The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals could find themselves making deals for different reasons Monday when they begin a four-game series in Philadelphia shortly after the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.
The Phillies are in wild-card contention and likely will be in the market for key additions to the rotation, bullpen and starting lineup. They have generally struggled since the All-Star break, although they shut out the host Baltimore Orioles on Saturday and Sunday to win their three-game set.
“I think you’re always trying to get better,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “You should always incrementally try to get better, no matter who you are. If you’re the Dodgers, who have won two straight (World Series), they’re trying to get better in different ways. We’re in the same boat, right? You’re always trying to get better.”
Bryan De La Cruz, batting ninth in the lineup and playing right field, drilled a two-run homer and added a sacrifice fly in Sunday’s 5-0 rain-shortened victory. The veteran has given the team a boost since being recalled from Triple-A, but it remains to be seen if Philadelphia will upgrade the outfield — not to mention other critical spots — before the deadline.
“I can’t control if the team wants to or doesn’t want to make a move,” De La Cruz said via an interpreter. “I can’t control that. What I can control is what I do on the field.”
Washington, meanwhile, already has made a pair of trades in the last two weeks. Most recently, the team dealt first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees on Sunday, receiving four pitchers — right-handers Yovanny Cruz, Jake Bird, Ben Grable and Jack Cebert — in return for one of their best offensive players and veteran leaders. Bird has major league experience, while the other three are prospects.
“That’s my brother,” All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams said about Garcia. “No matter what team he’s on, we’ll always have that connection. He’s my guy.”
Washington has lost five straight, including all three in Atlanta over the weekend as they managed only seven runs against the Braves. The Nationals recorded only four hits (all singles) in Sunday’s 4-2 setback.
“I thought we’d played pretty well up until this last week,” Washington manager Blake Butera said. “I believe in all of these guys in this clubhouse. They’ve done some pretty incredible things up to this point. Every team goes through it.”
The Nationals hope they’ll have more success against Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.61 ERA), who was more effective in July than he had been earlier in the season. The veteran right-hander yielded three runs or fewer in four of his five starts last month, although he still remains winless since May 26.
“Changeup used to be one of my better pitches. I worked on it a lot this year just to try to get it to where I want to feel it, and lately it’s been a lot better than it has been the past couple years,” Nola said Tuesday after relying on his offspeed stuff while allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings in a hard-luck 1-0 loss to the host Miami Marlins. “I feel like it makes the game a little bit smoother and opens the curveball up a little bit.”
Nola faced the Nationals earlier this season, allowing two runs in five innings on June 24. He is 11-9 with a 3.94 ERA in 37 lifetime starts against Washington.
The Nationals have not announced a starter for Monday, when they likely will go with a bullpen game before returning to their regular rotation for Tuesday’s contest.
–Field Level Media
