My Team - Nationals versus Philadelphia

Proposed starters -

Friday: Zimmermann versus Kendrick
Saturday: Haren versus Pettibone
Sunday: Strasburg versus Cloyd

(Starting pitchers subject to change)

The Nationals broke a 4-game losing streak while salvaging the last game of a three-game set in San Francisco. A 4-6 West Coast trip had its positive moments, but it was still a losing trip. After a Thursday off-day, the team has a quick 5-game set of home games against Philadelphia and Baltimore.

The pre-season fears many observers expressed seem to be coming true to Philly. Big-named veterans are on the disabled list. Utley went on the DL Thursday (strained right oblique). He joins Ruiz (hamstring), Adams (back) and Halladay (pitching shoulder) on the sidelines.

Good news for the Nationals is, according to the rotation neither Lee nor Hamels will pitch in this series (unless one gets moved up).

For the Phils' lineup, Brown may be finally putting it together. Howard is still a power threat, though his body is starting to break down. Revere has played good defense, but isn't quite the on-base machine the team hoped it acquired.

Defensively, Philadelphia is middle-of-the-pack. Young was a good pickup for them to play third base, and Rollins is still holding things together at shortstop.

Pettibone and Cloyd (the starters for the weekend) have given Philly a lift. These are the type of guys that give a major league team a hard time, young opponents that are still unfamiliar to the league. Hard to build a "book" on a guy who doesn't have a lot of time at the major league level. The Nats' hitters sometimes get caught guessing. That can be disastrous this weekend.

For Washington, it's not "early" any more. The offensive struggles continue. The "goon squad" isn't having the  springtime success they had last season. It's easy to hope that a home stand would help lift the doldrums, but the Phillies have enough good pitching left to keep these games close. I don't see either offense going on a rampage.

I would like to see Washington win all three games. On paper, the Nats' starters are better or more experienced than their Philadelphia counterparts. Washington is one game ahead of Philadelphia in the NL East. Losing this series would leave the two teams tied in the standings. Yikes.