TOM STRYKER’S FREE FOOTBALL SELECTION THURSDAY, AUGUST 15TH
#906 PHILADELPHIA RUN LINE with Wheeler (-1′ -129) over Washington with Parker at 6:40 PM EST
With a little steam off yesterday’s 9-5 home win over the Marlins, the Phillies will stay hot and scoop up another dub when the Nationals come to town. Washington enters this contest off a tough two-game set at Baltimore and this will be a challenging encore for manager Dave Martinez and his boys.
Grabbing the pearl for the home team will be ace righty Zack Wheeler. In 2024, No. 45 has made 23 starts and been scratched for only 44 earned runs and 100 hits in 142.2 innings of work. Zack fanned 156 and issued 43 free passes on his way to a solid 11-5 mark with a sensational 2.78 ERA. Inside Citizen’s Bank Park, Wheeler has been in a zone giving up only 21 earned runs and 51 hits in 76.1 frames. That’s good enough for a 7-3 tally with an outstanding 2.48 ERA.
Rookie southpaw Mitchell Parker will counter for the Nats. With 21 career starts in the books, No. 70 has been cracked for 48 earned runs and 106 hits in 112.2 innings of work. Mitchell struck out 92 and walked 29 on his way to a 6-6 record with a 3.83 ERA. On the road, Parker has struggled a touch allowing 28 earned runs and 53 hits in 52.2 frames. After the math, that adds up to a rough 2-4 mark with a 4.78 ERA.
On a technical note, the Nationals have shown signs of weakness as a guest (27-34), versus right-handed starters (38-49), and when matched up against winning teams (25-42). With an offense that is averaging 4.84 runs per game and hitting .255 as a team, Philadelphia will have no trouble plating runs facing a Washington pitching staff that owns a 4.31 overall ERA and an elevated WHIP of 1.34.
The Braves are putting a ton of pressure on the Phillies in the NL East standings and manager Rob Thomson will make sure his troops dominate losing teams in their own backyard. Take Philadelphia on the run line with Wheeler. Thanks and best of luck, Tom.
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