Philadelphia @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 14, 2019 ) Washington 3, Philadelphia 4

The Washington Nationals can go a long way toward clinching a playoff spot when they host the desperate Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night for the opener of a five-game series. The Nationals dropped into a virtual tie with Milwaukee for the top wild-card spot in the National League - they lead everyone else by at least four games - after their bullpen coughed up a lead in Sunday’s 5-3 setback at Miami.

“There’s no turning back now,” Washington reliever Hunter Strickland told reporters after giving up two of the four runs in the seventh inning Sunday. “This is it. This is critical. It’s a tough loss for sure. As a reliever mindset, in general, you have to forget and figure out how to get better and move forward and be ready again (Monday).” The Nationals will send left-hander Patrick Corbin to the mound in the series opener and Philadelphia counters with righty Zach Eflin, who would like to match his last outing when he won at NL East champion Atlanta. The Phillies are six games out in the race for an NL wild-card spot, but the one saving grace is that they could cut five off that total by sweeping Washington over the next four days - including a day-night doubleheader Tuesday. Bryce Harper doubled to extend his hitting streak to six games for Philadelphia in Sunday’s 10-1 setback at Cleveland and the slugger needs one homer to tie Raul Ibanez (34) for second-most as a first-year Phillie.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Zach Eflin (9-12, 4.00 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Patrick Corbin (13-7, 3.10)

Eflin earned his ninth victory Wednesday after allowing one unearned run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts over seven innings at Atlanta. The 25-year-old Florida native has served up only four home runs in his last 10 outings after opponents went deep 20 times in his first 20 trips to the mound. Gerardo Parra is 4-for-7 with a double and a homer versus Eflin, who is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts against Washington this season.

Corbin has permitted three runs or fewer in eight consecutive starts and won his last two after limiting St. Louis to two unearned runs over six innings with 11 strikeouts Tuesday. The 30-year-old New York native has struck out at least eight in six of his last eight trips to the mound and boasts 224 punchouts overall. Cesar Hernandez is 5-for-10 with a double against Corbin, who is 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts versus the Phillies in 2019.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals can clinch their fifth straight season series against the Phillies with one victory in the final five games.

2. Washington INF-OF Howie Kendrick had a pair of hits Sunday and is 12-for-21 with two homers in his last six games.

3. Philadelphia C J.T. Realmuto knocked in the team’s only run with a double Sunday, but is batting .214 against the Nationals in 2019.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Phillies 3