The Nationals have a rare early afternoon start today, and A.J. Cole gets the mound today in Nationals Park.
Bryce Harper in the 2 weeks since coming back from neck (not shoulder) injury: .400/.492/.660/1.152, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 8 XBH, 9 BB, 8 K. The prodigious long-ball power is not there like it was in April, but the overall results are impressive.
Here is Trea Turner‘s hot August night’s splits. The most impressive number might be his RBI and Runs Scoring figures which is incredible that Turner is averaging 1.14 per game. Yes, Turner leads the Majors in Runs Scored in August.
Bryce Harper on Trea Turner’s contributions to the team, “I was thinking tonight, imagine if he was up in May, June, or July…We might’ve already ran away with this thing.”
Many people probably agree with Bryce as Trea Turner is the hottest leadoff man certainly East of the Mississippi and probably East of the Pacific Ocean if not for a debate about Charlie Blackmon.
As for today’s game, the Nationals face lefty Jorge De La Rosa who the Nats have faced many times before. Strangely, De La Rosa has a higher ERA on the road at 5.40 than he does in Coors Field. De La Rosa has pitched better in the 2nd half of the season at a 4.16 ERA. Lefties have hit De La Rosa better than righties in reverse splits.
Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies
Stadium: Nats Park, Washington, DC
1st Pitch: 1:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN, ROOT-Rockies, MLB.tv
Line-ups (subject to change without notice):
- Trea Turner CF
- Jayson Werth LF
- Daniel Murphy
- Bryce Harper RF
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Wilson Ramos C
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Danny Espinosa SS
- A.J. Cole RHP
