Reds-Nationals preview
WASHINGTON -- It was clear going into this season that starting pitching would be a strength for the Washington Nationals, who won the National League East division in 2012 and 2014. In the midst of an even-numbered year, what may be a surprise is that the Nationals have become a Murderer's Row of sorts on the offensive side of the equation. The Nationals enter Saturday night's game with the last-place Cincinnati Reds -- who have a 5.45 team ERA and a battered bullpen -- with an NL-most 107 home runs this season. The challenge of trying to shut down the Nationals on Saturday will fall on right-hander Dan Straily, who is 4-5 with a 4.38 ERA this season in 17 games (14 starts). "One of the reasons I think he is capable of being successful is because his arsenal is complete even when he is behind in the count and that is a difference maker," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He has had stretches, recently, where he has lost command of the strike zone." Straily, in his only appearance against the Nationals, gave up two runs and two hits in seven innings and did not figure in the decision as the Reds won 6-3 on June 4 in Cincinnati. He made his big league debut in 2012 with the Oakland Athletics. He will oppose Joe Ross (7-4, 3.30), who did not pitch when the Nationals played in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Ross, called up to the majors in June 2015, has never faced the Reds. While Ross pitches Saturday, the starter for the Nationals on Sunday is up in the air. It could be Stephen Strasburg (10-0) if he comes off the disabled list or rookie Lucas Giolito (0-0), who made his big league debut Tuesday. "I talked to Strasburg yesterday and he said he's feeling pretty good. He's expecting to take it, but we will see," manager Dusty Baker said Friday. Washington receives pop from throughout the lineup as shortstop Danny Espinosa hit two home runs and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman hit one in a 13-4 thrashing of the Reds on Thursday. "They have some components that are good, with one of them being Espinosa hitting eighth with 15 home runs," Price said Friday. The Espinosa two-homer game came one night after second baseman Daniel Murphy hit two homers against his former team, the New York Mets. The Nationals have six players with at least 10 homers: right fielder Bryce Harper (16), Espinosa (15), Murphy (14), catcher Wilson Ramos (12), Zimmerman (11) and left fielder Jayson Werth (10). Murphy has already tied a career-high for homers in a season, set last year when he was with the New York Mets. Ramos got the night off Friday as Jose Lobaton made the start at catcher though Ramos did enter the game as a pinch-hitter. "In order to keep Ramos productive, we have to give him days off," Baker said. The Nationals hit .276 as a team in June with a .346 on-base average and a .465 slugging mark. Washington scored 149 runs in the month (5.5 per game) and gave up 112. The Washington pitching staff has allowed just 77 homers while the Reds pitchers have given up 137. The Nationals are at the halfway point of the season after they played game 81 on Friday against the Reds. They are in the midst of a 10-game homestand -- the first of more than seven games this season. |