Series Preview: Phillies at Nationals, September 13-15

Without much success away from home recently, having dropped 17 of their last 21 road contests, the Phillies (68-78) will hope to turn things around when they travel and kick off a three-game series against the division rival Washington Nationals (77-69) on Friday.

The Nats, who are 5 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card standings, are still clinging to some postseason hopes and will look to lock down their fifth straight victory against the Phillies at Nationals Park.

For full details on the pitching match ups and other key notes from this series read ahead.

Friday, 7:05 PM. Kyle Kendrick (10-12, 4.51 ERA) vs. Stephen Strasburg (7-9, 2.96 ERA). In his last six starts, Kendrick has a 0-4 record and a 5.13 ERA. Kendrick sports a 2-3 record and a 5.31 ERA in nine career games at Nationals Park. Bryce Harper is 8-for-20 (.400 avg) with a home run and two RBI in his career against Kendrick. Strasburg has a 5-4 record with a 1.55 ERA in 14 home games this season. In six career games against the Phils, the 25-year-old Strasburg has a 2-1 record, a 2.65 ERA and a .186 batting average against. Jimmy Rollins is 2-for-18 (.111 avg) with a home run in his career against Strasburg.

Saturday, 7:05 PM. Cole Hamels 7-13, 3.45 ERA) vs. Gio Gonzalez (10-6, 3.31 ERA). Hamels is 5-7 with a 3.32 ERA in 14 road games this season. The lefty Hamels is undefeated with a 1.95 ERA in his last eight starts. Jayson Werth is 3-for-21 (.143 avg) with a home run in his career against Hamels. In seven games at Nationals Park, Hamels is 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA. In seven career games against the Phillies, the left-handed Gonzalez is 5-1 with a 2.22 ERA and a .191 batting average against. In his last five home starts, Gonzalez has tallied a 1.52 ERA. Kevin Frandsen is 4-for-10 (.400 avg) in his career against Gonzalez.

Sunday, 1:35 PM. Tyler Cloyd (2-4, 4.56 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (17-8, 3.36 ERA). In five big league road starts this year, Cloyd has a 2-1 record with a 3.62 ERA. Cloyd allowed six runs in five innings in his lone career start against the Nats. Zimmermann is 10-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 16 home outings this year. Zimmermann has a 5.12 ERA in 10 starts since the All-Star break. Domonic Brown is 4-for-6 (.667 avg) in his career against Zimmermann.

John Mayberry Jr. is batting .160 in 31 games since July. Mayberry has a .224 average in 18 games at Nationals Park. Mayberry is 0-for-9 against Nationals reliever Drew Storen.

In 48 games since the All-Star break, Jimmy Rollins is batting .222. Rollins is 4-for-25 (.160 avg) in six games at Nationals Park this season.

Freddy Galvis is 10-for-21 (.476 avg) with two homers and four RBI in his last five games. Galvis has posted a .195 batting average in 31 big league road games this season.

In 54 home games this season, Bryce Harper has a .916 OPS, compared to his .829 mark in 49 road contests. Harper is a .261 hitter with two home runs and 10 RBI in 30 career games against the Phillies.

Ian Desmond is batting .317 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI in 70 home games this season.

Nats closer Rafael Soriano has a 5.16 ERA since the All-Star break despite stringing together eight straight scoreless outings as of late. Soriano has not allowed a run in six appearances against the Phillies this year.

Phillies OPS since the All-Star break- .656 (29th in MLB)
Nationals OPS since the All-Star break- .769 (4th in MLB)

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