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Washington Nationals’ lineup for the first game of today’s split doubleheader with Philadelphia’s Phillies...

It looks like there’s a two-hour window between 1:00-3:00 before the rain starts again for the Nationals and Phillies to finally get in some baseball action... will it happen?

By Patrick Reddington
Miami Marlins v Washington Nationals Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Philadelphia Phillies’ righty Zach Eflin tossed five scoreless against Washington’s Nationals in his 2019 debut back on April 2nd in the nation’s capital, and then held Philadelphia’s NL East rivals to a run on four hits in seven innings on the mound in Citizens Bank Park on May 5th, earning a second win over the Nats.

Overall on the season, the 25-year-old right-hander, who’ll face the Nationals for a third time in 2019 this afternoon is (6-6) in 13 starts with a 2.81 ERA, a 4.13 FIP, 19 walks (2.14 BB/9), and 66 Ks (7.43 K/9) in 80 IP.

Eflin will face off against Nationals’ lefty Patrick Corbin this afternoon in the first game of a split doubleheader (weather permitting).

Corbin, 29, is coming off a string of three rough starts, (which followed a complete game shutout of the Miami Marlins).

In this outings, the left-hander has given up a total of 22 hits and 20 runs, 16 earned, for an 11.37 ERA in 12 2⁄3 IP, leaving him with a 4.11 ERA, 3.88 ERA, 29 walks (3.06 BB/9), and 94 Ks (9.91 K/9) in 14 starts and 85 1⁄3 IP on the season.

“The biggest thing we talked about is just keeping the ball down,” Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez told reporters when asked about Corbin’s struggles before the second straight rainout on Tuesday afternoon.

“He can elevate when he wants to, but just consistently keeping the ball down.”

Martinez said he watched Corbin throw his bullpen session between starts and liked what he saw from the southpaw.

What did he see?

“The repeat of his mechanics,” Martinez explained.

“Keeping his shoulder towards the target. He was flying open a little bit before, and he was really, really concentrating on getting his head down towards where you want to throw the ball instead of opening up.”

Corbin will try to turn this around in this afternoon’s matchup with the Phillies...

HERE’S THE NATS’ LINEUP FOR TODAY’S 1:05 PM EDT GAME VS THE PHILS:

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