A head-to-head meeting with the Arizona Diamondbacks awaits the Washington Nationals on the other side of the All-Star break on Friday night. The Nationals went into the break by knocking off the Atlanta Braves in the finale of a losing series and putting an end to a nine-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks put an end to a four-game losing streak in the finale of a losing series with the San Diego Padres. We’ll see who comes out on top in a battle between two teams ranked dead last in their respective divisions.
The Nationals might have the worst record in the National League, but they’ve still managed to make headlines with all of the trade drama surrounding their home run leader, Juan Soto. If the right deal comes along, there’s a chance they could be moving on from their 23-year-old star outfielder. There’s also a chance they could agree to a lucrative, long-term extension as well.
For now, however—or at least until the August 2 trade deadline—Soto and the Nationals will continue trying to salvage whatever is left of another disappointing season. They finally managed to get their offense going in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves enough to end a nine-game losing streak.
There’s no reason to think they couldn’t keep it going on the road against a Diamondbacks team with a pitching rotation that ranks among the worst in the l eague in ERA (4.34). Granted, they could show some resilience at Chase Field considering the team has clearly been better when playing at home this season.
But then again, the Nationals are averaging the fourth-most hits on the road and the second-least strikeouts. They’re going to find a way to consistently put balls into play in this matchup. That has typically been a problem this season for a Diamondbacks team struggling to keep opponents off the scoreboard.