Game 124 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

What an unexpected weekend this has become. The Nationals have strung together three consecutive quality starts. And the bullpen, in spite of an ugly top of the seventh Friday night, has only been scored upon in one of eight innings so far in this series against the Phillies, leading to two wins and one other highly competitive game. And now we come to the finale, with an unlikely opportunity to win three of four from the division leaders.

That, of course, is easier said than done, for several reasons. It begins with Mitchell Parker, who takes the mound today on the heels of three straight subpar starts in which he’s allowed a total of 17 runs in only 14 1/3 innings. That stretch has raised his ERA to an unsightly 5.55. The lefty is going to have to be significantly better today against the Philly lineup, especially out of the chute in the top of the first. And even if he does his job, the Nats bullpen is going to be without closer Jose A. Ferrer, who recorded six outs Saturday and has recorded at least four outs three times in his last four appearances.

At the plate, the Nationals actually haven’t done that much this weekend, totaling seven runs in three games. Given their own pitching concerns, they probably need a big day at the plate against Aaron Nola (making his return from the injured list) to give themselves their best shot at a win.

A friendly reminder: Today’s game has an extra-early 11:35 a.m. first pitch, and it’s being televised exclusively on the Roku streaming service. It’s a joint booth calling the game, pairing up Phillies play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy with Nats analyst Kevin Frandsen, plus the one and only Dan Kolko serving as sideline reporter.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 11:35 a.m. EDT
TV: Roku
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 93 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center field

PHILLIES
Lineup TBA

RHP Aaron Nola

NATIONALS
DH Luis García Jr.
SS CJ Abrams
1B Paul DeJong
LF Daylen Lile
RF Dylan Crews
2B José Tena
C Drew Millas
3B Brady House
CF Robert Hassell III

LHP Mitchell Parker