There is nothing like the day after a dramatic win. In baseball, there is almost always a game the next day to remind you of the perpetual nature of the game. You have to try to replicate the success over and over again. Today, there are two games in this day/night doubleheader to make up for the rain-out on Friday night.
This is also Mother’s Day, and this season MLB decided to have their teams go “pink” on Saturday also. From ESPN, they created five “Letters to Mom” in a video series in which Bryce Harper was one of the five athletes chosen to be featured in this series. It is touching, and we are pleased to share it with you.
In the first game today, Gio Gonzalez starts for the Nationals and will need to bounceback from his last start in which he struggled. Gonzalez must show that 2016 was an outlier in a season where he was excellent in the month of April then spiraled out of control to a 4.57 ERA. Here is Gio’s chance to get back to the domination he showed in April and that 2.64 ERA.
The Phillies start Jeremy Hellickson in this game. What is interesting in timing is that MLB Trade Rumors reports that Hellickson, who is on a one year deal, is available on the trade market for the right deal. The article also discusses the possibility of extending Hellickson’s contract.
The weather today is calling for sunny skies in the 70°’s. Have we mentioned Gio Gonzalez, Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon like the warmer weather?
Jayson Werth is expected to miss both of the games today due to a tweak of his groin. The Nationals need to decide if they will sit Jayson for a few days or put him on the 10-day DL to get him 100% so this issue does not reoccur. Stay tuned on that.
The Nationals will also be calling up Matt Grace as their 26th man which is allowed in a doubleheader.
Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park, South Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC
1st Pitch: 1:35 pm EDT
TV: MASN, WUSA 9, Comcast Philadelphia, MLB.TV
Nats Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan; SiriusXM® XM 187 Sirius 145 (Internet 869)
Line-ups (subject to change without notice):
- Trea Turner SS
- Brian Goodwin LF
- Bryce Harper RF
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Daniel Murphy 2B C
- Adam Lind 1B
- Matt Wieters C
- Michael Taylor CF
- Gio Gonzalez LHP
