Diamondbacks @ Nationals Preview
The Washington Nationals may be five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, but they have been playing with a rejuvenated spirit as of late. They have won their last two games, including a 3-2 victory against their opponents today, the No.1 team in the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, are on a three game losing streak and have a 4-6 losing record on their last ten. They also have the Colorado Rockies breathing down their necks as Colorado are only three games behind Arizona in the NL West standings. The Diamondbacks desperately need to break their losing streak and get some distance between themselves and the Rockies.
Today both teams will be starting a couple of young, talented pitchers that were both products of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.
The Nationals will be starting Stephen Strasburg who will be attempting to help his team sweep the D-Backs in this three-game series.
Starsburg is 4-6 on the season but his stats look a lot better than his losing record. The right-hander has a 2.40 ERA. This time last year Strasburg boasted a similar 2.46 ERA and was 9-1. The reason for him being on the losing end of the majority of his games this season is the Nationals are having a hard time scoring runs, averaging only 2.64 runs per game.
In his last outing Starsburg was able to help secure a victory over the Rockies limiting them to just on run on five hits and pitched seven innings.
Trying to prevent the clean sweep for the Diamondbacks will be Patrick Corbin. Corbin is 9-0 but hasn’t won a game since June 2. The lefty has been pitching a solid this season, though, as it is Arizona’s closer that seem to give up ball games. Take his last start where he held the Cincinnati Reds to one run on three hits over eight innings. Then Heather Bell took over the game in the ninth and allowed the Reds to get the lead.
If Corbin earns a victory today against the Nationals he’ll become the first pitcher in the history of the D-backs to begin a season 10-0.
The Nationals are the favorites to win at home with a -136 money line according to Bovada. While the D-backs have a money line set at +126.
