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Nationals pregame notes, quotes, lineups and #s for series finale with Phillies

Before the Nationals and Phillies start their season and series finale in the nation's capital today, check out all the pregame notes and info we put together as we prepare for the game. The next-to-last game in Nats Park this season starts at 1:35PM.

By Patrick Reddington
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Game Notes: The Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies wrap up their season series this afternoon in the third game of three in Washington, D.C.'s Nationals Park. Gio Gonzalez vs Aaron Harang today, then the Nationals play one more in Nats Park tomorrow afternoon in their makeup game with the Cincinnati Reds and that's it for the home-half of their 2015 schedule.

Here are today's game notes (with help from the Nationals/Phillies pregame notes), today's lineup and some pregame quotes from Max Scherzer via Twitter on what went wrong this season:

• After the Phillies took the season series with the Nationals last season (10-9) for the first time since 2010, the Nationals have taken 12 of 18 from their NL East rivals this season, giving them a 41-33 edge since 2012.

• Philadelphia, however, has a 112-90 advantage in the all-time series, going back to 2005.

MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!!!:

• Bryce Harper, who set the Nationals' (2005-present) for walks in a season last week, tied the franchise record with his 123rd walk of the season on Saturday. One more and he'll pass the Expos' Ken Singleton, who took 123 walks in 1973.

• Harper's also close to passing Alfonso Soriano for the most runs scored in a season for the Nationals (2005-present). He has 117 so far, two shy of Soriano's 119 in 2006.

• Heading into today's game, Harper led the NL in AVG (.339), OBP (.470), SLG (.663), runs scored (117), HRs (41), and Wins Above Replacement (9.8 fWAR).

• THE SILENT ASSASSIN:

• After yesterday's start, and since returning from the DL on August 8th, in today's "Fun with Arbitrary End Points" segment, Stephen Strasburg ranks first in the NL in Ks (85), K/BB ratio (12.14) and K/9 (12.68), and ranks second in the National League in WHIP (0.71) and BAA (.170).

• The Nationals have outscored (74-60) and outhomered the Phillies (22-13) in their 18 games this season.

• Today is the Phillies' final road game of the season, unfortunately for them, their 55th loss away from Philadelphia yesterday gave them their most road losses in a season (55) since 1942, when they lost 58.

• In today's Phillies-centric "Fun with Arbitrary End Points" segment: Philadelphia's starters have posted a 1.59 ERA... in their last eight games, allowing 2 ER or less in each of those outings, though the Phillies are just 2-6 over that stretch.

• A win in this afternoon's series and season finale between the Nationals and Phillies would give Philadelphia just their third series win in D.C. since 2012.

HERE'S TODAY'S LINEUP:

[ed. note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is running a $1,000,000 fantasy football league for week 1. It's $5 to enter and first place wins $100,000. Click here to join."]

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