Today is April 5? With a sunny forecast and temperatures expected to reach the 80s for an early weekday game, it feels more like July 4 in the District, am I right?
Anyways, good morning from Nationals Park, where the Nats wrap up the first homestand of the season with a 1 p.m. game against the Rays, the only remaining undefeated team in the majors.
Patrick Corbin becomes the first Nationals starter to make his second start in the rotation during today’s finale against the Rays. The Nats will hope to get more length from their veteran southpaw after he only pitched three innings plus one batter against the Braves on Opening Day. Thanks to a couple of errors by shortstop CJ Abrams, some bad luck on soft contact and a few mistakes of his own, Corbin gave up seven hits and four runs (two earned) with three walks and three strikes while throwing 85 pitches (48 strikes) six days ago.
Corbin has made one start against the Rays in his career, going five innings and allowing three runs on three hits and four walks with three strikes at Tropicana Field on June 9, 2021.
The Nationals lineup will have to deal with the fourth left-handed starter they’ve faced already to begin this young season in Shane McClanahan. The 25-year-old Baltimore native is coming off his first All-Star campaign while finishing sixth in American League Cy Young voting last year with a 12-8 record, 2.54 ERA and 0.926 WHIP in 28 starts. He pitched six shutout innings with six strikeouts in an Opening Day win over the Tigers.
Coincidentally enough, McClanahan also started that game at The Trop against Corbin during his rookie year two seasons ago. He gave up three runs on five hits, three walks and home runs to Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman with four strikeouts over three innings.
Although neither starter factored into the decision that day, the Nationals won 9-7 in 11 innings.
TAMPA BAY RAYS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 13 mph out to left field
NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
LF Alex Call
3B Jeimer Candelario
1B Joey Meneses
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Michael Chavis
DH Stone Garrett
CF Victor Robles
SS CJ Abrams
LHP Patrick Corbin
RAYS
1B Yandy Díaz
SS Wander Franco
3B Isaac Paredes
LF Randy Arozarena
DH Harold Ramírez
RF Manuel Margot
2B Taylor Walls
CF Jose Siri
C Francisco Mejía
LHP Shane McClanahan