Nationals at Phillies
The Washington Nationals were languishing near the cellar of the National League in late May before winning 28 of their last 39 games to enter the All-Star break in the top wild-card position. The Nationals aim to continue their torrid stretch on Friday when they begin a nine-game road trip with the opener of a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Washington's resurgence has been aided greatly by a starting pitching rotation that has allowed one run or fewer in nine of its last 12 games while its potent bats are responsible for a franchise-record streak of 21 consecutive contests with a home run. Brian Dozier, who went deep in Sunday's 5-2 victory over Kansas City, has belted four of his 14 homers this season against Philadelphia. The Phillies, who lost seven of those 11 meetings, saw injuries take their toll as they dropped 11 of 13 contests during a two-week stretch in June before winning eight of their final 13 games entering the break. In-season trade acquisition Jay Bruce, who has recorded three homers and nine RBIs during his six-game hitting streak, is 9-for-25 with three extra-base hits against Friday starter Stephen Strasburg.
TV: 6:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Washington), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (10-4, 3.64 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Nick Pivetta (4-3, 5.84)
Strasburg won his third straight start in sterling fashion on July 3, scattering two hits and striking out 14 batters over 7 1/3 scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory versus Miami. The 30-year-old owns a sparkling 12-2 record with a 2.72 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 25 career starts versus Philadelphia, although he was blitzed for six runs and allowed four walks in four innings of a no-decision against the Phillies on April 9. Maikel Franco, who joined Bryce Harper in going deep off Strasburg in that contest, is 9-for-27 with three homers in his career against the hurler.
The inconsistent Pivetta fell to 0-2 with a 7.33 ERA in his last four starts on July 3 after permitting six runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 9-2 loss at Atlanta. The 26-year-old British Columbia native was taken deep twice in that contest and surrendered nine homers in his last four outings. Pivetta has been pummeled by Washington this season, yielding seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 15-1 shellacking on April 10 and six more in 5 1/3 frames of a 7-4 setback on June 20.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia 1B Rhys Hoskins has three of his team-leading 20 homers against Washington.
2. Eight of Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon's 12 hits versus the Phillies have gone for extra bases (five doubles, three homers).
3. Harper has 10 hits -- including five for extra bases (three doubles, two homers) -- against his former team this season.