This afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies (4-8) will close out their seven-game road trip, and four-game series with the Washington Nationals (5-7). Having lost two out of the first three games of the series, the Phils can at-best split with a victory today.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (4-8) | Washington Nationals (5-7) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | David Buchanan | RHP | Stephen Strasburg | ||
| (0-2, 11.42 ERA) | (0-1, 6.75 ERA) | ||||
Buchanan, 25, has struggled with his command in his first two starts of the season. In 8.2 combined innings of work, he has allowed 11 runs on 16 hits and six walks, yielding a 11.42 ERA and two losing decisions.
According to Jake Kaplan of The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 of Buchanan's 16 surrendered hits so far has come after throwing a first-pitch ball in the at-bat.
The right hander's struggle early on comes somewhat as a surprise, considering his impressive showing from this year's Spring Training, not too long ago. In 21.0 innings of work, Buchanan allowed just three earned runs on 14 hits and two walks, en-route to a 3-0 record and a 1.29 ERA.
Kaplan adds:
Before the series opener in Washington on Thursday, Buchanan worked in the Nationals Park bullpen with Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure. He focused on keeping the ball down in the zone.
"It's something mental. That's what I'm trying to figure out right now," he said when asked about the differences between his spring training and early regular-season performances. "I think [I'm] probably just pressing a little bit."
Buchanan's career history against the Nationals, although a small sample size being just one start, does not suggest a high probability of him rebounding this afternoon. 320 days ago on June 3, 2014 at Nationals Park, Buchanan was charged seven earned runs in six innings of work. He allowed 10 hits, two walks and two home runs (Ian Desmond, Anthony Rendon).
Opposing Buchanan on the mound will be one of the main faces of the Nationals' franchise, 26-year-old Stephen Strasburg. In two starts this season, the right hander out of San Diego State University is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.
In 11 career starts against the Phillies, Strasburg is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA over 69 innings. He has struck out 82 batters, walked nine, and allowed 51 hits for a 0.870 WHIP ratio.
The table below, via ESPN, shows how the current Phillies have faired against the 2012 National League All-Star in their careers.
| Batter | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cody Asche | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.400 | 0.700 |
| Domonic Brown | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.143 | 0.200 | 0.143 | 0.343 |
| Maikel Franco | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 1.000 |
| Jeff Francoeur | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Freddy Galvis | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.333 | 0.333 | 0.667 |
| Cesar Hernandez | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 | 0.250 | 0.250 | 0.500 |
| Ryan Howard | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0.167 | 0.211 | 0.167 | 0.377 |
| Ben Revere | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.294 | 0.294 | 0.353 | 0.647 |
| Darin Ruf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlos Ruiz | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0.333 | 0.333 | 0.600 | 0.933 |
| Cameron Rupp | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 0.667 | 0.500 | 1.167 |
| Grady Sizemore | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.200 | 0.333 | 0.400 | 0.733 |
| Chase Utley | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.160 | 0.192 | 0.160 | 0.352 |
| Totals | 120 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 0.225 | 0.256 | 0.283 | 0.539 |
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (4-8) | Washington Nationals (5-7) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L | 1 | CF | Denard Span | L |
| 2 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S | 2 | SS | Ian Desmond | R |
| 3 | 3B | Cody Asche | L | 3 | LF | Jayson Werth | R |
| 4 | RF | Jeff Francoeur | R | 4 | RF | Bryce Harper | L |
| 5 | 1B | Ryan Howard | L | 5 | 1B | Ryan Zimmerman | R |
| 6 | C | Carlos Ruiz | R | 6 | C | Wilson Ramos | R |
| 7 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 7 | 3B | Danny Espinosa | R |
| 8 | LF | Ben Revere | L | 8 | 2B | Dan Uggla | R |
| 9 | P | David Buchanan | R | 9 | P | Stephen Strasburg | R |
Denard Span was activated today from the 15-day disabled list by the Nationals. Michael Taylor was sent down to their Triple-A affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs. In six games against the Phillies this season, 26 plate appearances, Taylor batted .217 (5-23), with two home runs and two runs-batted-in.
Broadcast Information:
- First-pitch: 1:35 pm EST
- TV: CSN, MLBN
- Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, SBP 1480 (Sp.)
What's Next:
After failing to win either series this road trip, the Phillies will surely take interest in returning to Citizens Bank Park for the first time since last Sunday's 4-3 extra-innings defeat in the series finale against the Nationals.
The Phillies will have off tomorrow, Monday, in preparation for a three-game series against Giancarlo Stanton and the Miami Marlins starting Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, former top pitching prospect in the Phillies' organization, Jarred Cosart, will start for the first time against his former organization as he opposes left hander Cole Hamels.
Cosart, 24, was traded to the Houston Astros on July 29, 2011 as a part of the trade which brought outfielder Hunter Pence to Philadelphia. Last season at the July 31st non-waiver deadline, he was traded to the Miami Marlins, where he finished the season (4-4) with a 2.39 ERA in ten starts. Overall in his career, Cosart is (14-13) with a 3.33 ERA through 42 starts.
| Date | First Pitch | Marlins Probable Starter | Phillies Probable Starter | TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T, 4/21 | 7:05 |
(1-0, 2.08 ERA) |
(0-1, 4.09 ERA) |
CSN | 94WIP 1210 WPHT SBP 1480 (Sp.) |
| W, 4/22 | 7:05 |
Jarred Cosart (0-1, 4.76 ERA) |
Cole Hamels (0-2, 5.00 ERA) |
||
| R, 4/23 | 1:05 |
(0-0, 7.94 ERA) |
(0-1, 4.91 ERA) |
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
