There will be no Max Scherzer reunion in D.C. this season, an idea that sounded good in theory but probably never had much serious chance of coming to fruition.

Scherzer, after waiting out a prolonged Hot Stove League in search of a job, finally found a new home Thursday, reportedly agreeing to a one-year, $15.5 million deal with the Blue Jays. It’s the right-hander’s lowest annual salary since 2013, when he was a 28-year-old in Detroit still trying to prove himself one of the game’s best pitchers.

The market for Scherzer wasn’t nearly as robust as he and agent Scott Boras probably hoped, but they had several factors working against them. Scherzer turns 41 in July. And he’s coming off an injury plagued season with the Rangers that saw him make only nine starts while compiling an un-Scherzer-like 3.95 ERA.

If the hope was to create a bidding war among multiple contending clubs interested in a three-time Cy Young Award winner’s production and leadership, it never fully materialized. Scherzer remained unsigned deep into January and earlier this week needed to hold a personal showcase in front of scouts from several teams to drum up interest and prove he’s healthy again.

The Blue Jays, who spent much of the winter missing out on a number of top-tier free agents to big-market clubs, finally came through and inked Scherzer to a deal that’s relatively modest by his standards.

And so we have reached the final installment of a series 20 years in the making. It’s time to reveal the five greatest players in Nationals history. Thanks again to everyone who has read and commented on the previous editions. It’s always great to hear the diverse set of opinions on such a fun topic. For those who haven’t read them yet, here are links to the articles on Nos. 16-20, Nos. 11-15 and Nos. 6-10.

These final five share a lot of things in common. Every one of them excelled while in Washington, all of them performing not only at an All-Star level but at times a Hall of Fame level. All played here for at least parts of five seasons, two of them for more than a decade. Four were homegrown, one acquired in a massive free agent deal. Most importantly, all five played in and were significant contributors to the first World Series title in franchise history.

There will be plenty of discussion about the final order selected below. There’s a reasonable case for everyone from this group to rank anywhere in the top five. In the end, it came down to a combination of excellence, longevity and legacy …

NO. 5 – JUAN SOTO
Outfielder, 2018-22
Stats: 565 G, 2439 PA, 1954 AB, 399 R, 569 H, 108 2B, 9 3B, 119 HR, 358 RBI, 38 SB, 14 CS, 464 BB, 414 SO, .291 AVG, .427 OBP, .538 SLG, .966 OPS, 159 OPS+, 21.3 bWAR, 21.0 fWAR

Soto didn’t come out of nowhere; the Nationals gave him a $1.5 million bonus when they signed him at 16 out of the Dominican Republic. And they always knew he had elite hitting skills and a patient eye to go along with it. But his rise to the majors was shockingly quick. In the span of three weeks in April-May 2018, he was promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg to the big leagues. And then immediately thrived and never looked back.

Juan Soto stole the biggest headline at the now-completed Winter Meetings – and for $765 million, rightfully so – but the most significant broader storyline to develop out of Dallas might well have been the shape of the pitching market.

In short, it’s expensive. Really expensive.

While only a handful of top position players have signed so far this offseason, a good number of free agent starters have found new homes. And they’ve been paid handsomely for their services.

The real eye-opener so far was Max Fried, who parlayed the Yankees’ frustration at losing Soto to the Mets into a gargantuan, eight-year, $218 million contract. That shattered most predictions for the left-hander, who undoubtedly is one of the league’s better starters but has dealt with some injuries in recent years and isn’t a prototypical power pitcher.

Fried’s deal, which runs through his age-38 season, was the biggest one given to a pitcher so far this winter. But it’s not the only one that exceeded expectations.

The Orioles are nearing the end of a stretch of playing 30 games in 31 days since May 31. Even with the recent five-game losing steak, the team is 16-11 (.593) in this span with three games left in this series with Texas remaining before Monday's off-day to end this grueling span.

The Orioles have won series in this difficult stretch versus the Rays (twice), Braves, Phillies and Yankees. They split a four-game set in Toronto and lost series to the Astros and Guardians.

The six teams that would qualify for the American League playoffs if the season ended today are the Orioles, Yankees, Guardians, Mariners, Twins and Royals. The Birds are 6-1 in series against those clubs, going 15-7 overall.

In the first game between the Orioles and Rangers since Texas swept three in a row last October in the AL Division Series, the O's won 11-2, hitting four homers. Right-hander Corbin Burnes got the win on the mound, allowing one run over seven innings to now be 9-3 with a 2.28 ERA. He has 11 quality starts in his past 12 games with an ERA of 2.09 over that stretch.

Jordan Westburg's two-run double in the first gave the Orioles a 3-0 lead. Heston Kjerstad hit a two-run homer in the third and Cedric Mullins hit a two-run shot an inning later. The O's got solo homers from Adley Rutschman in the seventh and Colton Cowser in the eighth.

It’s been noted many times before the Nationals never got to enjoy the traditional “victory lap” that comes the season after a team wins a championship, because the 2020 season was delayed, condensed and played in empty ballparks due to COVID-19.

Nearly five years later, the club will attempt to make up for lost time with an anniversary weekend celebration of the 2019 World Series champs.

With the Astros in town for a three-game interleague series, it only made sense to revisit that epic series now, even if five full years have yet to pass and this is only the second homestand of the current season. So the weekend will feature a number of special events and giveaways, plus the return of several members of the championship roster and coaching staff.

Tonight’s series opener features a postgame fireworks show, with a distinct 2019 theme to it. The first 20,000 fans to attend Saturday’s game will receive a replica World Series ring and have the opportunity to listen to Q&A sessions with players and coaches. And Sunday’s finale, geared toward kids, includes a 2019 World Series viewing toy for the first 8,000 fans 12 and under, plus autograph sessions with several alumni.

The list of scheduled attendees includes the five members of the World Series roster who either still play or coach for the Nationals: Patrick Corbin, Sean Doolittle, Gerardo Parra, Tanner Rainey and Victor Robles. Seven retired players from the team are also scheduled to appear: Brian Dozier, Adam Eaton, Javy Guerra, Howie Kendrick, Anibal Sanchez, Kurt Suzuki and Ryan Zimmerman.

The Hall of Fame’s 2024 ballot was revealed Monday, with 12 new candidates joining 14 returning candidates up for this year’s election by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The list includes several first-timers with compelling cases: Adrián Beltré, Chase Utley, Joe Mauer. Headlining the group of returning candidates are Todd Helton, Billy Wagner and Andruw Jones, plus some all-time greats whose chances have been marred by connections to performance enhancing drugs (Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Gary Sheffield) or other off-the-field controversies (Carlos Beltrán, Omar Vizquel).

Here’s what the list does not include, though: Anybody with any Nationals connection.

Not that the Nats typically are well-represented in these matters. Only one person who played for them since 2005 has been elected to the Hall: Iván Rodríguez. Only a few others who made any kind of real impression in D.C. (Adam Dunn, Liván Hernández, Jayson Werth, Jonathan Papelbon, Alfonso Soriano) have appeared on a ballot, and none of those came anywhere close to getting elected.

But it’s kind of unfortunate to look at a Hall of Fame ballot some 19 years after the Nationals debuted and see nobody who wore a curly W cap included.

He may have a career ERA of 7.63 in seven career games versus Baltimore batters and that includes a start this year in April in Texas when he allowed seven runs over 2 2/3 innings, but the Rangers are going with lefty Andrew Heaney (10-6, 4.15 ERA) as their Game 1 starter today.

He will oppose Orioles righty Kyle Bradish (12-7, 2.83 ERA) today at 1:03 p.m. in the opener of the American League Division Series at Camden Yards.

"We looked at a lot of things, but, number one, we looked at how well he's been throwing the ball," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said during his pregame press conference. "We had to win in Seattle. He pitched that game. He threw the ball well. He's our freshest guy. And they're a team that does a lot of platooning. And lefty or righty, they were going to match up. And we felt like he's the guy to go right now."

Heaney made the start last Saturday at Seattle and pitched 4 1/3 scoreless on five hits, throwing 85 pitches. He also threw nine scoreless innings combined over his past four games with three of them out of the bullpen.

Also, while Heaney had that poor start in April against the Orioles, on May 27 in Baltimore he allowed just one run over seven innings to the Orioles.

NEW YORK – There haven’t been many days in the last two years when the Nationals could compare themselves to the Mets and feel better about their own situation than their division counterparts. And there may not be many more days in the near future when that will be the case.

But on this day, July 29, 2023, it was impossible for the guys in the visitors’ dugout at Citi Field to look across the way and believe the grass was any greener over there.

Hours after watching the Mets consummate a haphazard deal that will send Max Scherzer (and a boatload of money) to the Rangers for Ronald Acuña Jr.’s younger brother, the Nationals proceeded to beat up on their hosts and the fans who waited out yet another rain delay, pouring salt in their wounds during an 11-6 thumping.

Make no mistake, the Mets are still ahead of the Nationals in the NL East by 5 1/2 games. And they are going to be motivated to go all-in on trying to win the World Series title that has eluded them since 1986 once again next year. But forgive anybody wearing a curly W cap tonight for feeling even a twinge of schadenfreude given the events of the last 48 hours.

"You're always surprised when, especially a team like the Mets that has so many good players, and all of a sudden they decide the trade was imminent with him," manager Davey Martinez said. "I can say to the Rangers that they're getting a quality starter, a guy that's going to go out there and give them everything he's got. He's definitely going to help Texas. As you all know, I love Max. He's done some unbelievable things for us here in D.C., and I wish him well. I'm glad we don't have to face him again."

NEW YORK – Luis García has faced 14 pitchers at least 10 times in his major league career. He’s had far more success against one of them than anyone else. And the identity of that one opponent may surprise you: Max Scherzer.

Yes, over the course of 11 head-to-head plate appearances against the three-time Cy Young Award winner and likely future Hall of Famer, García has six hits. One of those was a double. Two of them were homers.

Put that all together, and you’ve got a 1.727 OPS against one of the greatest pitchers of this generation. Even García has to smile and laugh when asked how he’s managed to do that.

“To be honest, I can’t even tell you,” he said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “I feel like maybe I go in there with greater focus, because it is Max Scherzer, and he’s a very good pitcher. I think one of his best pitches, if not his best pitch, is his fastball. And I’m a good fastball hitter, so maybe that’s it.”

García certainly handled Scherzer’s fastball well Friday night. He mashed one of them 406 feet to deep right-center, producing the Nationals’ one and only run off the 39-year-old right-hander during a 5-1 loss to the Mets.

NEW YORK – This isn’t the first time the Nationals have faced Max Scherzer since trading him away two years ago. This is actually the fifth time they’ll face their former ace, the second time this season. And Scherzer has done quite well against them, going 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.

But this may not be the same Scherzer we’ve seen in the past. He just turned 39 on Thursday. He’s given up four or five runs in three of his last four starts. His 4.20 ERA is his worst since 2011, and the two homers he’s surrendering per nine innings represents the worst rate of his career.

Making tonight’s matchup all the more compelling is the fact the Nationals send MacKenzie Gore to the mound. Former ace vs. potential future ace. Gore has a long way to go to show up in the same sentence as Scherzer, but he has shown plenty of glimpses of his dominance this season. For example, he’s allowed zero or one run in eight of his 20 starts. The problem: He’s allowed five or more runs in four of his last eight starts.

So which version of Gore will show up tonight? And will he be able to outperform Scherzer? Should be a fun one.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 87 degrees, wind 10 mph out to left field

The Nationals pulled out all the stops to win the opener of today’s pseudo doubleheader, using five relievers en route to a 3-2 victory over the Mets. What does that leave for the nightcap? We’ll have to wait and see.

Jake Irvin makes his third career start, hoping to pick up where he left off last week in San Francisco, when he reached the seventh inning in impressive fashion. This is a very tough Mets lineup the right-hander is facing; he’ll have to throw strikes to avoid a high pitch count and an early exit.

If Irvin has any trouble, the Nationals have some length in the bullpen in the form of Cory Abbott. Turns out the team brought both Abbott and Joan Adon here from Triple-A Rochester, waiting to decide which pitcher would make more sense to add as the 27th man for this game. They decided to go with Abbott, who has bullpen experience, over Adon, who does not.

The lineup, meanwhile, will do its best against a guy named Max Scherzer, who returns to his old stomping grounds wearing blue and orange instead of his more familiar red and white uniform. Scherzer has made only one start since his 10-game suspension for sticky hands, and this start was pushed back due to neck spasms.  

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 77 degrees, wind 77 mph in from left field

So, here we are again. After a fiasco of a Saturday afternoon and evening, the Nationals and Mets are back at it this afternoon for what amounts to nearly a full doubleheader. Today’s originally scheduled 1:35 p.m. game has been pushed back to 4:35 p.m., with Jake Irvin and Max Scherzer still expected to start. But first, the teams have to complete Saturday’s game, which was suspended with one out in the top of the third, the Nats leading 1-0.

The Mets were threatening when the game finally went into a rain delay, with Michael Perez’s double to deep center leaving runners on second and third with one out and Brandon Nimmo due to bat. Trevor Williams had been on the mound for the Nats, but he won’t be back out there today. Davey Martinez was still contemplating Saturday night how to approach this. The hunch here: He’ll try to use one of his better relievers to get out of the jam in the third, then turn to his multi-inning relievers in the fourth inning and beyond.

Joey Lucchesi won’t return for the Mets, either, so Buck Showalter will need to decide who to use out of his bullpen for a clean bottom of the third, with Luis García due to lead off. There are at least 16 innings of baseball that need to be played today; it’s going to be a challenge for both clubs to get through it in one piece.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS (resumption of suspended game)
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 72 degrees, wind 7 mph in from center field

NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
*2B Luis García
DH Joey Meneses
C Keibert Ruiz
CF Alex Call
1B Dominic Smith
3B Jeimer Candelario
LF Stone Garrett
SS CJ Abrams

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – A lot was made this week of Max Scherzer’s use of the pitch clock when he started against a Nationals split squad on Sunday here at Clover Park.

While manipulating the pitch clock by coming set early and then either throwing very quickly or holding onto the ball until the very last second, Scherzer struck out five Nationals and only gave up three hits and one run in two innings.

Today, however, the Nats were ready for it. And along with help from some poor Mets defense, the guys in red were able to tag the former Nationals ace back en route to an 11-6 win in front of 5,441 fans in Port St. Lucie.

“We had a plan,” manager Davey Martinez said of facing Scherzer the second time this week. “We talked to the players. We taught them how to kind of work the clock. He can't quick-pitch you. If he does and you're not engaged, it should be called a balk, like you saw what happened. But you gotta understand what the clock is for. … I think they learned today how much time they really have.”

Scherzer had perfect first and second innings on just 21 pitches. It seemed like he was about to repeat his Sunday result with fewer strikeouts.

We always knew the Nationals weren't going to be good this season. We just had no idea how bad it would get, not only in terms of their 55-107 record, but the fact they traded Juan Soto in early August in an attempt to completely revamp their farm system.

Sometimes, it's tougher to predict how a bad season will play out than a good one. That certainly was the case for me and my colleagues on the Nationals beat, who attempted way back on April 7 to guess how things would go this year and in most cases failed miserably.

There were a few spot-on predictions, but plenty more swings and misses, as you'll see below. As has been our tradition since we first made these predictions in 2010, we always come back to revisit them after the season ends, just to show everyone out there how misguided we were all along ...

WHICH NATIONALS WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME?
Bobby Blanco (MASNsports.com) - Juan Soto
Jessica Camerato (MLB.com) - Juan Soto
Jesse Dougherty (Washington Post) - Juan Soto
Andrew Golden (Washington Post) - Juan Soto
Craig Heist (106.7 The Fan) - Josh Bell, Nelson Cruz
Chelsea Janes (Washington Post) - Keibert Ruiz, Juan Soto
Pete Kerzel (MASNsports.com) - Juan Soto
Bill Ladson (MLB.com honorary) - Juan Soto
Mark Zuckerman (MASNsports.com) - Juan Soto

It’s always tough for a fan base to see their favorite team miss out on the postseason.

For Nationals fans, this is the third straight year without playoff baseball in the District since the team won its first World Series championship back in 2019.

With that being the case, an important question must be asked: Who will Nats fans root for this October?

It’s not a simple question to answer if you’re going to continue being a baseball fan over the next month. Do you root for whole teams or just individual players? Do you root for league or divisional pride, or for anything but that?

The 2022 Major League Baseball postseason is set. In the first year of the new expanded format, six teams each from the American League and National League qualified (three division winners and three wild cards), with the top two seeds earning a first-round bye as the Wild Card Series starts this weekend.

NEW YORK – Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer will forever be linked as rotation mates for a World Series champion, the two of them accounting for eight innings in Game 7 in Houston, but to say their respective careers have diverged since then is a gross understatement.

While Scherzer has continued to pitch at an elite level and now is seeking another title as a member of the Mets’ elite rotation, Corbin is stuck on a rebuilding Nationals team, unable to right a ship that went wayward long ago.

For this one night, though, it was Corbin who rose to the occasion with seven standout innings while Scherzer departed after only five frames when he felt “fatigued on his left side,” according to the Mets. And when Lane Thomas launched a go-ahead homer off reliever Adam Ottavino in the top of the eighth and his teammates churned out five more insurance runs in the ninth, it was Corbin who emerged with an unexpected 7-1 victory at Citi Field.

With perhaps his best performance of the season, Corbin held the Mets firmly in check, earning his second straight win as he attempts to close out a miserable 2022 campaign on a positive note.

"We've worked diligently with him, and he's doing just exactly what we thought he could do," manager Davey Martinez said. "A lot of it had to do with just not giving up on him. We stayed with him, and he was encouraged by the fact we were not going to give up on him. He's going to be here for another year or so. We've got to continue to work and continue to get him better. ... I'm proud of him, and I'm glad things are starting to work out for him."

NEW YORK – It may never feel totally normal to see Max Scherzer pitching for the Mets against the Nationals, but we’ve probably reached a point now where it doesn’t feel quite as surreal as it did earlier this year. Tonight, Scherzer makes his third start of the season for his new team against his old team, and he’s shooting for a milestone: 200 career wins.

In days of yore, 200 wins was a nice achievement but hardly anything spectacular. These days, it’s quite rare. Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke are the only active pitchers to get there. So whenever Scherzer does it – whether it’s tonight or in the future – it is a significant event.

Davey Martinez is trying to put together a lineup that gives his team its best chance of scoring runs against Scherzer. With Nelson Cruz out after fouling a ball off his right knee in Friday night’s loss, there’s a different look to his starting nine tonight. Lane Thomas will lead off, with Luis García batting second. Joey Meneses starts at first base, with Luke Voit serving as DH in Cruz’s absence.

And then there’s this: César Hernández is starting in left field. Yes, left field. It’s the first time the veteran infielder has played any outfield position since 2013, when he was a rookie with the Phillies. And all 22 games he played that season came in center field. So this is the first time he’s ever played left field in a major league game.

We’ll see if the unusual defensive alignment causes any trouble for Patrick Corbin, who will try to shut down the Mets lineup the way he did the Padres (two runs in 5 1/3 innings) and Reds (one earned run in six innings) his last two starts. Corbin already is the first pitcher in Nationals history to lose 17 games. He’s now trying not to become the majors’ first 18-game loser since Chris Archer and James Shields each lost 19 in 2016.

Juan Soto is going to dominate the baseball news cycle for the next 20 hours leading up to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline. If the Nationals end up trading the 23-year-old superstar, he’s going to be the biggest player acquired at this year’s deadline and possibly ever.

But for at least one more night, Soto was hitting third in manager Davey Martinez’s starting lineup, playing right field and wearing “Nationals” across his chest. And if this is the last time that will be the case, he gave Nats fans one last classic Juan Soto performance.

Facing old friend Max Scherzer in his first three plate appearances, Soto went 1-for-1 with a 421-foot home run and two walks, albeit in an eventual 7-3 loss to the Mets. He finished the night 1-for-1 with the homer, three walks, two runs scored and a stolen base in front of a crowd of 29,034 who were either rooting for him to stay in D.C. or rooting for him to go to New York.

“For me, I'm playing for the Nationals right now. I haven't heard anything yet. So for me, just another game that I play,” Soto said during a lengthy postgame meeting with the media.

In their first matchup in the bottom of the first inning, Soto was able to run the count full and draw a six-pitch walk. When Josh Bell, also still in the Nats lineup tonight, doubled down the right-field line, Soto advanced to third. But Mets right fielder Starling Marte threw the ball to second base with no one there, allowing both runners to advance and giving the Nats a quick 1-0 lead on Scherzer.

With the trade deadline just over 24 hours away, I wouldn’t blame you if you immediately scrolled down in search of three names in the Nationals lineup: Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz.

Well, for now, all three are in Davey Martinez’s starting lineup. Keep an eye out for late scratches and in-game replacements. It’s that time of year.

Ehire Adrianza was the first trade chip to fall with today’s announcement that he was traded to the Braves in exchange for 26-year-old outfielder Trey Harris. The Nats seemed to be showcasing him with increased playing time lately, and he heads back to the Braves to provide utility help in their postseason run. Maikel Franco returns as the starting third baseman.

We can be almost certain that Patrick Corbin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so he’ll be ready to make his 22nd start of the season. At 4-14, the left-hander is looking to stay out of the loss column, as he is on pace to become the major leagues’ first 20-loss pitcher in two decades. He was charged with six runs on seven hits and a walk while only recording two outs in a loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Corbin is 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in three starts against the Mets this year.

Max Scherzer makes his second start against his former club tonight, both coming at Nationals Park. He gave up three runs and struck out six over six innings while earning the win in the second game of the season on April 8. Scherzer is 6-2 with a 2.09 ERA on the year, and 1-1 with a 1.39 ERA in his five starts since returning from a strained left oblique muscle that kept him sidelined in June.

The Nationals also are hoping to start August on a better note than they finished on during a 6-19 July, just “good” enough to avoid the worst month in club history.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 85 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left-center field

NATIONALS
CF Victor Robles
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
DH Nelson Cruz
SS Luis García
C Keibert Ruiz
3B Maikel Franco

LHP Patrick Corbin

METS
CF Brandon Nimmo
RF Starling Marte
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Pete Alonso
DH J.D. Davis
LF Mark Canha
3B Eduardo Escobar
2B Jeff McNeil
C Tomás Nido

RHP Max Scherzer

PHILADELPHIA – Would you believe we are more than halfway through the 2022 season, and the Nationals are just now making their first appearance at Citizens Bank Park? Actually, would you believe the last time the Nats played here, Max Scherzer was on the mound for them? Yep, it was the July 29, 2021 doubleheader. By the end of that night, Scherzer and Trea Turner were Dodgers, Kyle Schwarber was a Red Sox (Sock?), Daniel Hudson was a Padre and Brad Hand was a Blue Jay.

Just a few things have changed since then, most of them not in a good way for the Nats. They come to town fresh off a brutal four-game sweep at the hands of the Marlins, the last two in extra innings. Now they have to face a Phillies club that beat them four out of five times a couple weeks ago in D.C.

It’s Paolo Espino on the mound tonight, hoping for better results than his last start against Philadelphia. The right-hander gave up three runs (two earned) in five innings, most surprisingly issuing four walks. He’ll need to do a better job keeping the ball in the strike zone tonight, not to mention keeping the ball in the park against this powerful lineup.

A Nationals lineup that struggled mightily all weekend goes up tonight against Cristopher Sánchez. The young left-hander faced them twice last season but faced a total of only 10 batters, so there’s not a big book on him yet.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 79 degrees, wind 12 mph out to left field