Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
WSH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
PHI	1	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	—	5	11	0

Zack Littell (7-8, 4.94 ERA) gets the ball for Washington looking to avoid a sixth straight loss, and he's got Jesus Luzardo (9-5, 3.57 ERA) standing in his way for the first-pitch matchup at 6:40 PM ET.

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Total

Nationals(55-59)

LLLLL

0

+1.5+135+282o8.5-115

Phillies(60-53)

WWWLL

5

-1.5-138-285u8.5+115

Best BetPhillies -259

Pregame

Philadelphia's price reflects a team playing meaningful August baseball against one that's already sold off its roster, and that gap is real. Washington's lost 5 in a row and is banged up at multiple spots, while the Phillies are rolling with 3 straight wins and a lineup that just dropped a grand slam and a Harper homer in the same game. This is a clean form-and-stakes gap, not just a number on a board.

Luzardo's ERA is still the best mark in the Phillies rotation outside their true aces, but his last time out against Miami wasn't pretty — 6 earned runs in 6.1 innings. Littell, by contrast, was quietly sharp in his last start, holding Toronto scoreless across 4.2 innings before the bullpen took over. Neither line tells the whole story of where these two teams are right now: Washington sold at the deadline, shipping out Luis Garcia Jr. and all but conceding the season, while Philadelphia is doing the buying, chasing a third straight NL East crown and hunting a right-handed bat to fill out the lineup.

Carson Palmquist

(0-2)·7.71 ERA

Jul 24 vs Diamondbacks

ND

1.1IP

2ER

1K

3BB

41P

08/04 Lineup

Jesús Luzardo

(11-5)·3.23 ERA

Jul 29 @ Marlins

ND

6.1IP

6ER

5K

3BB

100P

08/04 Lineup

That gap in direction shows up on the field. The Phillies have won 3 in a row, capped by Derek Hill's go-ahead grand slam and a Bryce Harper blast that sank the Nationals 6-3 in this series' opener. Washington hasn't won since before the calendar flipped to August, and DraftKings has priced this one accordingly, with Philadelphia a heavy favorite to make it 4 straight.

Washington's lineup is thinning by the day. Andres Chaparro is out of Tuesday's lineup with a head issue, and the pitching staff already has DJ Herz, Josiah Gray, Mitchell Parker and a handful of relievers scattered across the 60-day IL. This is a team playing out the string, and it shows in the body of work — 4 losses to Atlanta capped by an 8-3 blowout, then Monday's loss here to open the series.

Philadelphia isn't spotless either. Their offense has been middling for stretches this year, and Luzardo's last outing is a real red flag heading into a start against a lineup that's at least shown it can scratch out runs against him before. But home cooking and a team playing with real stakes in front of them is a tough combination for a Nationals club just trying to get through August.

Washington Nationals

(55-59)

Aug 3L@ Phillies3-6

Aug 2L@ Braves2-4

Aug 1L@ Braves3-8

Jul 31L@ Braves2-6

Jul 30L@ Braves4-5

Philadelphia Phillies

(60-53)

Aug 3Wvs Nationals6-3

Aug 2W@ Orioles8-0

Aug 1W@ Orioles5-0

Jul 31L@ Orioles4-6

Jul 29L@ Marlins6-8

Health matters here too — Philadelphia is missing Johan Rojas and Adolis Garcia for extended stretches, both out with serious injuries, but their remaining roster has enough pop that it hasn't slowed the winning.

Washington Nationals

(9)

• Day-To-DayAndres Chaparro (1B) — Chaparro (head) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.08/03
• 10-Day-ILDrew Millas (C) — Milias went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox.07/15
• 15-Day-ILBrad Lord (RP) — Lord (side) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.07/24
• 60-Day-ILPJ Poulin (RP) — The Nationals transferred Poulin (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.08/02
• 60-Day-ILMitchell Parker (RP) — Parker underwent elbow ligament repair surgery with an internal brace Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.07/30
• 60-Day-ILRichard Lovelady (RP) — Lovelady (triceps) began a throwing program shortly after landing on the injured list June 29 and had thrown off flat ground out to 60 feet as recently as July 3, MLB.com reports.07/19
• 60-Day-ILDJ Herz (SP) — Herz (elbow) was diagnosed Monday with a left flexor strain, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.06/22
• 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk (RP) — Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure April 21 and is hopeful to return to game action at some point early in the 2027 season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.06/11
• 60-Day-ILJosiah Gray (SP) — Gray (elbow) has resumed a throwing program, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.05/08

Philadelphia Phillies

(5)

• 10-Day-ILRafael Marchan (C) — The Phillies placed Marchan (knee) on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to July 23.07/24
• 60-Day-ILBrad Keller (RP) — Keller underwent right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery with internal brace and flexor tendon repair Tuesday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILTanner Banks (RP) — The Phillies placed Banks on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left forearm strain.07/25
• 60-Day-ILJohan Rojas (CF) — Rojas (suspension) underwent surgery Friday to repair the UCL in his right elbow and will face an expected recovery timeline of 6-to-8 months, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.06/25
• 60-Day-ILAdolis Garcia (RF) — The Phillies announced that Garcia underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair a torn right lat, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.06/24