What to Watch for: 7/27
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Washington Nationals (59-39) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (44-54)
LHP Ross Detwiler (5-3, 3.01) vs. RHP Mike Fiers (3-4, 1.96)
Using the strength of a four-run second inning, the Nationals jumped out to an 8-0 lead en route to an 8-2 victory in the series opener over Milwaukee Thursday night. Tonight, Washington sends southpaw Ross Detwiler to the hill against impressive rookie Mike Fiers as the Nats try to extend their winning streak to a season high seven games with a victory over the Brewers.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Lombardozzi 2B
2. Harper RF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. LaRoche 1B
5. Morse LF
6. Espinosa SS
7. Bernadina CF
8. Leon C
9. Detwiler LHP
ADAM’S BOMBS
With home runs in his last three games, including a solo shot last night, Adam LaRoche has homered in three straight games for the second time in his career. He also turned the trick August 17-19, 2009 while with Atlanta. LaRoche’s 19 homers pace all National League first basemen and he is on track to hit 20 or more homers for the seventh time in eight years.
ROARING ‘20S
At 59-39 (.602), the Nationals are 20 games above .500 for the first time since landing in D.C. in 2005. The last time a Washington-based big league club was 20 or more games above the break-even mark was at the completion of the 1945 season, when the Senators finished 87-67, but finished 1.5 games behind the Tigers (88-65) in the chase for the AL pennant.
THE JOY OF 6
The Nationals have outscored their opponents, 40-12, en route to matching their longest winning streak of the season (also, June 8-13). The Nationals last win streak in excess of six games came via an eight-game run, June 10-18, 2011. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Nationals are only the third team in modern baseball history (1900-present) to win six or more straight games while scoring at least five runs and allowing no more than two runs in each individual contest. The 1961 Yankees (6 games, June 4-8) and 1941 Red Sox (7 games, Sept. 9-15) also turned this trick.
