Murphy, Nationals roll into Rockies
As the lone National Leaguer with an OPS in excess of 1.000, Washington’s Daniel Murphy is fashioning an MVP-caliber campaign. But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t accept a little more help from his friends.
The Nationals finally seem primed to make that happen for the slugging second baseman. With Bryce Harper feeling healthy again, the NL East pacesetters are eagerly awaiting tonight’s series opener vs. Colorado. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv lean toward Dusty Baker’s bunch, too, as a 1.5-run favorite. The host Rockies enter as +175 underdogs.
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Baker’s troops have captured eight of their past 11 contests despite receiving minimal production from Harper. The right fielder actually missed five of those tilts due to neck stiffness. He returned to the mix yesterday, though, smacking an RBI double in the squad’s 9-1 triumph over Atlanta.
The Nats obviously need Harper and Murphy to generate big numbers down the stretch. If Jayson Werth can continue to stave off Father Time, however, that’s one heck of a bonus. The 37-year-old has reached base in a career-high 42 straight games. Jorge De La Rosa, who holds an ERA of 5.06 at Coors Field in 2016, won’t stand in the way of such a gaudy streak.
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Bakers counters with Max Scherzer, he of the 208 strikeouts across 163 2/3 innings. While the righty’s 1-4 with a 1.40 WHIP in seven lifetime turns against Colorado, he’s 4-2 with a 1.44 ERA since June 29. Bank on the visitors seizing an early lead and cruising to the finish line.
MONDAY MLB FREE PICK: NATIONALS -1.5