Can this really be the season's first look at the Washington Nationals for Sunday Night Baseball? Given that the Nationals landed the highest-profile free agent during the offseason, cementing their status among fans and oddsmakers alike as the favorite to win the National League pennant, it certainly comes as a surprise.
Although the Nationals haven't looked like a dominant team for much of the season, causing some angst among their fans, the fact is Washington enters tonight's game having finished the first half of its schedule on a 90-win pace. One week ago, the San Francisco Giants were also comfortably on a 90-win pace, but five straight losses put them in a position of needing to win tonight to avoid an 0-6 road trip. As things stand now, with half the season in the books, the defending world champions are in a familiar odd-year spot in terms of playoff standings: on the outside looking in.
Tonight's series finale between last year's NLDS foes features Jordan Zimmermann and Ryan Vogelsong, which would appear to give the Nationals a decided edge. However, San Francisco has compensated for disappointing starting pitching all season with eye-opening hitting, especially from its infield where the Giants' quartet of infielders are all slugging over .450 -- the only team in baseball that can say that. Add Buster Posey to the mix, and the Giants have a lineup that rightfully isn't intimidated by any team's pitching staff. Joe Peta picks up on that theme as he picks a side for the contest, while Erin Rynning focuses on the quality of the pitchers in choosing how to play the total.