Harper, Nats swing into action vs. Marlins
There’s no time like the present for the Nationals to show that last season’s disappointing finish is a distant memory.
As Dusty Baker’s players soldier through a stretch of 16 straight divisional contests to begin the season, they welcome Miami to the nation’s capital todays. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv list Washington as a 1.5-run favorite in the opener of an extended homestand.
A pair of late-inning triumphs in Atlanta have the Nats in the early National League East driver’s seat. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg established the pitching tone against the Braves, with Tanner Roark getting his turn at 4:05 p.m. ET. The 29-year-old righty split time between the rotation and bullpen in 2015, going 4-7 with a 4.38 ERA.
Roark lost both of his starts the Marlins, too, but the Fish otherwise failed to capitalize on their opportunities on the East Coast. Miami lost seven of 10 at Nationals Park last summer. Fortunately for new skipper Don Mattingly, second baseman Dee Gordon boasts hits in 12 straight tilts there. Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton also has a staggering 15 homers in 38 outings at the ballpark.
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The Nats may hold the ultimate trump card, though, in reigning MVP Bryce Harper. He obliterated Miami pitching for seven homers and a 1.161 OPS a year ago, and probably couldn’t care less about the fact that Mattingly will deploy a lefty, Adam Conley, this afternoon.
For many reasons, this one feels like an eruption in waiting. The visitors desperately need a positive, too, having just been swept by Detroit. Pull up a chair for an offensive show.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: MARLINS/NATIONALS OVER 8 RUNS
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