Adam Morgan (1-8, 6.50 ERA) and Gio Gonzalez (9-9, 4.25 ERA) take the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies (60-72) and the Washington Nationals (77-55) at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals won the last game 3-2, and Washington leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 31 and can be seen on CSPh and MAS2.
Morgan pitched 5.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering six runs, striking out eight and walking two in a 9-4 defeat to the Mets. Ryan Howard (.196, 30 Rs, 20 HRs, 45 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. Gonzalez went 6.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out five and walking one in an 8-5 win over the Rockies in his most recent start. Daniel Murphy (.344, 81 Rs, 25 HRs, 98 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Washington is favored (-180) over Philadelphia and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at nine runs. The Phillies have an overall money line of +493 and a record as the underdog of 42-58. Within its division, Philadelphia has a 9-8 as the underdog and a 23-28 SU. The Phillies have seen a decline in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 3.0 runs per game. They average 3.7 runs per game on the season. Philadelphia’s pitchers put it all together when division rivals are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game drops to 4.3 against fellow NL East members, compared to its 4.8 season average.
Over in the other dugout, in contrast to a worrisome overall money line (-325), Washington has an impressive 66-38 record when playing as the favorite. They have been playing solid baseball as favorite with a 31-12 record against fellow NL East members, and a 36-16 record SU. Offensively, they average 4.8 runs per game, which is good for fourth in the NL. Shifting to the pitching staff and defense, the Nationals allow just 3.8 runs per game, ranking them second in the NL. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Nationals are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.181 for the season. The Nationals have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.6 strikeouts per road game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Nationals have controlled the season series, 10-4. The Phillies have a 14-15 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Gonzalez takes the mound. Morgan (LHP) will be on the hill against the Nationals, who have a 17-13 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WAS, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Nationals won by a margin of one run. The Phillies are 25-17 in one-run games. The Nationals have a 20-15 record in close games.
After a weak showing last week where they got in three hits, the Phillies need to step it up. The Nationals have a record of 5-0 when opponents get three hits or less.
It looks like the Nationals have a slight leg up on the Phillies, as the Nationals have won their last two games while the Phillies have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Nationals are 58-14. The Phillies have a 40-7 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 30th in runs, Philadelphia has earned 491 this season. Washington ranks sixth with 638 runs.
Ranking 29th, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 331 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 452.
When the Phillies hit at least one home run, they are 50-39. When the Nationals hit at least one homer, they have a 60-31 record.
