The new-look San Diego Padres hit the road and travel east to take on Washington Nationals. The Padres hit a rough patch after the trade deadline but are still in 2nd place in the NL West and have a firm hold on one of the three wildcard spots in the National League. The Nationals will welcome home former stars Juan Soto and Josh Bell, now with the Padres after last week's blockbuster trade, as they continue to run out the string in a lost season. The pitching matchup in Friday night's opener will feature Mike Clevinger (3-4, 3.60) of the Padres taking on Corey Abbott (0-1, 5.68) of the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm EST.
The Padres are just 3-5 since the August 3rd trade deadline just over a week ago. They closed out their 3-game series with the Giants with two straight wins, including newcomer Juan Soto's first home run as a Padre. It will be Soto and teammate Josh Bell who will be on full display as the duo makes their return to D.C. Friday night. Soto, in particular, will be the focal point as the Nationals' former star takes center stage with his new team, the San Diego Padres. San Diego is very much in the playoff hunt despite their double-digit deficit to the Dodgers in the NL West Division race. They will look to take advantage of the Nationals' star-depleted roster this weekend.
Their mixtape is fire, confirmed. pic.twitter.com/0M0nokjWvE
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 11, 2022
The Padres, particularly their offense, will be the focal point of the Nationals attention this weekend. After a slow start, the Padres poured in 20 runs over the final two games against the Giants. Newcomers Brandon Drury and Soto homered on consecutive days and Manny Machado seems to be enjoying the added firepower, going five-for-ten during the two-day onslaught with a home run and five RBI. Clevinger will take the hill on Friday night against what has become a rather tame Nationals lineup without Bell and Soto. Clevinger was 0-3 in four starts in July for the Padres with a 4.07 ERA. In August, he is 1-1 in two starts but comes off a rough outing against the Dodgers.