The Nationals will finish this portion of their west-coast trip in San Francisco, playing three contests against the Giants. Washington sits at 14-20, and although they are six games below .500, it’s been an exciting season for the Nationals when the bats, defense and pitchers work together. You can say all you want about the Nationals, but one thing you can’t say is they don’t fight. In back-to-back games against the Diamondbacks, the Nationals clawed their way back from large deficits.
The Giants and Nationals are 5-5 in their last ten games, but the Giants have won three out of their last four series. Furthermore, the Giants have their 1,2,3 pitcher throwing against the Nationals this week.
Jake Irvin will be on the bump for the Nationals in game one, his second start of his young career. In his MLB debut against the Cubs, he went 4 1/3 inning allowing two hits and four walks while striking out three. Irvin filled the spot of Chad Kuhl, who was placed on the, IL earlier in the month. Going agasint Irvin is Anthony DeSclafani who is coming off his best perfoamce of the season, as he’s registred a 3-1 record, posting a 2.13 ERA. The Giants will not have SS Brandon Crawford or OF Mike Yasterzemski.
The Nationals sit at the bottom of the N.L. East with a 14-20 record, heading into this Giants series. However, they are slated to play the Mets next week, and it could be a crucial series for both teams if the Mets continue to rack up losses.
| Stats | Nationals | Giants |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 14-20 | 15-18 |
| Divisional Standings | 5th | 4th |
| All-Time matchup record | 249-261 | 261-249 |
| Team Average | .254 (13) | .242 (18) |
| Runs | 132 (27) | 148 (20) |
| Hits | 292 (13) | 272 (21) |
| Home Runs | 22 (29) | 54 (4) |
| K% | 18.5% (1) | 27.2% (30) |
| OBP | .315 (20) | .320 (19) |
| ERA | 4.53 (18) | 4.47 (17) |
| WHIP | 1.43 (24) | 1.33 (17) |
| Run Differential | -27 (22) | -17 (19) |
| Errors | 21 (9) | 26 (1) |
Scouting the Lineup
| Projected starting lineup | AB | BA | H | HR | RBI | OPS | WAR |
| 1B LaMonte Wade Jr. | 89 | .258 | 23 | 6 | 10 | .953 | 1.2 |
| SS Thairo Estrada | 127 | .346 | 44 | 6 | 14 | .942 | 1.8 |
| LF Mitch Haniger | 36 | .222 | 8 | 2 | 6 | .673 | 0.1 |
| DH Joc Pederson | 72 | .222 | 16 | 3 | 15 | .730 | 0.0 |
| 3B Wilmer Flores | 88 | .273 | 24 | 6 | 11 | .842 | 0.6 |
| RF Michael Conforto | 97 | .175 | 17 | 4 | 10 | .608 | -0.5 |
| C Joey Bart | 50 | .280 | 14 | 0 | 2 | .705 | 0.3 |
| 2B Brett Wisely | 34 | .118 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .349 | -0.4 |
| CF Cal Stevenson | 7 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .300 | 0.0 |
Probable Pitching Matchups
Mon 5/8 – Jake Irvin (0-0) 2.08 ERA vs. Anthony DeSclafani (3-1) 2.13 ERA
Tues 5/9 – Patrick Corbin (1-4) 5.17 ERA vs. Logan Webb (2-5) 3.80 ERA
Wed 5/10 – Josiah Gray (2-5) 3.03 ERA vs. Sean Manaea (1-1) 7.33 ERA
Betting Nuggets
Favorite: Giants (-225)
Underdog: Nationals (+180)
Over/Under: 8.5
Broadcast Information
Television: Nationals fans will be able to watch all three games against the Giants on MASN. Bob Carpenter will handle play-by-play duties, with Kevin Frandsen as the color analyst. Dan Kolko will report from the field. MASN’s television territory covers all or parts of six states and the District of Columbia, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Charlotte, N.C., including Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Local Radio: 106.7 is the flagship station of the Washington Nationals. Find all listings here. Play-by-play broadcasters Dave Jageler and Charlie Slowes will call the action. All games will be available to listen to on the radio.
