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Washington Nationals: Can the players answer the Liberty Bell?

By Blake Finney

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: Daniel Murphy #20 of the Washington Nationals drives in the game winning run with a single in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park on June 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. Washington won the game 8-6. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: Daniel Murphy #20 of the Washington Nationals drives in the game winning run with a single in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park on June 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. Washington won the game 8-6. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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It was a rough series against the Tampa Bay Rays for the Washington Nationals. It’s time to move on and we ask if the Nats can answer the (Liberty) bell?

The Washington Nationals appear to have serious questions they need to answer this season. Once again, they have the Philadelphia Phillies in a weekend series, and it’s a chance to answer the bell.

Joining Blake Finney on this edition of the DoDCast is District on Deck contributor, Monty Taylor. Check out the episode here.

On this episode they talk about:

  • The Nationals complete lack of offense in Florida
  • The Sergio Romo and Michael Taylor incident
  • Another decisive series against the Phillies
  • Which players to watch out for
  • Preview and predict each matchup individually

More from District on Deck

A lot of eyes will be on Jake Arrieta this series, as he once again goes up against the Nats after they declined to sign him. The former ace has been slipping lately, possessing a 6.66 ERA in his last 5 starts for the Phillies. This has raised his ERA from 2.16 to 3.54 and the Nationals will attempt to capitalize on the down period.

On the offensive side of the ball, Maikel Franco is swinging as hot a bat as anyone on the team. Over the last seven days, he has a .471 batting average and has smacked four extra-base hits in that time. He’ll certainly be a name to be wary of and could do damage against the Nats again this weekend.

For the Nationals, Bryce Harper has had a nice stretch of late. In his last eight games, he has a nice .291 average, with all seven hits going for extra-bases. In that time, he also has eight walks compared to five strikeouts and isn’t pressing as much at the plate. If that continues, we could see the old Harper, sooner rather than later.

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Next: Nats should target these five catchers

It’s going to be a tough series, as was proven by the Philadelphia Phillies coming to Nats Park and winning the series last weekend. But if the Washington Nationals can steal a split or series win, it puts them back on course.

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