Foster Griffin Leads Nationals Vs Diamondbacks Series Opener at 9:40 PM ET
The nationals vs diamondbacks series opened Friday night with Washington coming off a sweep by the Marlins and Arizona arriving after losing five of its last six games. The three-game set also put the Diamondbacks ahead of the Nationals in the NL wildcard race, making the first pitch at 9:40 PM ET the start of a quick test for both clubs.
Blake Butera said the off day should help his club reset. “I think we'll get right back on the horse after the day off,” the Nationals manager said after the loss to Miami and before the opener at Arizona.
Foster Griffin And Merrill Kelly
Foster Griffin was listed to start Game 1 for Washington with a 6-2 record and a 3.76 ERA, while Merrill Kelly took the ball for Arizona at 5-3 with a 5.06 ERA. That matchup set the tone for a series in which both clubs lined up established starters from the jump.
Washington also mapped out Zack Littell for Saturday at 4:10 PM ET and Cade Cavalli for Sunday at 3:15 PM ET. Littell entered at 5-4 with a 5.01 ERA, and Cavalli was listed at 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA.
Arizona’s Recent Slide
The Diamondbacks came in with some of the sharpest individual numbers in the series but the weakest recent team form. Eduardo Rodriguez was listed for Game 2 at 5-1 with a 2.24 ERA, and Michael Soroka was set for Game 3 at 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA.
Corbin Carroll led Arizona in hits and carried a.373 on-base percentage with a.535 slugging percentage. Ildemaro Vargas led the Diamondbacks in RBIs and hit.286, giving Arizona two productive bats even as the club had dropped five of its previous six.
Jacob Young And Daylen Lile
Washington’s recent offense offered a few signs of life, too. Jacob Young went 3-for-10 in the last series against the Marlins and hit one home run, while Daylen Lile went 3-for-11 and scored one run.
That leaves the Nationals with a short series to answer a bad stretch against Miami and close the gap on a division rival that arrived with the better position in the wild-card race. The opener at 9:40 PM ET was the first chance to turn that reset day into a result.
