After throwing a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals last time out, Michael Lorenzen finally makes his return to the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies (66-55) on Friday against … Joan Adon (1-0, 5.14 ERA) and the Nationals again. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET from Nationals Park in D.C.
The Phillies are -198 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Washington is a +164 underdog. The run total is set at 9.
Phillies-Nationals picks: Friday, August 18
Injury report
Phillies
Out: OF Brandon Marsh (bruised left knee), RP Jose Alvarado (left elbow inflammation), OF Cristian Pache (right elbow inflammation)
Nationals
Day-to-day: SP MacKenzie Gore (left middle finger injury)
Out: RP Mason Thompson (left knee contusion), RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation)
Starting pitchers
Michael Lorenzen vs. Joan Adon
This’ll be Lorenzen’s second straight start against the the Nationals after he no-hit them last week, striking out five and walking four on 124 pitches — an effort that earned him eight days of rest before today’s outing. That no-hitter was the exclamation point on what’s been a dominant month, as he’s gone 5-1 with a 1.11 ERA over his last six starts and has surrendered just one home run in that period (40.2 innings).
Adon will be making his third start this season. After picking up with the win with a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) against the Reds, he only lasted three innings in his last start against the Athletics before he left with cramping. He’s 0-2 with a 8.00 ERA in his career against the Phillies, but has an expected ERA of 3.16 this season, which is nearly two points lower than his actual ERA.
Over/Under pick
Lorenzen’s already proven he can dominate the Nationals offense, so I’m expecting another low-scoring game. Adon’s peripherals are surprisingly solid this season, so I’m expecting him to hold his own on the mound as well against an inconsistent Philly lineup.
Pick: Under 9
Moneyline pick
Lorenzen leads the Phillies to another win over the Nationals. While I don’t expect another no-hitter, Lorenzen’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past month, and should have no trouble putting together another strong start on Friday.
Pick: Phillies