Series Preview: Phillies and Nationals take the field tonight at 7:05 EST, Cristopher Sanchez on the mound
The Phillies kick off a 3-game series tonight with the struggling Washington Nationals. Cristopher Sanchez (0-1, 4.60 ERA) takes the hill for the Phils, going up against Paolo Espino (0-1, 2.80 ERA).
Sunday night was a huge series win for the Phillies, as the longball and dominance from Zack Wheeler powered the Phillies to a 4-0 shutout win. Rhys Hoskins and JT Realmuto both took Wainwright deep, and Wheeler went seven innings strong, allowing zero earned runs and striking out 5 batters.
The Fifth of July might be the worst day of the summer. Everyone feels horrible, nobody wants to work, and the day is just miserable…the Phillies are here to make your day (which probably means they’ll ruin it even more). The Nationals are a horrible baseball team, and if the Phillies keep swinging the bats, this could be an easy, but important, series sweep.
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Series Pitching Matchups
- Tuesday (7:05 EST): Cristopher Sanchez vs Paolo Espino
- Wednesday (7:05 EST): Aaron Nola vs Josiah Gray
- Thursday (4:05 EST): Unknown
Cristopher Sanchez vs Paolo Espino
With Zach Eflin and Ranger Suarez now on the injured list, Cristopher Sanchez will make tonight’s start for the series opener. Sanchez holds a 4.60 ERA in 15.2 major league innings this season, with just 1 start under his belt. Down in AAA, he’s totaled 20 innings with a 2.25 ERA allowing just 5 earned runs, holding a WHIP of 1.10. Paolo Espino takes the hill for the Nats, holding a 2.21 road ERA on the year. He’s making just his 5th start of the season, after being used in multiple different bullpen roles. He’s allowed a line of .257/.316/.471 as a starter, with a .787 OPS, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs, and 18 hits.
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A June to Remember
The Phillies had an extremely successful month of June, finishing the third month of the season with a 19-8 record. The team slashed a line of .252/.327/.445, tallying 43 HRs, 140 RBIs, 41 doubles, 5 triples, and 234 hits. Kyle Schwarber took home the player of the month award, after a line of .272/.385/.680 with 12 HRs and 27 RBIs.
Rhys Hoskins had an extremely successful month of June as well, slashing .306/.414/.612 with 7 HRs, 15 RBIs, 7 doubles, and 30 hits. The team had young guys step up as well, including Matt Vierling (.313/.365/.542) and Darick Hall (.222/.222/.889) in his first two games.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals come into this series with a 29-53 record, trailing the Mets in the NL East by a whopping 22 games. They have the second-worst record in the NL just behind the Reds, are on a 5-game losing streak, and have a -118 run differential on the year.
They’re being led by Josh Bell and Juan Soto at the plate, as Soto, one of the best, most talented players in the league, is even having a down-year himself. He’s hitting .226/.384/.449 in 80 games, with 15 HRs and just 33 RBIs. The Nationals are truly a horrible baseball team, and if the Phillies continue their dominance against Washington (24-10 since June 2020), then this series should be a pretty easy sweep.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Nationals | +1.5 (-142) | +140 | O9.5 (-110) |
| Phillies | -1.5 (+118) | -166 | U9.5 (-110) |
Prediction
Paolo Espino is coming off a pretty average June, allowing 7 earned runs in his last three outings. I think the Phillies win tonight, with homers from Darick Hall and Kyle Schwarber. (Phils -1.5 and OVER 9.5).
- Tonight’s Prediction: Phils win 8-5
- Series Prediction: Phillies sweep Nats
- Series MVP: Darick Hall
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