The Washington Nationals will try to break out of their offensive funk when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday evening.
After suffering consecutive shutout losses against the Chicago White Sox, the Nationals scored twice against Zack Wheeler in a 4-2 loss to the Phillies on Friday as Philadelphia won for the fourth time in its last five games.
Washington’s MacKenzie Gore (2-4, 3.38 ERA) will oppose Cristopher Sanchez (2-3, 3.43) on Saturday in a battle of left-handers during the middle contest of the three-game series.
Gore has given up three earned runs or less in each of his eight starts this season. Most recently, he allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings of a loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. He struck out nine, walked two and settled in after a three-run second inning that carried Boston to a 3-2 victory.
“Just some execution with two strikes, understanding the hitter and what they do well,” Gore said, “… and where the ball needs to be. … We just got to keep getting better.”
Gore beat the Phillies on April 7, allowing two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He is 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA in six career games (five starts) vs. Philadelphia.
Sanchez has allowed two earned runs or less in five of his eight starts for the Phillies this season. He gave up three runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the New York Mets on Monday.
Sanchez already had allowed three runs and loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning. Manager Rob Thomson left him in, and the pitcher responded by striking out the next three batters on nine pitches, escaping the inning unscathed.
“The biggest thing I’m proud of him for is overcoming adversity,” Thomson said. “He got into trouble, long innings the second and third. A lot of pitches put on him. And he just settled in and kept pitching. That’s the growth in this guy. He’s really something.”
Sanchez was the losing pitcher against Gore on April 7. He is 1-2 with a 4.97 ERA in eight games (five starts) vs. Washington in his career.
The Phillies won their majors-best 32nd game on Friday with a familiar formula: early runs and solid pitching. Philadelphia sandwiched first- and third-inning runs around a two-spot in the second, and Wheeler pitched into the eighth.
“It just puts people on their heels right away, and as you get later into the game, I think offenses start to get a little antsy,” Thomson said. “You start swinging early and trying to do too much.”
Washington managed only four hits on Friday. Joey Gallo doubled off Jeff Hoffman in the ninth, but the game ended when Jesse Winker flied out to the warning track in right.
“We had a chance there at the end,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We had the tying run at the plate, and Winker had a good swing. Just didn’t get it all. It could’ve been a lot worse. But we settled down and made it close. We’ve got to start hitting.”
–Field Level Media
