Mitglieder » Two Cy Young Award frontrunners will meet for the second tim

e in less than a week Tuesday night in Philadelphia.Aaron Nola will square off against Max Scherzer as the Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals in the second contest of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park. Washington was a 5-3 winner Monday night in the series opener Kyle Freeland Jersey , which pushed Philadelphia (70-61) 3 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Article continues below ...Nola (15-3, 2.13 ERA) and Scherzer (16-6, 2.13) did not disappoint in their meeting last week. But Nola got the best of the two-time defending NL Cy Young winner, improving to 3-0 versus Washington this season.Nola threw eight scoreless innings and had nine strikeouts in the Phillies’ 2-0 win. Nola allowed five hits and one walk in the outing, which marked the 15th time in 26 starts that he gave up one earned run or fewer.The start was accentuated by an eighth-inning strikeout of Bryce Harper, the last batter Nola faced. His manager made a case for Nola as the league’s top pitcher after the game.“It’s tough to account for three pitches, and I think part of that is why Aaron Nola in my opinion is the Cy Young this year,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told MLB.com “Of course, Nola is our guy. I watch him every time out there and just the dependability, the consistency, the creativity, the numbers. The numbers speak for themselves.”Nola and Scherzer are tied for the second-best ERA in the NL. New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-bettis-jersey , the other pitcher in the Cy Young conversation, has the only better ERA at 1.71. Nola is tied for second in the National League in WHIP (0.97), third in innings pitched (169) and tied for fifth in strikeouts (169). Scherzer leads the league in all three of those categories.Going for his third straight NL Cy Young win and fourth trophy overall, Scherzer has posted dominant numbers in 2018. He has 244 strikeouts, 181 2/3 innings pitched and a 0.89 WHIP through 27 starts.He had 10 strikeouts against the Phillies on Thursday, marking the 14th time he has hit double digits this season. The only damage against the 34-year-old in his last start was a two-run homer from Odubel Herrera.“That was the one pitch that beat me,” Scherzer told MLB.com after the loss.Scherzer’s best strikeout game of the year came May 6 against the Phillies when he struck out 15 batters in 6 1/3 innings. Scherzer is 9-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 16 career starts against Philadelphia.Nola, meanwhile, has a 3.57 career ERA against the Nationals, and he has limited them to three earned runs in three starts (21 2/3 innings) this season. The 25-year-old also has a perfect record at home this season. Nola is 9-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts per nine innings at Citizens Bank Park.The Phillies, who are 41-23 at home this season, have lost 12 of their last 18 games and are 3 1/2 games back in the division for the first time since June 26.The Nationals (66-66) are 13-13 in August and eight games behind Atlanta. There are only two players left to be re-assigned Ryan McMahon Jersey , and we have a good idea who they’ll be."With the departures of Nick Green, Ildemaro Vargas and Mark Rzepczynski off the D-backs’ island today, the team now has 27 players left in spring training. What do we have?Starting pitchersZack GreinkeRobbie RayZack GodleyLuke WeaverMerrill KellyNo surprises here. These were the expected starting five and in the expected order as well. It would have taken some major problems - most likely in the health department - for anyone else to displace any of these pitchers. Godley and Kelly had their wobbles in the early stages, but ended up being reasonable enough to pass muster.Relief pitchersCloser: Greg HollandArchie BradleyYoshihisa HiranoAndrew ChafinYoan LopezMatt AndrieseMatt KochT.J. McFarlandWhile still technically present, McFarland is all but certain to start the season on the DL, having been shut down for a shoulder issue three weeks ago. He was scheduled to throw off a mound on Saturday, but he’ll need a rehab assignment before he’s able to come back. That leaves the bullpen as the remaining seven members: interestingly, Chafin will be the only left-hander until McFarland returns. The other news today was the official anointment of Holland as the closer. He really has been thoroughly unimpressive this spring, both in recorded velocity and overall results, but it fits the pattern of the previous two seasons, where experienced free-ageny signings Brad Boxberger and Fernando Rodney got the job. Position playersC. Carson Kelly1B. Jake Lamb2B. Ketel MarteSS. Nick Ahmed3B. Eduardo EscobarLF. David PeraltaCF. Adam JonesRF. Steven SouzaThe signing of Adam Jones is the only ripple here, but it did have something of a knock-on effect. There seems likely to be a fair amount of platooning and switching up of positions B.J. Upton Jersey , with Marte and Jones sharing center-field duties, and a number of other players (here and on the bench) with experience at multiple positions. Health permitting, I think we’ll end the year with Peralta getting most plate appearances, ahead of Ahmed and Escobar. It’s possible to envisage a scenario where they end up being the only three D-backs with enough PA to qualify. BenchC. Alex AvilaC. John Ryan Murphy1B. Christian WalkerIF. Wilmer FloresOF. Jarrod DysonOF. Socrates BritoThat would be the final roster spot to be decided, and would mean that the team will once again be (sigh) carrying three catchers, Murphy squeaking onto the roster as the 25th man. You’d be hard-pushed to say either Murphy or Brito have had a great spring: Murphy’s OPS is only .595, but that’s still a couple of hundred points better than Brito’s .393. Both men are out of options, but by leaving the decision until so late in proceedings, I imagine the team is hoping that Brito can be snuck through waivers, with other teams having also all but set their rosters. All subject to change over the next 72 hours or so, but it would appear that the 25 men outlined above will be your 2019 Opening Day Arizona Diamondbacks.