The last time the Washington Nationals faced the Milwaukee Brewers in late July, the Brewers were one of the surprise teams of the season. The Brewers were then 59-54 and were neck-and-neck with a surging Chicago Cubs team for first place in the National League Central.
Since then, the Brewers have played .500 ball and the Cubs have taken off.
Washington begins a four-game series with the Brewers on Thursday, and the Brewers need a series win to gain ground in a competitive playoff race. They currently trail the Cubs by 3½ games and are also three games back in the wild card hunt.
The Nationals took two of the three games against the Brewers in July, including a 15-2 win.
There is still a month of baseball to be played, but the Brewers can’t afford to slip up anymore.
Nationals storyline to watch: Which Nationals players will be called up to the majors?
MLB rosters expand to 40 players this weekend, and it will be interesting to see which players join the Nationals. Primarily: Will star prospect Victor Robles get a taste of the major leagues? Robles, 20, is hitting .323 in Double-A Harrisburg this season.
The expanded roster will also give some relief to the Nationals’ starting rotation. Manager Dusty Baker told reporters he will consider a six-man rotation in September to give his players relief.
If that’s the case, Erick Fedde could get another start. Fedde, the Nationals’ No. 1 pitching prospect, has appeared in three MLB games this season, posting a 9.39 ERA.
Pitching probabilities vs. Brewers
Thursday: Gio Gonzalez vs. Zach Davies
Friday: Tanner Roark vs. Jimmy Nelson
Saturday: TBA* vs. Brandon Woodruff
Sunday: Max Scherzer vs. Matt Garza
*Baker has yet to reveal who will start Saturday, although it could be Fedde.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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