Nationals at Phillies
Since an ugly season opener, the Philadelphia Phillies have won three of their last four games. They look to continue that solid stretch and complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon.
The Phillies were pounded 8-0 by the Boston Red Sox on Monday but have since scratched out three wins despite not scoring more than four runs in any of those games. Philadelphia prevailed 3-2 in 10 innings on Saturday as Odubel Herrera’s first major-league hit drove in the decisive run. Following a strong Nationals’ debut on Opening Day, Max Scherzer will be tasked with avoiding a sweep that would send Washington to 1-5 on the season. Sean O'Sullivan will take the mound for Philadelphia after pitching 12 2/3 innings for the team in 2014.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (0-1, 0.00 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Sean O'Sullivan (2014: 0-1, 6.39)
Scherzer is the rare pitcher who has more losses than earned runs allowed, as he gave up three unearned runs in Monday's 3-1 loss to the New York Mets. The former Detroit Tigers ace, who signed a seven-year, $210 million deal to join Washington in January, has not started 0-2 since 2009. He is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts versus Philadelphia, although this marks his first appearance at Citizens Bank Park.
O'Sullivan has pitched for four teams since 2010 and has not won a game since 2011 with the Kansas City Royals. The 27-year-old appeared in three games (two starts) in 2014, allowing three home runs versus Houston in his most recent turn. "We've seen him before. He did a good job for us last year in some spot starts," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg told the media, "and (O'Sullivan is) a guy who has some experience in doing that."
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies C Carlos Ruiz, who scored the winning run Saturday, has reached base on five hits and four walks in his first four games.
2. Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts on Saturday and is 2-for-19 with eight strikeouts on the young season.
3. Each of Washington's five games has been decided by three runs or fewer.