Game 79 lineups: Nats at Phillies

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

June 28, 2018, 11:36am

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PHILADELPHIA - A big series? During the final weekend of June? For the Nationals, well, yeah I think it's safe to say this qualifies.

Having lost nine of their last 12 games, including back-to-back shutouts at Tampa Bay earlier this week, the Nats come to Citizens Bank Park desperate to get back on track. To do that, they'll have to play well in a four-game series against a Phillies club that took two of three from them last weekend in D.C. (the lone win coming via a dramatic, eighth-inning rally). As things start entering play today, the Nationals are 3 1/2 games behind the Braves in the National League East, with the Phillies right ahead of them at 2 1/2 games back. The Braves are off tonight.

Of course it's mandatory that the lineup start to actually, you know, score runs. Which doesn't sound so difficult but has been quite difficult of late. They also need a much better start out of Tanner Roark, who has been quite awful his last two times on the mound.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 1500 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 8 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS
RF Bryce Harper
3B Anthony Rendon
LF Juan Soto
1B Daniel Murphy
SS Trea Turner
CF Michael A. Taylor
C Pedro Severino
RHP Tanner Roark
2B Wilmer Difo

PHILLIES
2B CÃ©sar HernÃ¡ndez
LF Rhys Hoskins
CF OdÃºbel Herrera
1B Carlos Santana
RF Nick Williams
SS Scott Kingery
3B Maikel Franco
C Jorge Alfaro
RHP Aaron Nola