Phillies Host Nationals In Key NL East Clash
It's a series that will feature some of the best pitching in the majors, and one that could very well determine the fate of the two NL East squads who will battle each other the next three days in the City of Brotherly Love. The three-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals will reach a crescendo heading into Wednesday's finale after bad blood recently developed in the rivalry.
But before we get to Game 3, the Nats and Phils have two to play starting Monday at Citizens Bank Park where Washington is 130 chalk behind young lefty Gio Gonzalez. Philadelphia is sending Kyle Kendrick to the mound with a 7-run total ('over' -120). All three games will begin at 7:05 p.m. (ET).
The week and series begins with the Nationals (24-17) in second place, 1.5-games behind Atlanta at the top of the NL East. The Phils sit last with a .500 record at 21-21, five games behind the Braves.
Philadelphia is certainly still within striking distance in the tightly-packed division after beginning the season as a -185 favorite to capture a sixth straight division flag, and +170 chalk to win a third NL Pennant in five years. The club awaits the return of the infield's right side with 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley still mending on the DL where they've resided all season. Things were looking up last week when the Phils went on a 6-game win streak only to see that halted with home losses Saturday and Sunday to the Boston Red Sox.
Washington appears about a year ahead of schedule as far as being a contender in the division. The Nationals were supposed to play fourth-fiddle to the Phillies, Braves and Miami Marlins this season before becoming a true force in 2013, but Davey Johnson's got the club believing that next year is now. The offense remains a weak link – 3.78 RPG, 12th in the NL at the week's outset – but the pitching staff is more than making up for that with a 2.93 ERA, tops in the majors.
Gonzalez has definitely been a big contributor to the latter with a 2.22 ERA and six quality starts among his eight assignments. The 26-year-old southpaw also ranks second among all starters with 11.1 K/9 tally, and bettors who have been following him are 7-1 with a +5.8 unit return (third-highest).
One of those seven wins came in Washington on May 5 when Gonzalez worked seven frames and allowed just one run in a 7-1 victory as a 120 favorite.
Kendrick had one disastrous game at Arizona and a nightmarish inning of relief against the Mets, but has otherwise been a reliable arm for Charlie Manuel's club. This is just his fifth start of the season after opening in the 'pen, and his last three have been a combined 17 innings with just four earned runs crossing the plate (2.11 ERA).
The middle tilt of the series is set to be a dandy duel pitting Jordan Zimmermann for the Nats opposite Philadelphia's Roy Halladay. As expected, the Phils are favored with a -160 price and the 6½-run total is pointing 'under' (-120).
Halladay could very easily be making his 10th start of the campaign with an 8-1 record, but Philly's lineup snoozed in four of his outings during a 5-start stretch that saw the Phils lose all five games. His bullpen then tried to blow his last assignment, but managed to stave off defeat at the Cubs last Thursday. Doc missed facing the Nationals a couple of weeks ago, but has practically owned them since joining the Phillies in 2010. Seven starts have yielded a 6-1 record for the Phils with Halladay's ERA at 1.94.
A lack of run support has also victimized Zimmermann in 2012 as he brings a 2.58 ERA into Tuesday's game, yet the Nats are just 4-4 in his eight trips to the mound. He dropped his third decision in four starts last Thursday when the Pirates banged three homers in a 5-3 upset at Washington as +140 underdogs.
Another loss in the recent tough stretch for Zimmermann came against these Phillies in the series finale at Nationals Park on May 6. Washington was going for a series sweep in the Sunday night prime-time contest, but Philadelphia prevented being broomed thanks in part to Wednesday's starter Cole Hamels.
Hamels was suspended following the game when he openly confessed to plunking Washington's young phenom Bryce Harper with a 1st-inning pitch. Harper would eventually come around and steal home for the only run the Nats mustered off Hamels in his eight innings that night. The 5-game suspension wasn't really much of a punishment since it effectively only pushed his next start back a day and allowed the Phils to pitch Halladay on his normal rest the following weekend.
The 'old school' left-hander has won both of his starts since taking five games off, and Hamels once again helped save the Phils from another potential sweep vs. Boston this past weekend when he got the win in Friday's series opener. Philadelphia has won his last seven assignments, each a quality start for the 28-year-old.
Odds are still forthcoming for Game 3, but Hamels figures to be a 140-150 favorite when he goes up against Edwin Jackson for Washington. Jackson will be pitching against the Phillies for just the third time in his career after not facing them earlier this month. He made one start here in Philadelphia while a member of the Arizona staff in 2010 (5 IP, 5 ER, Lost) and also had a 2-inning relief stint vs. the Phils during the '08 World Series.
It's a series that will feature some of the best pitching in the majors, and one that could very well determine the fate of the two NL East squads who will battle each other the next three days in the City of Brotherly Love. The three-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals will reach a crescendo heading into Wednesday's finale after bad blood recently developed in the rivalry.
But before we get to Game 3, the Nats and Phils have two to play starting Monday at Citizens Bank Park where Washington is 130 chalk behind young lefty Gio Gonzalez. Philadelphia is sending Kyle Kendrick to the mound with a 7-run total ('over' -120). All three games will begin at 7:05 p.m. (ET).
The week and series begins with the Nationals (24-17) in second place, 1.5-games behind Atlanta at the top of the NL East. The Phils sit last with a .500 record at 21-21, five games behind the Braves.
Philadelphia is certainly still within striking distance in the tightly-packed division after beginning the season as a -185 favorite to capture a sixth straight division flag, and +170 chalk to win a third NL Pennant in five years. The club awaits the return of the infield's right side with 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley still mending on the DL where they've resided all season. Things were looking up last week when the Phils went on a 6-game win streak only to see that halted with home losses Saturday and Sunday to the Boston Red Sox.
Washington appears about a year ahead of schedule as far as being a contender in the division. The Nationals were supposed to play fourth-fiddle to the Phillies, Braves and Miami Marlins this season before becoming a true force in 2013, but Davey Johnson's got the club believing that next year is now. The offense remains a weak link – 3.78 RPG, 12th in the NL at the week's outset – but the pitching staff is more than making up for that with a 2.93 ERA, tops in the majors.
Gonzalez has definitely been a big contributor to the latter with a 2.22 ERA and six quality starts among his eight assignments. The 26-year-old southpaw also ranks second among all starters with 11.1 K/9 tally, and bettors who have been following him are 7-1 with a +5.8 unit return (third-highest).
One of those seven wins came in Washington on May 5 when Gonzalez worked seven frames and allowed just one run in a 7-1 victory as a 120 favorite.
Kendrick had one disastrous game at Arizona and a nightmarish inning of relief against the Mets, but has otherwise been a reliable arm for Charlie Manuel's club. This is just his fifth start of the season after opening in the 'pen, and his last three have been a combined 17 innings with just four earned runs crossing the plate (2.11 ERA).
The middle tilt of the series is set to be a dandy duel pitting Jordan Zimmermann for the Nats opposite Philadelphia's Roy Halladay. As expected, the Phils are favored with a -160 price and the 6½-run total is pointing 'under' (-120).
Halladay could very easily be making his 10th start of the campaign with an 8-1 record, but Philly's lineup snoozed in four of his outings during a 5-start stretch that saw the Phils lose all five games. His bullpen then tried to blow his last assignment, but managed to stave off defeat at the Cubs last Thursday. Doc missed facing the Nationals a couple of weeks ago, but has practically owned them since joining the Phillies in 2010. Seven starts have yielded a 6-1 record for the Phils with Halladay's ERA at 1.94.
A lack of run support has also victimized Zimmermann in 2012 as he brings a 2.58 ERA into Tuesday's game, yet the Nats are just 4-4 in his eight trips to the mound. He dropped his third decision in four starts last Thursday when the Pirates banged three homers in a 5-3 upset at Washington as +140 underdogs.
Another loss in the recent tough stretch for Zimmermann came against these Phillies in the series finale at Nationals Park on May 6. Washington was going for a series sweep in the Sunday night prime-time contest, but Philadelphia prevented being broomed thanks in part to Wednesday's starter Cole Hamels.
Hamels was suspended following the game when he openly confessed to plunking Washington's young phenom Bryce Harper with a 1st-inning pitch. Harper would eventually come around and steal home for the only run the Nats mustered off Hamels in his eight innings that night. The 5-game suspension wasn't really much of a punishment since it effectively only pushed his next start back a day and allowed the Phils to pitch Halladay on his normal rest the following weekend.
The 'old school' left-hander has won both of his starts since taking five games off, and Hamels once again helped save the Phils from another potential sweep vs. Boston this past weekend when he got the win in Friday's series opener. Philadelphia has won his last seven assignments, each a quality start for the 28-year-old.
Odds are still forthcoming for Game 3, but Hamels figures to be a 140-150 favorite when he goes up against Edwin Jackson for Washington. Jackson will be pitching against the Phillies for just the third time in his career after not facing them earlier this month. He made one start here in Philadelphia while a member of the Arizona staff in 2010 (5 IP, 5 ER, Lost) and also had a 2-inning relief stint vs. the Phils during the '08 World Series.
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