What to Watch for: 7/31
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Philadelphia Phillies (45-57) vs. Washington Nationals (61-40)
LHP Cliff Lee (1-6, 3.95) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (11-4, 2.76)
The Nationals are coming off their only off-day in a 34-day span following a road trip that saw them go 6-1 in New York and Milwaukee. They will take their MLB-best 61-40 record against a Phillies team that has just traded outfielders Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence and sits 16.5 games behind entering play on Tuesday.
NATIONALS LINEUP
1. Lombardozzi 2B
2. Harper RF
3. Espinosa SS
4. Morse LF
5. Moore 1B
6. DeRosa 3B
7. Flores C
8. Bernadina CF
9. Strasburg RHP
AND ON THE 7TH DAY …
Michael Morse hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the ninth and laced a game-winning, two-run double in the 11th to lift the Nationals to a stunning 11-10 victory over the Brewers on Sunday at Miller Park. Washington won for the eighth time in nine games despite trailing 3-1, 5-2, 7-3 and 9-7. The Nationals equaled their largest deficit (four runs) overcome to win (also: July 5 vs. Giants: down 5-1, W 6-5) this year.
THE WEEK’S DOCKET
The Nationals begin a key seven-game, six-day, homestand tonight with the first of three against the Phillies. From there, the Marlins invade for a four-game weekend set that includes a traditional 4:05pm twinbill on Friday, necessitated by an April 22 postponement.
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Stephen Strasburg (11-4, 2.76) faces off against Cliff Lee (1-6, 3.95) tonight, the third start of his career against the Phillies. Note that Strasburg was the top pick in the 2009 draft of the Nationals, while Lee was a fourth-round pick of the Montreal Expos in 2000.
