Nationals vs Athletics Preview 8/5

The Washington Nationals are in desperate need of a reset as they return home to open a three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night. After being swept by the Brewers and outscored 38-14 over the weekend, Washington has now dropped five straight and 17 of its last 24 games.

And things won’t get easier.

The Nats will send left-hander MacKenzie Gore (4-11, 3.80 ERA) to the mound, hoping he can find his early-season form. Gore was mentioned in trade rumors leading up to the deadline but ultimately stayed put. Since the All-Star break, however, he’s struggled mightily, going 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA. In his latest outing, he surrendered six runs on eight hits (including two home runs) over 5 1/3 innings against the Astros.

The A’s will counter with red-hot veteran right-hander Luis Severino (5-11, 4.83 ERA), who appears to have turned a corner. Severino has won three straight starts while logging a 2.65 ERA over 17 innings during that stretch. He’s also dominated the Nationals throughout his career, going 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three starts.

More encouraging for Oakland backers: Severino has found a rhythm on the road, where he holds a 3.03 ERA across 10 outings this season.

Oakland’s Offense Is Heating Up

Oakland comes into this series with a few key bats surging. Rookie phenom Nick Kurtz was just named American League Player and Rookie of the Month for July after posting a jaw-dropping .395 average, 11 home runs, and a 1.433 OPS. His 6-for-6, four-homer, 8-RBI game on July 25 was the stuff of legend.

Meanwhile, Shea Langeliers is also tearing the cover off the ball, batting .397 with 7 home runs and 14 RBIs over his last 16 games. According to manager Mark Kotsay, Langeliers is “seeing the ball really well and recognizing off-speed pitches like a veteran.”

Washington’s Lineup Lacks Firepower

The Nationals have not only lost veterans at the trade deadline, but their young core is in a funk. James Wood, one of the organization’s future stars, is slashing just .127 with 27 strikeouts in 55 at-bats since participating in the Home Run Derby.

Washington catcher Drew Millas has emphasized the need for the team to rally together:

“We’ve got to dig deep. We’ve got to come together as a unit and want each other to do well.”

They’ll need to do more than dig deep to break out of this funk—especially against a surging A’s team.

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