The Nationals and Red Sox have been connected in a big way this season, mostly due to the new Washington President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni, spending the majority of his front office career in Boston. While neither Jake Bennett nor Luis Perales will appear in this series, the two pieces in Toboni’s first trade with his former club, it’s likely to be a more personal series for the head of the Nats’ front office. Washington snapped a 4-game losing streak with 2 straight wins to close out
a series win against an in-state opponent, the Baltimore Orioles, but their brief skid has them 4th in a loaded National League East and 2.0 games back of a playoff spot.
Sky-high expectations to begin the season for the Red Sox have quickly crashed and burned, with preseason predictions of them being a World Series contender followed up by a 36-46 record to this point in the season. They are, however, coming off their best series of the year, capping off a 4-game sweep of the New York Yankees with a come-from-behind walk-off victory in 10 innings on Sunday night.
Game 1 – Monday 7:10 PM EST
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (2-6, 5.24 ERA)
BOS: LHP Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.83 ERA)
The best outing of Mikolas’ season was followed up with a rough go of it against Tampa Bay, but he settled in against the Phillies for a short but effective 3.1-inning appearance where he gave up 2 runs, both of which were unearned. Boston’s lineup is lefty-heavy, so he will have to get creative with his pitch mix to keep their hitters off-balance in the opener.
Former Phillie Ranger Suarez has been nothing short of a fantastic free agent signing for the Red Sox, and his 2.83 ERA ranks 6th in the American League among qualified starters, just .14 behind his teammate Sonny Gray for a spot in the Top 5. Most of the Nats’ hitters have seen the southpaw from his time in Philadelphia, and the lefty’s arsenal is deep and consistently difficult to crack.
Game 2 – Tuesday 7:10 PM EST
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.00 ERA)
BOS: LHP Connelly Early (7-5, 3.59 ERA)
Cavalli will be looking for an improved start to finish off what has been a month to forget, posting a 4.94 ERA across just 23.2 innings. He put up a quality start his last time out with 6.0 innings of 2-run ball against the Phillies, his first since May 26th. That start also tied his season-high in pitches with 97, making his stamina as the game progresses a prime storyline to follow.
The first of Boston’s two young lefty sensations that the Nationals will face this series, Early is another finesse-over-power arm in their rotation. His handful of offspeed pitches have given opposing lineups more than they can deal with for much of the season, with a well-timed mid-90s fastball with excellent ride also at his disposal. The biggest weakness to point to is his tendency to allow home runs, making the long ball an important part of how the Nats’ offense needs to operate.
Game 3 – Wednesday 1:35 PM EST
WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-1, 3.44 ERA)
BOS: LHP Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78 ERA)
Alvarez takes the ball on getaway day for Washington, and what a rotation stabilizer he’s been since the start of June. He’s given them nothing but solid starts, surrendering just 2 or fewer runs in each of the 5 starts he’s made this month, good for a 3.00 ERA. The Nats can only hope for more of the same from the 27-year-old, with the bullpen having to expect more heavy work after his presumed shortened outing.
While Early has found success by blending movement and sequencing, Tolle has been the bulldog in the Boston rotation in the wake of Garrett Crochet’s absence due to injury. His elite extension and high-90s power fastball make life incredibly difficult for anyone he goes up against, and he’s been one of the most dominant arms in the AL when he’s been on.
