Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats
When teams come back from the All-Star break, you never know if the players will be flat with a lack of energy. Fortunately, the Washington Nationals looked energetic and continued on the pace they set leading into the Mid-Summer Classic. After last night’s game, manager Dave Martinez said he was impressed with his team’s preparedness.
“I love it the way they came out and played,” Martinez said about his team after the game. “I saw it in the clubhouse earlier [before the game yesterday]. They were upbeat and ready to go. They were prepared to come out and play today.”
Today’s starter is the left-handed Patrick Corbin who is among the best in baseball the last month with a 0.96 ERA and no walks in his previous two starts. Corbin will face the Phillies best pitcher the last month, Aaron Nola, as the righty has been stingier than Corbin with a 0.61 ERA the last month. Hopefully the Nationals continue on what they started last night with some small ball because that is how you beat the good pitchers.
Who will Martinez pencil in on his lineup card? Could it be Howie Kendrick who is 1-for-1 against Nola with that one hit being a home run? The Nats best hitters against Nola have been Anthony Rendon batting .343 with two home runs, and Yan Gomes is 1-for-3 with a home run against Nola. Trea Turner and Adam Eaton have struggled against Nola with 22 at-bat sample sizes. It could be a good day to shake up the lineup a little.
Washington Nationals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium: Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1st Pitch: 7:15 pm EDT
TV: FOX national game, MLB.TV
Nats Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan; SiriusXM® ( Streaming Internet 869)
Line-up subject to change (without notice):
Tonight #Nats lineup against RHP Aaron Nola:
Turner – SS
Eaton (L) – RF
Rendon – 3B
Soto (L) – LF
Zimmerman – 1B
Dozier – 2B
Robles – CF
Gomes – C
Corbin – LHP pic.twitter.com/cGHciQTrRf— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) July 13, 2019
