Starting pitchers -
Friday: Detwiler versus Burnett
Saturday: Strasburg versus Rodriguez
Sunday: Gonzalez versus McDonald
(Starters subject to change)
After taking the last two games of the 4-game set in Atlanta, the Nationals go north to take on a pretty good Pirates team. The last couple of years, Pittsburgh has gotten off to good starts, but somewhere in mid-to-late June things would go bad. Since it's not June, expect the Pirates to keep playing well.
Their roster has good players/recognizable names all over. Big league veterans like Brandon Inge, John McDonald and Gaby Sanchez are backups. Their starting position players are highly regarded. Andrew McCutchen, their best all-around player, is off to a slow start offensively. Other guys like Garrett Jones and Starling Marte are doing their part, though.
Friday, I expect another pitchers' duel between Detwiler and Burnett. Burnett is a veteran who doesn't get rattled, and has no-hitter stuff. Saturday, people want to see if Strasburg's forearm stiffness is a problem. His opponent, Rodriguez, is a crafty left-hander who can keep a free-swinging team off-balance. Sunday, Gonzalez is fighting through his struggles with command. McDonald, a former Dodgers' farmhand, is another guy with great stuff but is prone to wildness (20 walks in 29.2 IP this year). That game could be a slug-fest.
A good, focused Nationals' team could sweep this series. I guess Washington wins Friday and Sunday, with Saturday's game being a 3-2 Pirates' win.
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