Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals Picks and Predictions August 16th 2024

The Phillies are the heavy favorite heading into Friday’s matchup vs. the Nationals, as their money line odds are sitting at -272 compared to the Nationals at +223. This one is getting started at 6:40 PM ET from Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia, and the over/under line is currently at 9 runs.

Washington comes in with a record of 55-67 and they are 4th in the NL East, while the Phillies are 71-50 and have won two straight. Aaron Nola will be on the mound for the Phillies, and he is facing off against Patrick Corbin for the Nationals. MASN will be televising Friday’s game.

Washington vs. Philadelphia Key Information

Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Phillies on the road. Corbin has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 2-12 with a 5.98 ERA. Looking at his home/road splits, Corbin is 1-7 with a 7.69 ERA on the road compared to 1-5 with a 5.39 ERA at home. In his most recent outing, Corbin finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Corbin’s ERA for the season is the highest it has been all year.

Washington’s offense has been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league this season, and they are also just 26th in the league in scoring. However, they do come into the game with a batting average of .244 (11th) and are 6th in the league in avoiding strikeouts. Their team ISO of .132 is 25th in the league.

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Luis Garcia Jr. comes into the game with a team-high 59 RBIs and is batting .290 for the season. CJ Abrams has also been a good run producer, as he has 59 RBIs to go along with a team-high 17 homers. Abrams is hitting just .251 for the season. Over his last four games, Keibert Ruiz has gone 4/17 with two homers.

Right-hander Aaron Nola is on the mound for the Phillies today as he faces the Nationals at home. Nola has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 11-6 with a 3.60 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Nola has a WHIP of 1.15 and has turned in 15 quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.43 strikeouts compared to just 2.26 walks. Nola’s last outing came against the Diamondbacks, where he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had given up four earned runs in back-to-back outings.

Heading into today’s game, the Phillies are 6th in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.4 runs per game, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. As a team, they are 4th in batting average and have the 7th most home runs in the league. Alec Bohm has been a key run producer for the Phillies this season, as his 84 RBIs is the best mark on the team and 9th best in the league. He is also hitting .297 for the season.

Over his last six games, Kyle Schwarber has struggled, going just 2/24. However, he is still the Phillies’ leader in home runs, with 28. Bryce Harper has been hot of late, going 8/22 in his last six games with a home run. Harper is also 10th in the league in homers and is 3rd on the team in RBIs.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as we have this one as the 4th lowest-scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have the Phillies coming out on top. Aaron Nola is our highest projected starter of the day in terms of innings pitched, and he also has the best chance to pick up a win.

Phillies Aim to Keep Offense Rolling as Series Continues Against Nationals

Once more the Philadelphia Phillies are finding their sweet spot, showing the hostile capability that described areas of strength for them half of the time. After a great appearance in the series opener against the Washington Nationals, where they got a predominant 13-3 triumph, the Phillies are set to proceed with their four-game series on Friday night in Philadelphia.

Phillies’ Hostile Explosion

The Phillies’ bats have woken up in late games, counting 22 sudden spikes in demand for 30 hits over their last two challenges. This hostile flood has given the group a genuinely necessary lift as they proceed with their push toward the postseason. On Thursday, the Phillies were driven by a memorable execution from Weston Wilson, who hit for the cycle — the tenth in establishment history — while likewise contributing a performance homer.

“I’m kinda at a loss for words,” Wilson said after the game. “It was one of those things that just kinda happened. I got that infield hit and got the hardest one out of the way first.”

Wilson’s cycle was the highlight of a game that saw the Phillies dominate from the start. In the first inning, Alec Bohm launched a three-run homer, extending his on-base streak to 32 consecutive games. Nick Castellanos also homered in the opening frame, setting the tone for a powerful offensive display.

Trea Turner added to the Phillies’ hostile flood with a two-run twofold in the fourth inning, alongside two singles, as Philadelphia piled up 17 hits altogether. “Feels like our offense is doing its thing,” Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler remarked, taking note of how the hostile result made life more straightforward for the pitching staff.

The triumph denoted Philadelphia’s 40th home win of the time and their 6th dominate in seven matches against the Nationals this year. With the offense clicking, the Phillies are ready to proceed with their strength over Washington as the series advances.

Pitching Matchup: Nola vs. Corbin

On the mound for the Phillies on Friday will be right-hander Aaron Nola, who is looking to rebound after two consecutive losses. Nola (11-6, 3.60 ERA) has struggled in his last two outings, giving up four runs in each start and allowing three home runs combined. “It’s hard to pitch when I’m not ahead in the count,” Nola admitted after his most recent start, a five-inning effort in an 11-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite these recent struggles, Nola has had success against the Nationals this season, winning both of his starts against them. In his career, Nola is 9-8 with a 3.70 ERA in 31 starts against Washington.

The Nationals will counter with left-hander Patrick Corbin, who has endured a challenging season. Corbin (2-12, 5.98 ERA) narrowly avoided a fourth consecutive loss in his last start, where he allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks over four innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels. Corbin has also struggled against the Phillies, with a 6-10 record and a 4.81 ERA in 21 career starts. Earlier this season, on April 5, he gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings during a 4-0 loss to Philadelphia.

Nationals’ Struggles Continue

The Nationals have been mired in a rough stretch, losing 11 of their last 17 games. Despite the team’s struggles, catcher Keibert Ruiz provided a bright spot in Thursday’s loss with two home runs. Ruiz has been working on both mechanical and mental adjustments at the plate, which paid off with his multi-homer game.

“Trying to put a good swing on it and trusting myself,” Ruiz said. “And keep playing hard every day.”

Washington will need more performances like Ruiz’s if they hope to turn things around and compete with a surging Phillies team. However, with Corbin on the mound and the Phillies’ offense firing on all cylinders, the Nationals face a tough challenge in the second game of the series.

What to Expect

With the Phillies’ offense clicking and Aaron Nola hoping to return quickly from his new battles, Philadelphia has serious areas of strength for a to proceed with their triumphant ways against a Nationals group that has battled both at the plate and on the hill. The key for the Phillies will keep up with their hostile energy while getting a strong trip from Nola to get another triumph.

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For the Nationals, the emphasis will be on getting a superior exhibition from Corbin and figuring out how to dial back the Phillies’ hot bats. In the event that they can keep the game close, they could possibly profit by any errors and take a success. In any case, with the manner in which the Phillies are playing, it will require serious areas of strength for a from Washington to even the series.

Conclusion

As the Phillies have the Nationals for the second game of their four-game series, they do as such with certainty and energy. With their offense terminating on all chambers and a craving to cement their postseason situating, Philadelphia will hope to proceed with their strength over Washington. In the mean time, the Nationals, battling to find consistency, will require areas of strength for a from Patrick Corbin and ideal hitting to get an opportunity against a flooding Phillies group.