Red Sox at Nationals
The Boston Red Sox meet the Washington Nationals on Monday to start a three-game series in the nation's capital and will face arguably the top Cy Young Award contender for the second straight game. Max Scherzer, the two-time reigning National League Cy Young winner, takes the ball for Washington after Boston lost to Luis Severino and the New York Yankees 11-1 on Sunday night.
Monday's mound matchup pits the 2016 Cy Young winners and former Detroit Tigers teammates against each other as the Red Sox, who are in a virtual tie for first in the American League East with the Yankees, send Rick Porcello to the hill. Porcello faces a struggling Nationals team which is 6-15 in its last 21 contests and six games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East after Sunday's 4-3 loss in 13 innings at Philadelphia. "We've got to start striking out less, putting the balls in play, driving in runs when we have the ability to drive in runs," first-season Washington manager Dave Martinez told reporters. "But it'll turn. Our offense is good. I know it's good. And I truly believe that it'll turn around.'' The Nationals' Bryce Harper (team highs of 20 home runs and 49 RBIs), who could receive perhaps the largest free-agent contract in history this winter, saw his season average fall to .216 after going 0-for-4 with two walks and two strikeouts on Sunday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, NESN (Boston), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (9-3, 3.60 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (10-4, 2.04)
Porcello escaped with a no-decision after allowing four runs - on two homers - and eight hits while walking two and striking out five in 5 2/3 innings of Boston's 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. It was the fifth time in the last 10 starts that the 29-year-old native of New Jersey yielded at least four runs after going 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his first seven turns of the season. Adam Eaton is 5-for-13 with a home run, triple and double versus Porcello, who defeated Washington 9-4 on April 13, 2015 as he allowed three earned runs in eight innings and struck out Harper twice in four hitless at-bats.
Scherzer is 0-3 with a 2.33 ERA in his last four starts as the Nationals were shut out in all three losses. The 33-year-old from Missouri, who was the NL Pitcher of the Month in April and May, went 1-3 with a 2.31 ERA in five June starts after entering the month 9-1 with a 1.92 ERA. J.D. Martinez is 2-for-7 with two home runs and three strikeouts versus Scherzer, who is 4-4 with a 6.04 ERA in 10 starts against the Red Sox but will be facing them for the first time since joining Washington in 2015.
WALK-OFFS
1. Harper's on-base percentage is .366 thanks in part to seven walks in his last three games, giving him an NL-most 67 this season.
2. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts has more walks (38) than strikeouts (37) and is the only player with at least 20 home runs (20) and 15 stolen bases (15).
3. Boston is 16-11 in series openers - 4-2 in their last six such games - and 40-18 in other contests.