Last Updated on June 1, 2016 3:46 pm by Brad Burns
Murphy to keep powering Nats past Phils?
Bryce Harper tends to demolish any and all National League venues. Yet the Washington right fielder possesses a special knack for torturing Citizens Bank Park.
That makes the reigning NL MVP’s probable absence from tonight’s lineup, then, even more frustrating for manager Dusty Baker. The Nats nonetheless shoot for their third straight win over the Phillies, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch in the City of Brotherly Love. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv like the visitors as 1.5-run favorites.
Yesterday, Harper sat out because of a right knee bruise. Washington flourished, though, capturing a 5-1 victory. Daniel Murphy helped pick up the offensive slack by launching his ninth homer of the campaign and boosting that otherworldly batting average to .397.
Can the Nats inflict similar damage against Adam Morgan (1-3, 6.67 ERA)? Philly’s lefty confronts them for the first time after serving up three dingers last week at Wrigley Field. While other members of Pete Mackanin’s rotation thrive, Morgan finds himself with one of the senior circuit’s worst ERAs.
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Max Scherzer (5-4, 4.05) has never experienced such an inglorious distinction. The righty does, however, aspire to reduce the amount of rawhide reaching the stands. Scherzer’s allowed an MLB-high 15 clouts, including 10 in his past three starts. Even so, the total of 90 strikeouts underscores that it’s not a matter of diminished stuff.
Would the Nationals love to deploy Harper, he of the career .319 average in Philadelphia, here? Absolutely. Still, the fact remains that the Phils (26-26) are beginning to fall back to earth. Washington (31-21), on the other hand, continues to soar in spite of key medical maladies. Roll with the first-place club.
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