How to Watch the Phillies vs Nationals Game – Friday August 15, 2025

Philadelphia Phillies

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Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals will host the Philadelphia Phillies for the second game of their series on August 15, 2025, at Nationals Park. In their last matchup, the Nationals edged out the Phillies 3-2, marking a rare highlight in an otherwise dismal season for Washington, which stands at 49-72. Meanwhile, the Phillies sit comfortably at 69-52, showcasing a solid campaign.

The Nationals will send MacKenzie Gore to the mound, who has been inconsistent this year with a 5-12 record and a 4.09 ERA. Despite being ranked 60th among starting pitchers in MLB, Gore has shown flashes of potential, notably his last start where he went 6 innings with 0 earned runs and 10 strikeouts. However, he struggles with allowing hits and walks, projecting to give up 5.1 hits and 1.8 walks on average today.

On the other side, Zack Wheeler takes the ball for the Phillies, boasting a stellar 2.68 ERA and ranking as the 3rd best starting pitcher in MLB. Wheeler’s low walk rate (5.5 BB%) pairs well against a Nationals lineup that ranks 4th least in walks taken. This matchup could further highlight Wheeler’s strengths as he faces a team struggling offensively, with the Nationals ranked 23rd in overall offense and 25th in home runs.

Oddsmakers have made the Nationals significant underdogs with a moneyline of +170, suggesting an implied team total of just 3.36 runs. Conversely, the Phillies are favored at -200, with a higher implied total of 4.64 runs. Given the disparity in records and offensive capabilities, this game presents a compelling opportunity for the Phillies to continue their winning ways.

Philadelphia Phillies Insights

• Zack Wheeler – Over/Under 18.5 Pitching Outs (+160/-210)
  Compared to league average, Zack Wheeler has been given a longer leash than the average pitcher this year, tallying an additional 8.2 adjusted pitches each start.
  Explain: Pitchers with a longer leash are more likely to go deeper into games and record more outs.
• Edmundo Sosa – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-185/+140)
  Edmundo Sosa has been cold in recent games, with his seasonal exit velocity of 86.6-mph dropping to 83.1-mph over the last two weeks.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Philadelphia Phillies – 2H Moneyline
  The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen projects as the 7th-best in the game, per the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.

Washington Nationals Insights

• MacKenzie Gore – Over/Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-130/+100)
  Contrary to popular belief, fastballs are generally a pitcher’s least effective pitch. MacKenzie Gore has gone to his off-speed and breaking balls 5.8% more often this season (50.5%) than he did last season (44.7%).
  Explain: A pitcher who limits has fastball usage will instead heavily use change-ups, curveballs, sliders, etc. These are far more effective pitches at preventing runs and generating strikeouts.
• Paul DeJong – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-130/+100)
  Paul DeJong is an extreme flyball batter and faces the weak outfield defense of Philadelphia (#2-worst on the slate today).
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up well with the opposing team’s defensive weakness, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• James Wood – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-160/+125)
  James Wood has a 98th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (40%) and sets up very well considering he’ll be hitting them out towards baseball’s 10th-shallowest LF fences in today’s game.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Over/Under 8.0 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Washington Nationals have hit the Game Total Over in 25 of their last 39 games (+11.40 Units / 26% ROI)
• Philadelphia Phillies – Over/Under 4.5 Team Total (-120/-110)
  The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Team Total Under in 40 of their last 59 away games (+18.35 Units / 26% ROI)
• Robert Hassell III – Over/Under 0.5 Home Runs (+1000/-3000)
  Robert Hassell III has hit the Home Runs Over in 1 of his last 4 games at home (+7.00 Units / 175% ROI)