The Philadelphia Phillies will be home to face the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. The Phillies have won three of their last four, including a series win over the Cardinals. The Nationals just got swept by the Marlins at home and now find themselves 24 games under .500.
"That's a series dub. #RingTheBell" - Phillies
The visiting Nationals tab Paolo Espino for Tuesday's matchup, who will be making just his fifth start of the year. He doesn't go particularly deep into ballgames and has made 20 relief appearances in addition to his four starts. He'll likely be pulled in the fourth or fifth, so look for the Nats bullpen to be asked to record around 15 outs.
The Nats bullpen ranks fifth worst in the MLB in WHIP and sixth-worst in ERA, so expect the Phillies to pounce on them. Philadelphia's offense ranks fourth in the league in runs per nine, and they've put up 29 runs over their previous four.
The Phillies will send Carlos Sanchez to the hill, who has made just one career start out of his 15 MLB appearances. The lefty doesn't have much experience. The Phillies' bullpen has been decent, and they should be expected to eat up seven or eight innings on Tuesday. The Nationals lineup only mustered eight runs in their last series, so they'll look to bounce back in this one.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Match Details
Fixture: Washington Nationals @ Philadelphia Phillies
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 5, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Betting Odds
The Phillies have had the Nationals' number dating back to last season, winning 13 of the last 16 contests. Also, the over has hit in 11 of the previous 13. With both teams needing to rely heavily on their bullpens today, this could be the case once again.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Best Picks
Rhys Hoskins has been red-hot recently, going deep in four of his last five games. He's reached base 11 times and scored six runs over that span. He's also projected to bat second today. Look for him to stay hot on Tuesday and come around to score at least once.
"Rhys said "it's my turn" #RingTheBell" - Phillies
Pick: Rhys Hoskins Over 0.5 Runs Scored (-155)
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Betting Prediction
The Nationals are in the midst of a four-game slide, and they trail the season series four games to one. The Phillies, even without star Bryce Harper, have been winning games against opponents much tougher than Washington. Look for Philly to take the series opener and cover the spread.
Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+118) & Over 9.5 Runs (-110)