Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 1.42 ERA) and Jeremy Hellickson (1-1, 5.21 ERA) start in the second of a three-game series between the Washington Nationals (14-5) and the Philadelphia Phillies (10-10) at Nationals Park. The Phillies won the last game 4-3, and Philadelphia leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 27 and can be seen on CSPh and MASN.
Gonzalez pitched 6.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering three runs (one unearned), striking out eight and walking one in an 8-4 win over the Twins. Bryce Harper (.328, 15 Rs, 9 HRs, 24 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one RBI. Hellickson went 4.1 innings, surrendering four runs, striking out six and walking one in a 5-4 win over the Mets in his last outing. Maikel Franco (.289, 6 Rs, 5 HRs, 14 RBIs) went 1 for 5 yesterday with one RBI.
The odds for Washington and Philadelphia are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. Within its division, Washington has a record of 5-5 SU. The Nationals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Opposing batters know they’re in for a battle when they play Washington. The Nationals are one of the top teams when it comes to pitching, allowing just 0.0 runs per game. The Nationals are the third-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.058 so far this season.
The Phillies are 11-5 against fellow NL East members. Offensively, the Phillies have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Phillies allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – WAS
Notes
In their last game, the Phillies won by a margin of one run. The Nationals are 3-2 in one-run games. The Phillies have a 5-2 record in close games.
The Nationals managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Phillies who are coming in with a 4-0 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Nationals are 1-4. The Phillies have a 3-8 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 21st in home runs, Philadelphia has hit 18 this season. Washington ranks 11th with 23 home runs.
Ranking 26th, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.60 per game. Washington ranks in the bottom half at 17th with 8.32.
Ranking 27th, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.670). Washington ranks in the top half at 14th with an OPS of .733.
When the Phillies allow at least one home run, they are 4-8. When the Nationals allow one or more homers, they have a 7-4 record.
