Tigers at Nationals
Star right fielder Bryce Harper is just hoping for a chance to swing the bat when the Washington Nationals host Detroit on Monday in the opener of a three-game interleague series. Harper went 0-for-0 with nine walks and was hit by a pitch on Saturday and Sunday and was walked a total of 13 times in a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs.
Refusing to let Harper swing the bat proved to be a sound strategy for the Cubs, who swept the four-game set and saddled the Nationals with a 5-5 road trip. Harper, who leads the team with 10 home runs, has only homered once in the last 13 games but has been walked 20 times. The Tigers were swept over the weekend as well and have dropped six straight by a combined 43-16. Detroit suffered a particularly crushing defeat on Sunday, when Justin Verlander went seven scoreless innings before the bullpen let him down in an 8-3 loss that included a grand slam by Texas catcher Bobby Wilson, who was traded by the Tigers last week.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (3-3, 5.87 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (5-0, 2.36)
Sanchez made it through six innings for the first time this season at Cleveland on Wednesday but ended up with a loss while surrendering four runs on four hits and three walks in seven frames. The 32-year-old Venezuela native notched 33 strikeouts in 30 2/3 total innings but has issued 19 walks. Sanchez spent the first 6 1/2 seasons of his career in the NL East with the Marlins and is 9-1 with a 1.98 ERA in 21 career starts against Washington.
Strasburg recorded a quality start in five of his first six outings and Washington earned the win in each of the six games. The free agent-to-be has 26 strikeouts and two walks in his last three turns and scattered two runs and five hits over six innings while fanning seven in a win at Kansas City on Wednesday. Strasburg lost his only career start against Detroit but is 8-3 with a 2.88 ERA in 15 career interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera went 6-for-10 in the last two games to raise his average .291.
2. Harper became the first player in history to reach base seven times without an official at-bat on Sunday.
3. Detroit C James McCann (ankle sprain) is 1-for-12 in four games since coming off the DL.