against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he pitched six innings of two-hit baseball with eight strikeouts. 

Patrick Corbin comes into Thursday off of an appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he pitched six innings allowing seven hits and four runs.

First Pitch: Thursday, 7:05 P.M. EST 

Where to Watch: NBCSP, 94 WIP

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Game Two:

Phillies Starter: TBD

Nationals Starter: TBD

Although the Phillies have yet to announce their starters for both games on Friday's doubleheader, it's probable that Ranger Suarez will take the mound for game one. Suarez is coming off of a shaky start against the Diamondbacks where he allowed two runs and two walks across 4.1 innings.

A possible starter for game one of the double header could be Joan Adon, who is coming off of a three-inning performance where he allowed seven hits and eight runs. He'll definitely be looking to clear that from his slate.

First Pitch: Friday, 1:05 P.M. EST

Where to Watch: NBCSP, 94 WIP

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Game Three:

Phillies Starter: TBD

Nationals Starter: TBD

A possible starter for the Phillies in game two could be Bailey Falter. 

Erick Fedde could take the mound on Friday night, in an attempt for a second solid start for the Nationals. In his previous outing against the Brewers, Fedde went for 5.2 innings, allowing four hits and three runs.

First Pitch: Friday, 7:05 P.M. EST

Where to Watch: NBCSP, 94 WIP

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Game Four:

Phillies Starter: Aaron Nola (4-4, 3.42 ERA)

Nationals Starter: Josiah Gray (6-4, 4.33 ERA)

Aaron Nola's most recent start against the Marlins was just another in a series of solid performances. It was a start in which Nola pitched a remarkable seven innings of six-hit baseball while striking out six batters.

Similarly, Josiah Gray had a similar start to Nola against the Marlins in his last start. Gray pitched six innings of shutout baseball while allowing six hits and striking out six batters.

First Pitch: Saturday, 4:35 P.M. EST

Where to Watch: NBCSP, 94 WIP

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Game Five:

Phillies Starter: Zach Eflin (2-4, 3.98 ERA)

Nationals Starter: Jackson Tetreault (0-1, 15.75 ERA)

Zach Eflin will get the opportunity to close out the series for the Phillies, coming off of a start that wasn't his best of the season. Eflin pitched for six innings while allowing four runs and striking out four batters after settling in. 

Jackson Tetreault will get his second major league start on Sunday, and will be looking to clean his image following his extremely rocky debut. A debut in which Tetreault allowed nine hits and seven runs across four innings. Certainly not the welcome to the majors which he would've wanted.

First Pitch: Sunday, 12:05 P.M. EST

Where to Watch: Peacock, 94.1 WIP

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Players to Watch:

Phillies: Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper rounds first base after hitting a single against the Miami Marlins / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Harper is the Phillies player to watch for several reasons, the first being the homecoming to Washington, which Harper has always found the energy to put on the offensive jets during. Since joining the Phillies, Harper has slugged .320/.475/.639 during his games at Nationals Park. The second reason for Harper being selected is his raw offensive output during the month of June, which includes five home runs and 14 RBI, as well as plenty of MVP-level performances.

Nationals: Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz circles the bases after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Cruz finds himself as the National's player to watch for the series due to his production over the previous few series. As stated earlier, Cruz is slugging .429/.455/.810 over that time period. These numbers have been more than enough to make up for the struggling Soto, who has been hitting more for power than contact. One thing that only makes Cruz's offensive triumphs more impressive is the age at which he is doing it. Cruz is currently 41 years old and still slugging, which is why the Nationals shelled out $15 million on him in the offseason.

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