The Washington Nationals (49-89, 62-75 RL, 65-67-5 O/U) take on the Philadelphia Phillies (75-62, 69-68 RL, 68-62-7 O/U) in the second of a three-game series on Saturday evening. The Nationals will have Erick Fedde on the mound. The Phillies will reply with Ranger Suarez. The Phillies lead the season series by a 10-2 count.
The Nationals will give Erick Fedde the nod for the 23rd time of the season. Fedde was outstanding last time out, limiting the potent Mets to only one run in six innings, and registered the win to improve to 6-9 on the season. The veteran right-hander is having a poor season as seen in his 5.08 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP in 106.1 innings of action but does sprinkle in a few strong performances Fedde is 2-5 with a poor 5.94 ERA in his career against the Phillies.
The Nationals are at the end of a lengthy 10-game road trip. They are playing well, recording two wins in three meetings against the Mets, followed by two victories in four bouts against the Cardinals propelled by plenty of runs. The Nats are 4-2 in their last six games.
Luis Garcia has shined against the Phillies this season, registering a stellar .349 ave rage and a .791 OPS. The 22-year-old shortstop has displayed his potential, hitting .293 with 33 RBIs and a .730 OPS on the season. Garcia has collected five RBIs on the month.
The Nationals are posting 3.86 runs per game, ranking them 25th overall. The pitching staff has logged a 5.03 team ERA, placing them 29th in the big leagues.