The Washington Nationals brought a five-game winning streak into their home series against the San Francisco Giants, but lost two of three before heading west to face the Seattle Mariners this week.
Washington swept three from the Orioles in Baltimore, then won both games of an abbreviated series against division rival Atlanta prior to the Giants series. The Nats lost a 3-2 nail-biter to San Fran in the series-deciding game on Sunday. Still, Washington has won seven of its last 10 games; only three teams in baseball have better records over that stretch – the Phillies, Yankees and Cubs.
What to expect in Seattle
The Nats face a challenging test in Seattle, where the 29-23 Mariners lead the AL West. Seattle’s pitching staff ranks 11th in the majors with a 3.69 ERA (compared to the Nats’ 5.07), and the Mariners hit for more power than Washington (70 homers, sixth in the majors). Washington won’t face Seattle’s best starters (Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo) in this series, but will still need a strong performance from expected starters Mitchell Parker, Trevor Williams and MacKenzie Gore (who leads the majors in strikeouts).
Key position players
CJ Abrams, James Wood, Nate Lowe and Keibert Ruiz need to continue the excellent seasons they’re having, but the Nats will need more from the rest of the lineup. Look for Nasim Nunez, Jacob Young and Amed Rosario to get playing time this week; they’re all hitting well over .300 in the team’s last 15 games.
Snakes on deck
After three in Seattle, the Nats will conclude the road trip with three in Arizona against the .500 Diamondbacks. Washington takes some momentum west, despite the result of the Giants series. Expect them to return to Washington with four wins on this trip.
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