Phillies at Nationals
The Philadelphia Phillies made an early statement with a series win over the Washington Nationals at home last weekend, but they limp into a three-game series in the nation's capital beginning Friday afternoon. After winning two of three against the Nationals - including Saturday's 17-3 rout that included a 12-run first inning - the Phillies then dropped three in a row to the New York Mets.
Philadelphia pitchers surrendered 10 home runs in the sweep and have served up 18 on the season, most in the majors entering Thursday. Washington rebounded from the series loss in Philadelphia to take two of three at home against St. Louis, although it dropped the finale 6-1 on Wednesday. Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy, who entered the game hitting a combined .438, went a collective 1-for-8 and the Nationals committed two more errors to run their season total to nine - tied for the second-highest total in baseball entering Thursday. Philadelphia's Aaron Nola was the recipient of the massive run support on Saturday and will look to pick up his second straight victory when he starts the series opener opposite Stephen Strasburg.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Aaron Nola (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 3.21)
Nola had no issues making the big cushion hold up last weekend with six solid innings. He allowed three runs and seven hits with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts in the 14-run rout to pick up his first victory in seven career starts against the Nationals. Harper is 8-for-14 with two homers and Murphy is 6-for-16 with five extra-base hits against the 23-year-old Nola, who has a 2.30 ERA in three career starts at Nationals Park.
Strasburg has lasted seven innings in each of his first two starts and had a no-decision in a 4-3 loss to the Phillies last Sunday. He let up three runs on five hits and three walks while fanning eight, leaving his career ERA against the Phillies at 2.46 (18 starts). The former first-round pick has a 2.88 mark in 85 starts at home in his career and is at 2.95 in the month of April.
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies 3B Maikel Franco has homered in consecutive games while driving in six runs.
2. Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman is 7-for-14 with a homer and two doubles during a four-game hitting streak.
3. Murphy is batting .346 against Philadelphia since the beginning of 2016.