Aaron Harang (4-3, 1.82 ERA) gets the start for the Philadelphia Phillies (19-26) as they go up against Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.94 ERA) and the Washington Nationals (25-18) in the last of a three-game series at Nationals Park. The Phillies won the last game 8-1 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game gets underway at 1:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, May. 24 and will air on CSN-PHI and MASN.
Gonzalez is 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.18 WHIP against the Phillies in his career. In his career against the Nationals, Harang is 4-4 with a 2.68 ERA. He meets a solid Washington offense that’s batting .258. Ryan Howard (.268, 16 Rs, 10 HRs, 23 RBIs) has been doing well offensively for the Phillies, going 3 for 5 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
Washington is a considerable -200 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at seven runs. The Nationals perform well as a favorite with a 22-12 record and have an overall money line of +341. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (8-1). The most recent 10-game stretch for the Nationals has gone great. Over that span, Washington is averaging 6.6 runs per game, well over their season average of 4.9. The Nationals come into the game with the top-ranked scoring offense in the NL, averaging 4.9 runs per game. The Nationals typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an impressive 3.4 walks per game. Washington’s pitching staff performs very well on its own field, recording a low 2.76 team ERA at home. The Nationals are fourth in the NL in hits allowed at home with just 8.2 per game.
On the other side, the Phillies have a subpar record of 16-24 when they are the underdog and are -437 overall with the money line. Against divisional foes, they are 9-17 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with an 8-16 record. Philadelphia has been playing better lately, averaging 4.1 runs per game, more than their season average of 3.1. The Phillies average just 7.0 strikeouts per road game, one of the lowest marks in the NL. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Philadelphia pitchers. They’ve allowed 3.2 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.4.
The Nationals have gotten the best of the Phillies in head-to-head matchups this season, going 5-4. The Nationals will take on a right-hander (Harang) in this game and have a 19-15 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Gonzalez will take the mound against the Phillies, who have a 4-4 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSH, O/U – Under
Notes
Washington recorded at least two errors for the sixth time this season.
The Nationals are 3-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Phillies are 1-1 in such matchups.
The Phillies are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Nationals have a 2-5 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Phillies are 14-3. The Nationals have a 17-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 29th in runs, Philadelphia has earned 145 this season. Washington ranks second with 208 runs.
Ranking 22nd, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 108 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 145.
When the Nationals hit at least one home run, they are 19-7. When the Phillies hit at least one homer, they have a 9-11 record.
