Washington will play the second game of its four-game series in San Diego on Friday night. The Nationals lost two out of three against the Cubs earlier this week, while the Padres suffered the same fate against Miami. This story was published prior to Thursday night’s series opener between the Nationals and Padres.
Washington continues to struggle as it looks towards the future. The Nationals have emptied the cupboard in a rebuilding process, so they are simply hoping to find some young talent that can be useful in future seasons. They have not won consecutive games since July 26, going 5-15 in their 20 games since then. Washington lost two out of three games against the Cubs earlier this week, falling in extra innings on Tuesday and losing in a 3-2 final on Wednesday. The Nationals not only have the worst record in the National League, but they also have the worst record in the majors.
West Coast trip ??@MoveNats // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/5dmKXmhVk5
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 18, 2022
They still rank in the top half of the MLB offensively, sitting at No. 12 in batting average (.248). However, their numbers have continued to decline since trading Juan Soto. Second baseman Cesar Hernandez leads the team with 114 hits. He will be facing a San Diego pitching staff that ranks ninth in the majors with an ERA of 3.77. Right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino is going to start for Washington on Friday night. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks across 5.2 innings against San Diego on Sunday. Espino has posted a 5.79 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 23.1 innings since the All-Star break.