Phillies (56-90) vs. Nationals (74-70)
7:05 p.m. on CSN
The Phillies look to avoid a sweep in the last game of a three-game set when they take on the Nationals Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
On Monday, they were let down by starting pitcher Aaron Nola, who was beat up for six runs on nine hits in five innings. On Tuesday, David Buchanan gave the Phillies six solid innings (yes, really), but the offense was dominated by Stephen Strasburg, who threw eight innings of one-hit ball and tied a career high with 14 strikeouts.
The Phillies hope rookie starter Alec Asher (0-3, 10.67) will give them a solid outing and that the offense can solve Nats lefty Gio Gonzalez (10-7, 3.88) in their quest to avoid 100 losses.
Harper having MVP season
Like him or not, Bryce Harper has been the best player in baseball and appears to be the favorite for National League MVP.
Harper is tied for the NL home run crown with the Rockies' Nolan Arenado (39). He's sixth in the league with 90 runs batted in and leads all of baseball in batting average (.338), slugging percentage (.667), on-base percentage (.467) and OPS (1.134).
The Phillies are doing their part to help Harper's candidacy. After slugging two homers and knocking in four runs last night, Harper is hitting .333 with seven homers and 13 runs batted in in 13 games against the Phils. Harper has feasted on the bottom three teams in the NL East. Against the Phillies, Braves and Marlins, he's combined to hit .357 with 19 homers and 41 RBIs in 143 at-bats.
MLB
Asher's struggles
Asher has made three starts for the Phillies and the results haven't been pretty.
A piece in the Cole Hamels trade, the 23-year-old has lost all three of his starts, pitching to a 10.67 ERA.
One of Asher's biggest issues has been the longball. The big righty has given up five homers in 14⅓ innings, including three in his last start against the Cubs.
Asher is still young, and pitched well in his four starts for Lehigh Valley. The Phils are hoping he shows some flashes tonight and gives them some desperately needed innings.
Solving Gio
Gonzalez's numbers have seen a drop in each of his four seasons with the Nationals, but the lefty has still been productive this season.
He's always fared well against the Phillies.
In 14 careers starts against them, the former Phils farmhand is 7-5 with a 3.02 ERA. Phillies hitters are hitting a meager .235 against Gonzalez. This year has been no different. Gonzalez is 1-1 in two starts against the Phillies in 2015, but has given up only four earned runs in 12⅔, striking out 11.
Manager Pete Mackanin will no doubt go righty-heavy with his lineup, but Gonzalez's splits aren't really that different for his career (.236 vs. RHB, .238 vs. LHB).
Ruf crushing southpaws
Speaking of going right-handed heavy, Darin Ruf, who may see significant time at first base down the stretch, has crushed left-handed pitching.
For his career, Ruf has hit .296 with 13 homers in 230 at-bats against lefties. This year, the splits are staggering. Ruf is hitting .369 against lefties and .150 against righties. He's also hit five of his seven homers against southpaws. Ruf and Ryan Howard in a platoon situation just makes too much sense, and that's why the Phillies have used one during the second half.
Ruf has faced Gonzalez more than he's faced any pitcher in the big leagues. And he's hit him well. He is 7 of 20 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs against Gonzalez.
This and that
• The Phillies are the first team in the big leagues to reach 90 losses. To avoid 100 losses they must go 7-9 or better the rest of the way.
• Along with Ruf, outfielder Jeff Francoeur (8 for 20) and shortstop Freddy Galvis (7 for 20) have hit Gonzalez well. Both have homered off the lefty.
• Howard (knee) and outfielder Aaron Altherr (elbow) were out of the lineup last night and are considered day to day.
• The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman (oblique) has missed the last seven games. The oft-injured Zimmerman is hitting .249 with 16 homers and 73 RBIs in 95 games this season.