The Washington Nationals opened a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, and the matchup came at a useful moment for a club trying to steady itself after a sweep by the Marlins. First pitch for Game 1 was set for 9:40 PM ET, with the series stretching through Saturday and Sunday.
That is why Nationals vs Diamondbacks was drawing attention on Friday: Washington had a day off to reset, and Blake Butera said the break should help the team get right back on the horse. Game 2 was scheduled for Saturday at 4:10 PM ET, and Game 3 followed on Sunday at 3:15 PM ET, giving the Nationals three straight chances to stop the slide and put their offense back in motion.
For the opener, Foster Griffin was listed for Washington with a 6-2 record and a 3.76 ERA, while Merrill Kelly was set for Arizona at 5-3 with a 5.06 ERA. The second game matched Zack Littell, who came in at 5-4 with a 5.01 ERA, against Eduardo Rodriguez, who was 5-1 with a 2.24 ERA. Cade Cavalli, 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA, was listed for Sunday against Michael Soroka, who was 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA. Those pitching lines mattered because the series did not arrive as a routine homestand; it arrived with Washington looking for answers and Arizona trying to protect its place in the race.
The friction is in the standings as much as the recent form. The Diamondbacks were still ahead of the Nationals in the NL wildcard race even though Arizona had lost five of its last six games, a reminder that Washington was not only chasing a win but also chasing ground. Jacob Young went 3-for-10 against Miami with one home run, and Daylen Lile finished 3-for-11 with one run, leaving the Nationals hoping for more at the plate as the series began.
Arizona brought its own headline numbers into the matchup. Corbin Carroll led the Diamondbacks in hits while posting a.373 on-base percentage and a.535 slugging percentage, and Ildemaro Vargas led the club in RBIs with a.286 batting average. With the first game already on the board and the next two scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Washington's chance was straightforward: use the series to answer a bad week, and do it before the Diamondbacks widen the gap any further.
