Washington Nationals: Five storylines to watch as Marlins make their final trip to DC

Vance Worley’s success against Washington

Vance Worley, who was with the Nats in Spring Training, has had a largely mediocre season for the Marlins. He has been a fourth starter at best in a below-average rotation, and has pitched to a 5.70 ERA in 18 games.

However, Worley has pitched phenomenally against the Nats. In two starts, he has pitched to a 1.20 ERA, allowing just two runs in 15 innings. He is also 2-0, his only two wins of the year.

For whatever reason, the Nats, one of the most potent offenses in the league, cannot manage to figure out how to hit Worley. He was one of the final cuts in Spring Training before signing a minor-league deal with the Marlins, so he is technically a former National.

It has been well-documented how Daniel Murphy performs against the Mets, his former team; perhaps this is a similar situation. Worley has reason to want to pitch exceptionally well against the Nats and prove them wrong for letting him go, so maybe that has allowed him to excel against the Nats.

Maybe the Nats just can’t quite figure Worley out; that happens from time to time. Whatever the reason, the Nats need to figure out how to hit him and figure it out quickly; he is currently the probable starter for Tuesday night.

Now that the Nats have seen Worley several times this season, they should have an easier time hitting him. Hopefully that is the case on Tuesday night with Edwin Jackson on the mound for the Nats, who was struggled against Miami throughout his career. In 14 games against the Marlins, Jackson has pitched to a 5.87 ERA and is 1-7. If his struggles against Miami continue and Worley dominates the Nats once again, this could be a long game.

Vance Worley has somehow shut the potent Nats’ lineup down so far this season, but the Nats will get another look at him on Tuesday. How Worley fares this time around will be something to watch on Tuesday night.