Teams that haven't met since 2019, when they were both playoff-bound, are colliding this weekend. The Washington Nationals (5-13) took a trip to the Twin Cities, to face the appropriately named Minnesota Twins (11-8). Both clubs lost their preceding series, so taking this second game will be huge toward avoiding a similar fate. Just like Friday night, this game is taking place in beautiful Target Field. Unlike Friday, this game is scheduled to start at 2:10 p.m. EDT.
Maybe facing Minnesota is what the Nationals need, considering how 2019 ended for them. Every season since has been ugly and the team is currently in a rebuild. As their record shows, the results are what one would expect from a rebuilding club.
The offense is the greatest culprit, but it was never going to be the same since Juan Soto was traded. Entering this weekend, Jeimer Candelario was the only batter on the Nationals with over 40 at-bats and an OPS exceeding .706, last season's average (this season's average was .725 before this series began). He's also responsible for three of the club's MLB-worst eight homers. The team is bottom-five in runs per game because they're 29th in slugging. They aren't swiping bags either, entering this series with only nine.
Starting pitching has been a mixed bag, and Chad Kuhl hasn't been a positive part of that. This will be his fourth start of 2023, and he enters with an 8.59 ERA. Kuhl has allowed at least four runs and a homer in each of his starts this season without pitching past the fifth inning once. He has nine strikeouts against eight walks this year. 2022 was his worst professional season, so these early returns aren't encouraging.
Behind him is a bullpen that's been solid. They came to Minnesota with a collective 3.86 ERA, 0.96 HR/9, and .251 BABIP which was fifth among MLB bullpens. Outside of their 18.7% strikeout rate (29th), they're holding their own.