The controversial 3-game suspension of Bryce Harper is over! On Wednesday, Harper flew back to Las Vegas to workout there while his team went 2-for-3 in his absence. Without Harper, Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters in the line-up yesterday, Michael Taylor batted 6th in this shortened line-up and you felt the impact of those 3 missing bats. Taylor left 7 men-on-base yesterday. Taylor has now batted 6th in the line-up in 12 games in his career and statistically it’s the worst production (.182 BA) he has had in his short career in any spot in the line-up. Where Michael A. Taylor has thrived recently has been in the 7th and 8th spots in the line-up.
Now we have to see how Jayson Werth‘s foot is and Daniel Murphy‘s leg as to whether either will play today. Yes, Brian Goodwin did well while Bryce Harper was suspended as he went 5-13 with some stellar defense in those three games. Adam Lind in the last 2 games was 3-8 with a big home run and 4 RBIs.
Sonny Gray starts today for the Oakland A’s and while his ERA this season is a poor 4.72, he still has the ability to pitch well. Gray got bombed in Cleveland giving up 7 earned over 4 2/3 innings. Media reports have Gray getting traded because he had looked very good before that last start. In Oakland this season, Gray has a 2.55 ERA.
For the Nationals, Tanner Roark starts and he has been excellent his last 2 starts. There is limited match-up data but expect Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy to match-up well with him:
MLB.com data
This has the feel of a big game before the Nationals travel to Los Angeles after this game to face the suddenly hot Dodgers who are on a roll of their own.
Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics
Stadium: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
1st Pitch: 4:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN2, NBC SCA, MLB.TV
Nats Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan; SiriusXM® (Internet 869)
Line-ups (subject to change without notice):
- Trea Turner SS
- Brian Goodwin LF
- Bryce Harper RF
- Ryan Zimmerman DH
- Daniel Murphy 2B
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Adam Lind 1B
- Matt Wieters
- Michael Taylor CF
Tanner Roark RHP
