Nats Flinch In Loss To Phillies

Phillies 8, Nationals 0

The Philadelphia Phillies traded both Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence earlier in the day, but it didn't stop them from defeating the Nationals in Washington on Tuesday night in front of Vice President Joe Biden.

Stephen Strasburg was off all night, and the Phillies hit him very well.  Strasburg only lasted 4 innings, giving up 8 hits and 6 runs while only striking out 3.

The highlight of the game came in the 8th inning with Henry Rodriguez on the hill.  After a classic H-Rod wild pitch screamed past the umpire's head, it hit the protective netting behind the plate.  Just watch how the fans react:


Cliff Lee pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing only 5 Nationals hits.  Bryce Harper continues to slump and nobody on the team had more than one hit.  That was only Lee's SECOND win on the season, handed over by the Nationals.
Henry Rodriguez continues to get chances and blow them.  1 1/3 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs.  Not sure what Davey Johnson's plans are going to be for the rest of the season.
Phils may have lost a few players, but they aren't giving up just yet.  Another one tomorrow...

Phillies @ Nationals: Game Preview (7/31)

Phillies vs Nationals

7:05 PM Nationals Park

MASN-2

Story Lines:

• Phillies have traded away some serious pieces at the trade deadline.  Who will be on the field for them tonight?
• Nationals have done the opposite, choosing to stand pat with the team they have.
• A battle of aces, or it would be if Cliff Lee was pitching like his normal self this season.

Pitching Match Up:

• Cliff Lee
• 1-6 with a 3.95 ERA.
• Gave up 12 hits and 6 runs over 7 innings his last start.
• Has given up 15 homeruns this season.

• Stephen Strasburg
• 11-4 with a 2.76 ERA.
• Gave up 1 run over 7 innings, while striking out 11 his last time out.
• Has given up 10 homeruns this season.

Who to Watch:

• Juan Pierre
• Batting .400 against Strasburg lifetime.
• The only guy I'm sure will be in the outfield tonight for the Phillies.

• Michael Morse
• Batting .358 against Lee lifetime.
• Hit 3 homeruns and drove in 9 runs last week.
• Beastmode is back!

Keys to the Game:

1. Get to Lee Early.  Don't let him get any sort of confidence in the first few innings.
2. Quick Innings.  Don't make Strasburg work longer than he has to in any innings.  NO errors.
3. Statement Game.  Time to show everyone why the team didn't need to make any deadline moves.

Series Preview: Phillies @ Nationals

After going 7-1 last week, the Nats welcome the Phillies into DC for a three game series.  The Phillies are in last place in the NL East, as they have been basically all season.  Still, you can bet Philly fans will try and crowd our stadium during this series.  If you can, get out to the park and catch a game.  Here is how it stacks up:

• Tuesday: 7:05 PM, Lee (1-6) vs Strasburg (11-4).
• Wednesday: 7:05 PM, Hurley (5-6) vs Jackson (6-6).
• Thursday: 7:05 PM, Hamels (11-5) vs Detwiler (5-4).

Game of the Series:  Going with Tuesday.  Sure Cliff Lee hasn't been himself this season, but how can you resist a Lee vs Strasburg Match Up.

Sound of the Series:  With the talk of protecting our park from the Philly fans, this song came to mind.  Welcome to the Jungle, Philly.

Prediction Time:
My baseball IQ is on the line as I try and predict how the Nats will fare each series. 

• Nationals WIN Tuesday.
• Nationals WIN Wednesday.
• Nationals LOSE Thursday.

Nationals WIN the series 2-1.