The Washington Nationals season is going from bad to worse in a hurry. It’s time to stop floundering as the Miami Marlins come to Nats Park this weekend.
The Washington Nationals have begun to flounder as the summer months roll on. Maybe the cure is a series against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park to get back on track.
Joining Blake Finney on the podcast to look ahead to the series, from SiriusXM, is Marlins reporter Craig Mish. You can check it out here.
On this episode of the DoDCast, they discuss the following:
- The Nationals woeful series against the Boston Red Sox
- The Marlins development season
- Any trade targets for the Nats in July?
- Which youngsters to look out for in the upcoming series?
- Preview and predict each matchup
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Once again, a lot of Nats fans will have their eyes fixed on J.T. Realmuto. Not only is he one of the best catchers in the league, he’s long been a target for the D.C. ballclub.
So far in 2018, he’s hitting .306 with 40 runs, 11 homers, and 38 RBI. He would likely be leading the fish in those categories if he didn’t miss the first few weeks of the season. Realmuto would be an excellent trade target, but cost is likely the issue and means the Nats are best to wait until the off-season.
Pablo Lopez gets the ball for the Marlins in game one of the series, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Although he’s only had one career major league start, it was an impressive one against the New York Mets. He had a career 2.93 ERA in the minors and was lighting it up in 2018 with a 1.44 ERA in 12 starts. Keep an eye on him Thursday.
For the Nats, their first two starters this series have exceptional career records against the Marlins. Jeremy Hellickson has faced them 12 times, compiling a 4-3 record and 2.88 ERA. While Gio Gonzalez is even better, with a 10-3 record and 1.85 ERA in 16 starts. Look for both to excel again, against a weaker Miami club than they were used to earlier in their career.
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If the Washington Nationals have any hope of clawing their way back into a playoff place, it starts this weekend. They’ll need to take at least three games from the Miami Marlins, and that’s no mean feat.