The Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup has given opposing pitchers nightmares all season, but that still doesn’t excuse the Washington staff after allowing 23 runs in just 3 games, resulting in a series loss. The Phillies and Marlins remain red-hot, and the National League Wild Card race isn’t getting any weaker, making this upcoming series against the Astros, and the rest of the month of July for that matter, all the more important.
Houston is sitting on the bubble of a playoff spot and has been playing
some much better baseball after a few dreadful stretches during the first half of the season. They still find themself 2 games under .500 and 3rd in an inconsistent American League West, but one series could change the landscape of the entire division.
Game 1 – Monday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (2-7, 5.44 ERA)
HOU: RHP Mike Burrows (4-8, 5.58 ERA)
This is where the conversation surrounding Mikolas continues to get controversial. A dazzling month of May and portion of June had him looking like a potentially impactful piece in the patchwork Washington rotation, but 2 of his last 3 starts have seen him allow 5 or more runs. He enters this next appearance with a full week of rest, and the Nats will hope that the veteran can get himself back on track.
On the flip side, Burrows had just 2 outings in June where he allowed less than 4 runs, with one of those coming in a 1-inning relief spot. The righty has yet to put together a stretch of starts that has looked anything close to adequate, making him the perfect starter for the Nationals to jump on early and set the tone in this weekday series.
Game 2 – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-1, 3.05 ERA)
HOU: RHP Tatsuya Imai (5-4, 6.14 ERA)
It’s odd for a starter who has yet to work into the 6th inning to be labeled as a “rotation savior”, but that’s essentially what Alvarez has been for the Nats. He rarely gives up any substantial amount of runs, and while it won’t always look the prettiest, the results speak for themselves. The southpaw has also seen an uptick in his whiff rates as of late, making him one of the more important arms on the roster as it stands.
The transition to MLB has been rocky at best for Imai, who signed a large contract with Houston over the offseason as one of the premier Japanese pitching talents to come overseas in recent years. He’s forcing whiffs, but hitters are rarely chasing his pitches and squaring up anything and everything that’s in the zone. The Washington power bats could have a field day on Tuesday night, and elevating the baseball is once again an ideal way to succeed.
Game 3 – Wednesday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (9-2, 2.87 ERA)
HOU: RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-4, 3.81 ERA)
Griffin has remained steady into the month of July, and I don’t think it’s crazy to say that the lefty is making a case for being one of the most productive arms in the entire National League. He’s lowered his ERA to a sub-2.90 mark, and his WHIP is teetering on dipping below 1.00. One of the biggest breakout arms in MLB, Griffin’s next start could be a crucial one, depending on how the first two games of the series go.
The Nats will hope to see the June Arrighetti rather than his initial July form on Wednesday evening. The righty was tagged for 25 runs in 25.0 innings across 5 June appearances, but settled down and allowed just 1 run and 2 hits over 6.0 innings against Tampa Bay to open his month of July. The matchup heavily favors Washington, but it will be a battle of finesse pitchers in the series finale.
