Washington Nationals Series Preview: Nats vs. Orioles (9/21-9/23)
By Ricky Keeler
Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
TBD vs. Max Scherzer (12-11, 2.90) – 7:05 PM, MASN
As of right now, the O’s have yet to name a starter for Wednesday night’s game. If they were to follow the way their rotation has gone, a name to watch could be rookie Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.72 ERA). The 25-year-old right-hander made his return to the rotation against the Rays on September 18. In that game, he went 4.1 innings, gave up six runs on eight hits, struck out one, and walked two in a loss.
As for the Nationals, it is known that Max Scherzer will take the mound and fans saw some of the Scherzer from the first half in his last start. Back on Friday night, he went seven innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out six, and walked three in a no-decision.
Yes, his last two outings have come against a Marlins team that is without Giancarlo Stanton, but there still was some progress. Other than the two-run homer by Christian Yelich in the first inning, Scherzer was composed and got out of some key jams. He did walk three batters, but the Nats’ ace has had six or more strikeouts in each of last six starts.
Back on July 12, Scherzer dominated the Orioles. He went 8.2 innings, gave up two runs (solo home runs by Adam Jones) on four hits, struck out seven, and walked none in a win. He is 4-1 in seven career starts against the O’s with a 3.59 ERA. Jones is 11-for-22 against him with two doubles, three home runs, and four RBI’s.
Advantage: Since we don’t know who will start for the O’s in this game, Scherzer does have the edge, but there were good signs from Scherzer in his last outing that suggest the Nats’ ace is back and he will look to end his season on a positive note. Nationals get the win here and they take two out of three games in the series.
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