Stuck in an offensive funk, the Philadelphia Phillies will aim to get back on track when they visit the Washington Nationals for the second game of a four-game series on Friday.
The Phillies dropped the opener 3-2, their third straight defeat. It’s their longest losing streak since they dropped three in a row back from June 24-26 when they were swept by the Houston Astros. Philadelphia hasn’t lost four in a row since a five-game skid from June 4-8.
Though they had 10 hits on Thursday, the Phillies went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners. They went a combined 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in their two preceding losses to the Cincinnati Reds, in which they managed a total of one run on eight hits.
“I think we’re probably trying to do a little too much at the plate,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to get back to using the entire field, doing the little things, and big things will happen.”
Thomson added, “It’s not like they’re not working at it. You can hear a bunch of hitters in the cages right now. We’ve just got to fight through it.”
The Phillies will try to revive their offense as they oppose Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.09 ERA) on Friday.
Gore owns a 1-4 record and 4.40 ERA in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against Philadelphia. He pitched brilliantly against the Phillies on Opening Day this year, firing six shutout innings of one-hit ball while striking out 13, but didn’t get a decision. At Philadelphia on April 29, he yielded three runs in six innings during another no-decision.
Philadelphia will counter with ace Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.68 ERA), who got no-decisions against Gore and the Nationals on both March 27 and April 29. He allowed a total of three runs in 12 2/3 innings during those contests, making him 14-15 with a 4.32 ERA in 37 lifetime starts vs. Washington.
The Nationals head into the Friday matchup looking to extend their winning streak to three games and hoping to collect their fifth win in the past seven.
Jose Tena delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning on Thursday to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. The 24-year-old is one of several youngsters on the roster whom interim manager Miguel Cairo and the front office are watching closely.
“We have young players, and I think we want to see them play,” Cairo said. “We want to see what they can do in the last month, month and a half.”
That list includes 23-year-old outfielder Dylan Crews, who returned to the lineup Thursday after a nearly three-month stint on the injured list caused by a left oblique strain. Crews went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. He played 13 rehab games with Triple-A Rochester before returning, hitting .244 with two home runs, a double, seven RBIs and five runs.
“I feel great physically,” Crews said. “I’ve had no flare-ups here and there. I think overall, I’ve just been feeling good, feeling confident in my body. I’m just happy to be back in the locker room with the guys and finish strong here in these next two months.”