The Nationals don't get to be the bullies very often, so they might as well enjoy this one. They rolled into Progressive Field, hung 10 on Tanner Bibee in the opener behind a 6-homer barrage (Curtis Mead went deep twice for his first career multi-HR night), then leaned on a James Wood 2-run shot the next day to take the second game 6-3. A sweep is right there for a team that came in 29-27.
Cleveland's problem is the same one it's been all month: nobody is hitting. The Guardians rank 21st in runs and 22nd in OPS, Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo are both under .200, and Stephen Vogt keeps having to answer questions about an offense he insists is fine. Two straight games of getting punched in the mouth at home are going to make those questions louder, not quieter.
The mound matchup is where this thing flips, at least on paper. Gavin Williams has been one of the best starters in the American League — he just put up 8 innings, 11 strikeouts, and zero walks against the Phillies on May 22, his third double-digit-K game of the year. Miles Mikolas, meanwhile, is 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA, hasn't started since May 12, and only got 3.1 innings out of that one. There's a reason the home team is -183 on the moneyline.
The injury report is also worth a look before you do anything stupid with this number. Washington's rotation is already running on fumes — Jake Irvin just hit the 15-day IL with a shoulder strain, and Josiah Gray, Trevor Williams, and DJ Herz are all still on the 60-day. That's a big part of why Mikolas is even getting the ball here. Cleveland gets a small bullpen reprieve with Carlos Hernandez nearing a return, but Gabriel Arias landing on the 10-day IL just chips away at an already-thin lineup.
- Day-To-DayTyler Stuart SP — no
- Day-To-DayTyler Baum DH — Baum has not pitched this year due an undisclosed injury.
- Day-To-DayTravis Sykora SP — Sykora will undergo a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow in two weeks, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
- Day-To-DayJarlin Susana RP — Susana underwent surgery last week to repair a right lat tear, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
- 15-Day-ILJake Irvin SP — The Nationals placed Irvin on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right shoulder strain.
- 15-Day-ILCole Henry RP — Henry (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester this weekend, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILMax Kranick RP — The Nationals transferred Kranick (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Monday.
- 60-Day-ILDJ Herz SP — Herz (elbow) will throw to live hitters Friday at the Nationals' spring training facility in Florida, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCarlos Hernandez RP — Hernandez (shoulder) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
- 10-Day-ILGabriel Arias SS — no
- 15-Day-ILErik Sabrowski RP — Sabrowski struck out one in a perfect eighth inning Friday to record his 10th hold of the season in an 8-6 win over the Blue Jays.
If you're a Guardians fan, you trust Williams to do Williams things and hope the bats wake up against a guy with a 6-plus ERA. If you're a Nationals fan, you've already won the series — anything Mikolas gives you is gravy, and a road sweep in Cleveland would be the loudest two weeks this team has had all year.