Nationals at Phillies
Juan Soto is fresh off a legendary performance and the Washington Nationals look for a second straight offensive splurge when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday for the third contest of their four-game series. The 19-year-old Soto became the first teenager in major-league history with a four-hit, two-homer performance as the Nationals annihilated the Phillies 17-7 on Friday.
Soto, who drove in five runs, was the leader of an offense that erupted for a season-best seven homers after producing just three runs during a three-game slide. Bryce Harper belted his 20th of the season, a three-run shot that is just his second this month. Rhys Hoskins launched a two-run homer for the Phillies - his third straight game with a blast - and is batting .324 with eight shots and 22 RBIs in 19 contests since returning from a broken jaw. Carlos Santana hit a two-run shot, giving him four homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games.
TV: 6:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 2.28 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (5-8, 4.69)
Hellickson will be activated from the disabled list to make his first start since injuring his hamstring in the first inning of his outing on June 3. The 31-year-old was torched for 11 runs and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings in a rehab appearance for Single-A Potomac on Sunday. Hellickson won his lone career start against his former Philadelphia team when he gave up one unearned run and seven hits over eight innings on August 11, 2015 while pitching for Arizona.
Velasquez has dropped four of his last five decisions after falling to the New York Yankees in his last turn. The 26-year-old yielded two runs and three hits over six innings and has allowed just eight hits over 19 frames in his last three starts. Velasquez defeated the Nationals on May 5, when he gave up one hit - a solo homer by Wilmer Difo - in five innings, and is 2-2 with a 5.33 ERA in five career outings versus Washington.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon went 3-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs on Friday and has gone deep in four of his last eight contests.
2. Philadelphia CF Odubel Herrera is hitless in eight at-bats in the series and 0-for-19 over his last five games.
3. Washington INF Ryan Zimmerman (oblique) took batting practice on Friday and could start a rehab assignment as soon as Monday.