Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres
- Monday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
- Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
- Wednesday: 1:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)
In the standings
Washington Nationals (32-46, 4th in NL East)
The Nationals lost two of three over the weekend at Dodger Stadium and 11 in a row at point during a 4-16 start to June. Washington ranks 24th in run differential (minus-73), 19th in OPS (.699), 24th in rotation ERA (4.41) and 29th in bullpen ERA (5.92). The top three producers, per fWAR arrived from the Padres in the 2022 Juan Soto trade: OF James Wood (3.3), LHP MacKenzie Gore (2.6) and SS CJ Abrams (2.3).
San Diego Padres (42-35, 3rd in NL West)
The Padres took two of three over the weekend in Kansas City and are five games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and 1½ games behind the second-place Giants. The Padres are also a half-game behind the Brewer in the race for the NL’s last wild-card spot, the product of a 13-13 may carrying into a 10-11 start in June.
Pitching matchups
Monday
Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (4-8, 4.59 ERA) | The second-year starter is walking 3.5 batters per nine innings and has just 58 strikeouts in 80⅓ innings. He is coming off eight strikeouts over six innings of one-run ball in a loss to the Rockies. Seven of his 15 starts have been quality starts. Parker allowed six runs in three innings in his only start against the Padres, last year in Washington.
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-2, 3.59 ERA) | It had been nearly a month since Kolek penned a quality start when he did so against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing three runs over 6⅓ innings in a no-decision. Kolek hasn’t won since allowing six runs in the first inning of an 8-6 win against the Marlins. He faced the Nationals as a reliever last year, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk in an inning of work.
Tuesday
Nationals RHP Trevor Williams (3-8, 5.54 ERA) | The Rancho Bernardo High product has a 5.12 ERA in four starts in June, but he is at least keeping the ball in the park. He has allowed on home run this month and eight in 74⅔ innings. Williams has a 4.91 ERA in 22 innings in his career against the Padres and a 5.40 ERA in two career starts at Petco Park.
Padres RHP Ryan Bergert (1-0, 1.88 ERA) | The 25-year-old rookie has yet to complete six innings, but he has a 2.25 ERA in four starts since moving into the rotation. Bergert has early reverse splits, too, as he is holding lefties to a .393 OPS and righties to a .649 OPS. This will be his first start at Petco Park. He threw a scoreless inning in San Diego in relief earlier this season.
Wednesday
Nationals LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-7, 3.19 ERA) | The 26-year-old leads the NL with 123 strikeouts and the majors with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Gore allowed six runs in 5 ⅔ innings in a loss to the Dodgers in his last start. Gore has a 5.52 ERA in three starts the Padres, the team that drafted him in 2017 and traded him in the Juan Soto package in 2022.
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (7-2, 3.64 ERA) | Pivetta has a 6.23 ERA in four starts this month despite a 20-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Five of his 11 home runs allowed have come in June. Pivetta was a fourth-round pick of the Nationals in 2013. He has a 9.42 ERA in 43 innings against his original organization, which includes four runs in 4 ⅓ innings in his last start against them in 2023.
Team leaders
- OPS: Nationals—OF James Wood (.934), SS CJ Abrams (.836), OF Alex Call (.764); Padres—3B Manny Machado (.865), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.819), DH Gavin Sheets (.781).
- Homers: Nationals—Wood (21), 1B Nathaniel Lowe (13), Abrams (11); Padres—Tatis (14), Machado (12), Sheets (12).
- RBIs: Nationals—Wood (57), Lowe (51), 2B Luis Garcia Jr. (35); Padres—Machado (46), Sheets (45), Tatis (34).
- Steals: Nationals—Abrams (15), OF Dylan Crews (11), Wood (9); Padres—Tatis (15), SS Xander Bogaerts (13), Machado (8), OF Brandon Lockridge (8).
- Saves: Nationals—RHP Kyle Finnegan (18-for-23, 2.96 ERA); Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (21-for-23, 3.62 ERA)
- Holds: Nationals—LHP Jose Ferrer (14, 5.64 ERA), RHP Jose Lopez (5, 6.57 ERA), RHP Brad Lord (5, 3.61 ERA); Padres—RHP Jason Adam (17, 1.85 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (14, 3.74 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (9, 2.23 ERA).
Training room
Washington: OF Dylan Crews is taking dry swings but there is no timetable for a return from his oblique strain. The Nationals are also without RHP Derek Law (forearm), RHP Orlando Ribalta (biceps), INF Paul DeJong (nose), RHP Mason Thompson (Tommy John surgery), LHP Andrew Chafin (hamstring), RHP Josiah Gray (elbow) and LHP DJ Herz (UCL).
San Diego: RHP Yu Darvish threw two simulated innings on Friday in his push to finally return from elbow discomfort. RHP Michael King (shoulder) has not yet begun a throwing program, while RHP Logan Gillaspie (oblique) is rehabbing at Triple-A El Paso.
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