Los Angeles Dodgers Dodgers v. Washington Nationals (July 1, 2021

Let's take a look at the projected pitching matchups for the series against the LA Dodgers.

Thursday, July 1, LHP Patrick Corbin (5-6, 5.33 ERA) vs. RHP Tony Gonsolin (0-0, 2.77 ERA) | First Pitch: 7:05 pm

Patrick Corbin gets to kick off this four-game set against the Dodgers Thursday night. While his overall ERA is not where he would like it, June has brought improvement for Corbin as he has a 3.83 ERA over 30.2 innings in five starts. Corbin’s first start of the season was against the Dodgers in April, and he managed just 4.1 innings in a 9-5 loss.

For LA, they are starting 2016 first-round pick Tony Gonsolin, who has a 2.77 ERA in four starts this year. His start on June 25th was his longest start of the year, which was still only a four-inning no-decision in a 6-2 victory against the Cubs. Gonsolin only has 24 career appearances and has posted a 2.62 ERA. He has yet to face the Nationals in his young career.

The game can be seen on MASN and heard on 106.7, the Fan.

Friday, July 2, RHP Max Scherzer (7-4, 2.14 ERA) vs. LHP Julio Urias (9-3, 3.95 ERA) | First Pitch: 7:05 pm

Our Friday night matchup will feature Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who is sporting a 2.14 ERA this season. Even better, his June ERA is just 1.42 in 19 innings pitched. Max is enjoying another fantastic season for Washington and this is another opportunity to prove that against a good team. His second start of the season was against Los Angeles in April, where he pitched six innings and yielded only one run. For his career, Max is 5-5 against the Dodgers with a 2.67 ERA.

Opposing Max on Friday night is young, left-hander Julio Urias. While Urias has enjoyed a solid year, an ERA approaching 4.00 is not quite what he was expecting. Especially after 2019, when he produced a 2.49 ERA. His last outing against the Nationals was on April 10^th, where he allowed three runs and nine hits in 5.2 innings. Urias is 1-0 in three career starts against the Nationals with an ERA of 3.06.

Saturday, July 3, RHP Paolo Espino (2-2, 2.02 ERA) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (9-7, 3.25 ERA) | First Pitch: 7:15 pm

On Saturday night, the Nationals will be playing to a national audience as this game is on FOX. Paolo Espino will be making his fourth start of the season and his 19th overall appearance. Currently, Espino has pitched 35.2 innings and has a 2.02 ERA. This is impressive considering the conditions he has been placed in this season. Deemed “The Secret Weapon” by Manager Davey Martinez, the 34-year-old has consistently performed in tough spots and has been a massive help for Washington. This will mark his first career matchup against the Dodgers.

Facing Espino for the Dodgers will be future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. He is having a solid year, but not great for Kershaw standards with his 3.25 ERA. He has one start against the Nationals this season back on April 11^th, when he tossed six scoreless innings and struck out six batters. Kershaw has pitched six innings or more in each of his last nine starts and has been good of late. In his career, Kershaw has a record of 13-3 against the Nationals with an ERA of 2.11.

Sunday, July 4 RHP Joe Ross (5-7, 4.02 ERA) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (8-5, 2.59 ERA) | First Pitch: 11:05 am

Following recent tradition, the finale of the four-game set will take place on the morning of July 4th with Joe Ross on the mound for Washington. Ross faced LA in April, where he pitched five scoreless innings. While Ross’s ERA approached six earlier in the season, his ERA for the month of June is just 1.95 in 32.1 innings pitched. In his career, Ross is 0-2 in five appearances with an ERA of 5.40 against the Dodgers.

For the Dodgers, they are scheduled to send 2020 NL Cy-Young winner Trevor Bauer to the mound. His availability may depend on whether any more details of his potential legal problems emerge before Sunday. Bauer has been excellent this season as shown by his 2.59 ERA and his 6.1 innings per game average. Something else that could be concerning to Dodgers fans is that his ERA has increased each month since the middle of May. While it is slight, his June ERA did reach 3.45 in 31.1 innings. In two games against Washington, Bauer has a 1-1 record with a 7.59 ERA.

Series Notes: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are currently in second in the NL West and first in the NL Wild Card race.
Justin Turner and Max Muncy are leading the way for the Dodgers in avg, HRs, OBP, RBI, and total hits.
The Dodgers have five players with double digits home runs. Max Muncy leads the way with 17 dingers.
LA has won five games in a row to finish 17-9 in the month of June.

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