Photo from WTOP
When Mother Nature changes course, look out. Last night’s weather never allowed for a window to play the game after a change in the weather patterns. Last night’s starters of Patrick Corbin and the right-handed Jake Arrieta who were scheduled for last night were moved to tonight. It is hard to say who will benefit from the rainout as both teams got an extra day of interrupted rest to come back this afternoon and try again with another gloomy weather forecast in the offing at a 7:05 pm first pitch.
On Sunday, the Phillies had to go early to their bullpen and used up both of their long-men which seemed to give the Nationals a distinct advantage as Cole Irvin threw 71-pitches and Jerad Eickhoff threw 39 pitches in Sunday’s blowout versus Atlanta. The Phillies lost Andrew McCutchen for the season with a knee injury, and Jay Bruce just tweaked his hamstring, and J.T. Realmuto was not in yesterday’s lineup with some pelvic pain.
“Obviously we all know who we’re playing,” manager Dave Martinez said. “They’re ahead of us and we just got to worry about [today]. Keep playing like we’re playing.”
With the rainout yesterday, the matchups could be changed for tomorrow if they play tonight’s game, but the message is clear this week to win now. Since May 24th, this Washington Nationals team has played to a .667 winning percentage at 14-7. The breakdown of the team wins has Anibal Sanchez at 4, Max Scherzer at 3, Stephen Strasburg at 3, Erick Fedde at 2, and Kyle McGowin and Corbin have 1 each. That is the breakdown of the 14 wins. The 7 losses has 3 to Corbin, 2 to the bullpen, and 1 each to Strasburg and Fedde. By the numbers, it is especially Corbin who has to step up tonight. He has now had two days of extra rest thanks to the rainout yesterday and a day-off after his last start.
If the Nats stay on this current .667 pace the rest of the season, they win 94 games. A .604 pace the rest of the way puts the team at 88 wins and that seems to be the number that could win the NL East if the Braves cool down. The Mets are in another dive and they open today’s games with the possibility that the Nationals could take sole possession of third place if the Mets lose tonight and the Nationals win.
Of course the Nationals goal is first place and the Braves are now the hottest team in all of baseball and leapfrogged the Phillies to take sole possession of first place.
Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 7:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN, NBC Sports Philadelphia, MLB.TV
Nats Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan; SiriusXM® ( Streaming Internet 869)
Line-up subject to change (without notice):
