The Washington Nationals take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of a three-game series on Monday, August 7. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET from Citizens Bank Park. Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.72 ERA) will take the mound for the Nationals, and Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.01) will pitch for the Phillies.
Philly checks in as -225 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Washington coming in at +185. The total is set at 10.
Nationals-Phillies picks: Monday, August 7
Injury report
Phillies
Out: RP Jose Alvarado (elbow), OF Cristian Pache (elbow), OF Brandon Marsh (knee)
Nationals
Out: RP Mason Thompson (knee), RP Carl Edwards, Jr. (shoulder), RP Thaddeus Ward (shoulder), RP Rico Garcia (bicep), RP Hunter Harvey (elbow)
Starting pitchers
Trevor Williams vs. Ranger Suarez
Williams struggled in his last start, conceding five earned runs and recording just two strikeouts in four innings against the Mets. He has pitched against the Phillies twice this season — in July, he allowed three runs and recorded one strikeout in five innings, and in June, he conceded four runs and recorded six strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
Suarez slipped up as he closed out July, allowing eight earned runs in his last 11 innings pitched in the month. He bounced back with a solid performance against the Marlins last week, allowing just one earned run in 6.1 innings. However, that was largely due to an ability to wriggle out of jams — he also allowed 10 hits in the game. Earlier this season, he allowed five earned runs in 5.1 innings against the Nationals.
Over/Under pick
Both pitchers have not been able to quickly dispatch batters on these opposing teams, and I think we should have a high-scoring matchup on our hands here. The Phillies scored 17 runs over their last two games, and the Nationals scored 13.
Pick: Over 10
Moneyline pick
The Phillies recently won their series against the Royals, and the Nationals swept the Reds. Quite frankly, neither pitcher has been particularly impressive this season in this specific matchup. However, the Nats seem to be on the rise right now as the Phillies struggle to figure out their pitching woes. I like the underdogs on the road here.
Pick: Nationals +185