The Washington Nationals open a three-game road series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, featuring a pitching matchup seen on opening day.
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore is scheduled to start for the Nationals, facing Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. EDT at Citizens Bank Park.
This contest marks a rematch for the two pitchers who started the season opener. Gore held the Phillies scoreless over six innings on opening day, allowing one hit and striking out 13. Wheeler allowed one earned run on two hits over six innings in that game, striking out eight.
Entering tonight's game, Gore holds a 2-3 record with a 3.34 ERA through six starts. He has recorded 53 strikeouts and nine walks over 35 innings. Wheeler is 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA over six starts, tallying 50 strikeouts and eight walks in 37.1 innings.
The Nationals vs Phillies series continues Wednesday with Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin (2-0, 3.19 ERA) facing a Phillies starter to be determined. Irvin previously faced the Phillies on March 29.
Thursday's series finale, also scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT, is expected to feature Nationals right-hander Brad Lord (0-3, 4.57 ERA) against another pitcher to be named by Philadelphia. Lord is making his fifth start of the season.
The Nationals begin the series with a 13-16 record. The Phillies are 15-13.
While Washington's starting rotation collectively ranks 13th in MLB with a 3.84 ERA, the team's bullpen holds the worst ERA in MLB at 7.30. The Phillies bullpen ranks second worst.
Discussing recent performance, Nationals manager Dave Martinez commented on his team's hitting approach.
"But we had our chances early offensively. Just once again, as I always say, when we chase, nothing good comes out of it. So we got to stop chasing, especially with guys on-base. We gotta get good pitches to hit. When we do that, we’re pretty good. … We have to take our walks."
