It has been nearly four years since the Washington Nationals (21-29) faced the Kansas City Royals (15-36). The last time these teams met in Kansas City before this weekend was early in May 2016. Well, Washington is finally back in Missouri's AL park for this clash between last-place teams. Kauffman Stadium is set to host these clubs for the first of three games. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. EDT, and Kansas City is supposed to be sunny when this game begins.
Washington scored five runs in the seventh inning on Thursday afternoon, turning a 5-1 deficit into a 6-5 lead. In the end, it didn't matter, as they coughed up a three-run blast in the ninth and lost the game. A win would've been the fourth in their last five games, as the bats in DC have woken up lately. They averaged 5.3 runs per game during the six-game homestand and left the nation's capital fifth in batting average as a team. The Nationals also have the lowest strikeout rate in the league. The runs haven't followed, as they're only 24th in runs per game due to a lack of power and walks. Washington is 28th in walk rate, 29th in homers, and also only 26th in stolen bases. There's plenty to like about this lineup, but they still have work to do.
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— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 25, 2023
Well, the Nationals bullpen blew Thursday's game, something that Nationals supporters are probably used to at this point. It'll be Patrick Corbin's job to not offer them a chance to blow this one. 2022's worst pitcher has bounced from a terrible start to this season. In four starts this month, Corbin has pitched at least 6.0 innings each time and owns a 2.88 ERA. He's only issued one walk in 25.0 innings this May. This would've sounded like a joke in April, but Patrick Corbin can realistically minimize the relievers' workload in this contest.