Both of these clubs have seen better days, but the Washington Nationals (36-54) and St. Louis Cardinals (38-52) will both fight for a win on Friday night. These teams crossed paths in June, with the Cardinals taking two of three. That was in D.C., but now the setting shifts to St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. Busch Stadium will welcome fans, and the first pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. EDT. Let's see how these teams will start the second half of the season.
Taking two of three from the Rangers before the break doesn't erase Washington's standing as one of the NL's worst teams. 2019 makes this present rebuild sting less for the fans and organization. Those two wins preceding this series were possible through (rare) strong pitching performances from the Nationals. Unfortunately, that may come to an end in this game, as Washington still hasn't named a starter yet. If they rely on a Triple-A call-up, who knows what may happen. A bullpen game would be even worse, considering Washington's relievers are 30th in FIP, 28th in ERA, and have a -0.1 WAR this season. The best-case scenario is that the Nationals are trying to line up their established rotation the rest of the way and haven't announced the plan yet.
JOEY MENESES is MASHING.
?? ?? 4 HOMERS IN 3 DAYS ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/oHSA83Yxj7< /p>— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 9, 2023
Scoring wasn't an issue last weekend either, with the Nationals scoring 17 runs against Texas. For a team that's 26th in runs per game, those are big-time numbers. They'll try to sustain momentum in St. Louis after time off. Washington can hit, with MLB's fifth-highest batting average and lowest strikeout rate. However, the Nationals don't do much else right, so consistent scoring is difficult when they can't string together hits. They have MLB's worst walk rate, are only 24th in stolen bases, and rank 28th in home runs. The Nationals need a new trick other than contact.