Phillies at Nationals
Daniel Murphy continues to carry the Washington Nationals and will try to help them pick up a fourth win in five contests when they continue a three-game series with the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Murphy raised his average to .444 with a game-winning RBI double in the 10th inning to lift the Nationals to a 3-2 triumph in Friday's series opener.
He has hit safely in all 10 games so far and has more than one hit in seven of those contests, including a 2-for-5 effort Friday. The Phillies, who won two of three at home against Washington last weekend, have dropped four in a row - three of them by one run. They will look to get back in the win column behind starter Jeremy Hellickson as he looks to get past some forearm cramping that forced him out of Sunday's game against Washington. He opposes fellow right-hander Tanner Roark, who dominated Philadelphia a year ago.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Philadelphia, MASN2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (2-0, 4.09)
Hellickson allowed only one hit in five scoreless innings versus the Nationals on Sunday before departing with the injury. He has allowed one run on seven hits with two walks in 10 innings overall, throwing just 137 pitches thus far. The 30-year-old Iowa native has a 5.60 ERA in three career starts at Nationals Park and will be careful with Murphy (5-for-14 with four extra-base hits against Hellickson) and Bryce Harper (3-for-11 with seven walks).
Roark took a slight step back following a very solid debut when he was reached for five runs (three earned) and seven hits in five innings against St. Louis on Monday, but he still picked up his second consecutive win. The University of Illinois product yielded just three runs in 34 frames while striking out 30 over five starts against the Phillies in 2016, winning three times. Roark is 23-13 with a 2.84 mark in his career at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman has seven extra-base hits in his last nine games.
2. Philles CF Odubel Herrera has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games dating to last season.
3. Harper has drawn 10 walks in 10 games this year.