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District On Deck

Washington Nationals: All Betts are off against Boston Red Sox

By Blake Finney

ANNAPOLIS, MD - APRIL 01: Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez #52 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning against the Washington Nationals in the Naval Academy Baseball Classic exhibition game at the United States Naval Academy's Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
ANNAPOLIS, MD - APRIL 01: Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez #52 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning against the Washington Nationals in the Naval Academy Baseball Classic exhibition game at the United States Naval Academy's Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox are coming to town to face the Washington Nationals. Can Max Scherzer guide his struggling team to victory this series?

It was a rough series for the Washington Nationals against the Philadelphia Phillies. Things don’t get easier as the Boston Red Sox are in D.C. for the 4th July series this year.

Joining Blake Finney on the DoDCast to look ahead to it is Jake Devereaux from Over the Monster and The Red Seat podcast. You can check it out here.

On this edition of the podcast, they discuss:

  • What went right and wrong for the Nationals in Philly
  • Could J.D. Martinez or Mookie Betts make an MVP bid?
  • Will Max Scherzer help save the day?
  • Preview/predict each matchup individually
  • Answer listener questions

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Obviously, most of the attention will be on the two superstar MVP contenders in Betts and Martinez. Both have an OPS over 1.000 and have hit at least 20 homers. And despite missing a part of the season through injury, Betts is fifth in MLB in WAR. Both these guys will need to be circled numerous times on the lineup card.

One under-the-radar player to keep an eye on is third-baseman, Rafael Devers. Over the last 15 days, he leads the team with four homers, 14 RBI and has an impressive .993 OPS. With Juan Soto’s success as a teenager, it’s easy to forget Devers is just 21 years old himself.

The Phillies managed to avoid Scherzer in the last series, but the Red Sox don’t get the same luxury. Hopefully, in this series, he can actually get some run support.

Over his last four starts, he has a 0-3 record despite a 2.33 ERA. If the offense can get him at least two or three runs, the Nats ace can handle the rest.

Want to hear more about the Washington Nationals on our DoDCast? You can subscribe to us on iTunes or Google Play and have episodes automatically downloaded for you. You can also listen to us on our brand new home, Spreaker.

Next: Grading the Nats Bats

Going up against one of the best teams in baseball, the Washington Nationals have their work cut out for them. But, with some even matchups, there’s every chance they could sneak a series win out of it.

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