Nationals Head West With Chance to Shake Up NL Playoff Picture
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The Washington Nationals might not be a playoff team this year, but they will have a say in how things look when the bracket gets finalized ahead of October.
Following a split of their two-game series against the Atlanta Braves that capped off a stretch of 10 consecutive contests at home, the Nationals headed out west to take on two playoff contenders in the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
Both matchups will be a great test for this young Washington squad, as they will be able to compare themselves to the premier franchise in Major League Baseball over the weekend before they finish by facing some of the best players in the sport to start next week.
But this isn't just a happy-go-lucky West Coast trip for the Nationals. They have a real opportunity to impact the playoff picture in the National League depending on how this six-game swing goes.
Series Against Los Angeles Dodgers
Yes, the Dodgers are two-time defending World Series champions. Yes, they are prohibitive favorites to win their third championship in a row to become the first National League team to ever accomplish that feat. However, they have also struggled as of late.
Los Angeles enters their series against Washington having lost six out of their last 10 games. Since the All-Star break, they are 22-21. They have battled inconsistent play and injuries, and they don't look like the juggernaut unit that has dominated baseball the past few years.
Still, this is going to be a challenge for the Nationals. And that is apparent with the pitching matchups.
Expected Starters
Friday: Jackson Kent (1-2, 5.59 ERA) vs. Blake Snell (2-1, 2.42 ERA)
Saturday: Cade CavallI (12-5, 3.12 ERA) vs. Tyler Glasnow (4-0, 2.79 ERA)
Sunday: Andrew Alvarez (2-6, 2.47 ERA) vs. Unlisted
Top prospect and current rookie Jackson Kent will face off against fellow left-hander Blake Snell, who has been his usual lights-out self since returning from a long stint on the injured list. Kent will have his hands full facing a Dodgers lineup that ranks No. 6 with an OPS of .743 against lefties, but coming off the best start of his short major league career, the hope is that he found something that can work. The Nationals have been elite against lefties this season with an OPS of .780 that puts them No. 3. But this will be a tall task against Snell.
The good news for Washington is that they get their ace Cade Cavalli in this matchup. The bad news is that he's facing off against Tyler Glasnow, who has also been elite since he's returned from the IL. This might be the best pitching matchup of the weekend, and it will be awesome to see how Cavalli looks against this elite lineup that Los Angeles fields.
Finally, Andrew Alvarez is going to get the ball in Game 3 of this set. The Dodgers don't know who will be pitching the finale for them with multiple starters on the injured list and Shohei Ohtani potentially being shut down for the year on the mound.
The Nationals have a massive opportunity to impact the NL race in this series. Despite the fact that Los Angeles is sliding, they look like they are still going to win their division. However, they are currently tied with the Braves for the second-best record in the National League, which is huge since the top two teams in each league secure a bye. Washington can hurt the Dodgers' chances of earning that with a good showing in this matchup.
Series Against San Diego Padres
The Padres are sitting third in their division on Sept. 4, 10 games back from the Dodgers. They are not going to win the NL West barring something unforeseen taking place, but they are still fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
At the time of writing, they are a half-game out of the final NL wild card spot. They are in the midst of a massive slide, having lost seven out of their last 10 games and two in a row. That could change before the Nationals get to town, but regardless, this series is going to have an impact on San Diego one way or another.
Expected Starters
Monday, Sept. 7: Will Dion (1-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Randy Vazquez (10-6, 4.02 ERA)
Tuesday, Sept. 8: Jake Irvin (2-8, 5.27 ERA) vs. Casey Mize (5-9, 3.64 ERA)
Wednesday, Sept. 9: Jackson Kent (1-2, 5.59 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (8-6, 4.66 ERA)
Will Dion gets a crack at the rotation as an opener who will pitch multiple innings. That will be interesting to monitor since there's a chance Washington might try to lengthen him out for a possible rotation spot going forward. Facing Randy Vazquez, who has been solid this season, should be an interesting matchup for both sides.
The Nationals have a clear disadvantage in the second contest with Jake Irvin set to face Padres trade deadline acquistion Casey Mize. The former No. 1 overall pick has pitched well this year, and he'll try to keep that going for his new squad.
Kent is featured for the second time on this West Coast swing in the finale. He's facing a resurgent Walker Beuhler, so this appears to be a toss-up game for both sides on paper.
Washington doesn't have much to play for from a postseason perspective, but manager Blake Butera has implored his team to continue playing hard, which will need to take place during these six games if they are going to leave their imprint on the playoff picture.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai