Can Washington Nationals Figure Out Phillies’ Zack Wheeler Thursday Night?

The Washington Nationals face a daunting task on Thursday night as they take on Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. Wheeler, who is 11-5 on the season with a 2.78 ERA, will be a tough matchup for the Nationals, who have struggled offensively this season.

Wheeler has been particularly tough against the Nationals in his career, posting a 4.59 ERA in 196 innings pitched. He has also struck out 163 Nationals batters in those innings.

The Nationals will counter Wheeler with rookie Mitchell Parker, who has been solid in his first season as a pro. Parker has a 6-6 record with a 3.83 ERA in 21 starts.

The Phillies are heavily favored in this game, with a -286 moneyline. The Nationals are +232 underdogs and a total of eight runs has been set.

Based on the odds, the probability of Philadelphia winning this game is 74.1 percent. They have been favorites of this size only twice this season, going 1-1. The only time that Washington has been this large of an underdog, they pulled off the upset.

The Nationals have been playing some solid baseball in August, as they have gone 6-6. The Phillies have not been as fortunate over the last few weeks.

Outside of taking two out of three games from the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have been struggling in the second half. Their three-game winning streak from August 6-8 is the only time in the second half they have won consecutive games.

They will be looking for their second winning streak of the second half tonight after defeating the Miami Marlins 9-5 on Wednesday to split a two-game mini-series.