Washington Nationals vs. Padres Preview (7/22-7/24)

Edwin Jackson (1-1, 4.76) vs. Max Scherzer (10-6, 2.94) – 7:05 p.m, MASN

Jackson was released by the Marlins on June 2 and signed by the Padres 18 days later. After the Pomeranz trade, Jackson went into the rotation and threw a good game against the Giants on July 17. He went 6.1 innings, gave up two earned runs on one hit, walked five, and struck out four in a win.

In his brief stint with the Marlins, Jackson was used mainly as a reliever, but he gave up seven runs in his eight appearances (10.2 innings). The last time Jackson was used as a starter was back in 2014 when he was in his second season with the Cubs.

Jackson is 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA in ten appearances (two starts) against his former team. Daniel Murphy is 5-for-20 (.250) with one home run and two RBI’s against Jackson in his career.

In Scherzer’s first start since his All-Star appearance at PETCO, he went seven innings, gave up one run on six hits, struck out seven, and walked one in a no-decision. That was the game that the Washington Nationals lost in 18 innings.

Over his last four starts, Scherzer has been dominant. He has given up a total of two earned runs and has 33 strikeouts in 27.2 innings. The right-hander currently leads the National League in strikeouts and has held opponents to a .183 batting average in July (0.90 ERA).

Scherzer faced the Padres on June 18 at PETCO. He went six innings, gave up one home run (Myers) on four hits, and struck out ten in a no-decision. That was the game where Felipe Rivero gave up five runs in the bottom of the eighth that prevented Scherzer from getting the win. Myers is 4-for-6 with two home runs against him.

Prediction: Even though Jackson had a good outing against San Francisco, the erratic command of his pitches will be something to keep an eye on. If the Washington Nationals can capitalize on those walks, I think Scherzer pitches another gem in a win, even if Myers does hit another home run.

Next: Sunday's Matchup