District On Deck
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Washington Nationals: Relief needed against the Padres

By Blake Finney

SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 8: Matt Adams #15 of the Washington Nationals is safe at third base ahead of the tag of Freddy Galvis #13 of the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning of a baseball game at PETCO Park on May 8, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 8: Matt Adams #15 of the Washington Nationals is safe at third base ahead of the tag of Freddy Galvis #13 of the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning of a baseball game at PETCO Park on May 8, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /
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After a bleak weekend, the Washington Nationals play host to the San Diego Padres. Blake is joined on the DoDCast by Tim Ryder to look ahead to the series.

The Washington Nationals were on the wrong end of a sweep to the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend. Now the San Diego Padres are coming to town. Joining Blake on the DoDCast to preview the series is Friars On Base Site Expert, Tim Ryder.

On this episode they cover the following:

  • The Padres recent surge on offense
  • Could any of the Padres relievers be a fit for the Nationals
  • Which young players to watch out for
  • Preview each matchup individually
  • Make some predictions for the series

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The Padres are fresh off of an impressive 3-1 series win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This included a last-gasp four-run rally against former Nationals reliever Felipe Vazquez (formerly Felipe Rivero) on Sunday.

Although they’re rooted to the bottom of the National League West, the Friars aren’t to be taken lightly. After a season of poor hitting, their lineup appears to have found it’s groove.

They’re currently spearheaded by Travis Jankowski, who has really come into his own of late. Over the last 30 days, he’s hitting .390 with a .979 OPS and seven stolen bases. You’ll also remember he was the player who broke up Jeremy Hellickson‘s perfect game bid in the previous series.

They also have recently promoted outfielder Franmil Reyes, who will be an unfamiliar name but still need to be feared. Before the recall, he had an astounding .346 AVG, 1.180 OPS and 14 HRs with Triple-A El Paso. And the power is legit, giving them yet another deadly outfielder.

The Nationals will have to be wary of complacency this series, especially given the result of the last series. The Padres are rounding into form at the wrong time for the Nats.

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Next: Soto promoted to the majors

This is a series that the Washington Nationals will need to get a series win out of in order to get back on track. Or else they risk falling too far behind in the NL East.

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