New Guy´s » “I remember I broke my bat,” Nimmo said.

Since their last encounter with the Philadelphia Phillies Drew Lock Jersey , the Washington Nationals did not do much offensively.

In fact, they did not score.

After going scoreless for two games with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Nationals hope to get their offense going Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The Nationals rallied late to beat the Phillies on Sunday night but then mustered five hits and struck out 23 times in Tampa Bay. After the low output, Washington heads into Philadelphia with nine losses in 12 games and hopes to be refreshed following a day off on Wednesday.

“We’re in a little bit of a funk right now,” Washington manager Dave Martinez told reporters following Tuesday’s 1-0 loss. “This day off couldn’t come soon enough. We’ve had a rough go with our schedule here the last few days, so a little break will do the boys right.”

It is not about to get easier for the Nationals, though.

They will face Phillies ace Aaron Nola for the second time in four games on Thursday night. Right-hander Tanner Roark will be on the mound for Washington, making his second consecutive start against Philadelphia.

Nola (9-2, 2.58 ERA), well on his way to his first All-Star appearance, pitched six strong innings against the Nationals last Saturday. The righty gave up two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out five in a 5-3 Phillies win.

Nola, 26, has pitched at least six innings in 13 of his 16 starts this season and has allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of those games. His 1.016 WHIP ranked fifth in the National League as of Wednesday.

Nola has faced the Nationals 11 times in his career — the most of any opponent for the fourth-year major leaguer. He is 2-4 with a 4.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 60 innings in those starts.

Roark (3-8, 4.27) also has plenty of experience against the Phillies. He is 6-8 with a 4.34 ERA in 19 career games against the Nationals’ divisional rival. But Roark’s last outing against Philadelphia did not go well.

The 31-year-old had seven strikeouts, but he gave up six runs on seven hits and four walks last Friday in a 12-2 defeat. Before the loss to the Phillies http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dre_mont-jones-jersey , Roark gave up four runs on eight hits in four innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 17.

“The last two starts, I’ve left the bullpen out to dry, and I’m not happy about it,” Roark told MLB.com after his last start. “Just overall a bad start again. But I’ve got to stay optimistic. I found something in there. So, you’ve got to take a positive out of a negative all the time.”

The Phillies snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

At 42-36, Philadelphia enters the series a game ahead of Washington for second place in the National League East. The Phillies are 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the division.

The Phillies took two of three against the Nationals last weekend. The teams have split six head-to-head meetings in 2018 — all of which were at Nationals Park.

DENVER — Outfielder Brandon Nimmo will seek an encore performance after a memorable return to the region where he grew up and will try to continue his startling power surge Tuesday when the New York Mets look to win their fourth straight game and again beat the Colorado Rockies.

The Mets blasted the Rockies 12-2 on Monday with their biggest outburst since they scored 12 runs on May 15 against Toronto. Nimmo, who grew up in Cheyenne, Wyo., about 100 miles from Denver, led off the game with an inside-the-park home run and went 4-for-6 with two home runs and a career-high four RBI. The four hits tied his career-high and occurred after he hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday at Arizona.

Nimmo has hit a career-high 12 home runs this season and 10 since May 23, a 25-game stretch that also includes 19 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. Getting closer to the plate and eliminating his stride are among the suggestions Nimmo got from Mets coaches that have helped him improve his swing.

“I’ve been able to be more consistent when they make mistakes,” Nimmo said. “That’s really been the biggest things, those swing changes allowing me to be a little more consistent. I was always in my approach looking for a good pitch to hit, to try and drive. Now I’m just doing it a little more often. That’s encouraging. That’s really nice. That’s actually a pretty dangerous player. I’m proud of that.”

Left-hander Jason Vargas (2-5, 7.39 ERA) will start for the Mets on Tuesday against German Marquez (4-7 T.J. Hockenson Jersey , 5.13).

The Rockies will look to end an eight-game losing streak at Coors Field, during which they have been outscored 81-39. Their longest losing streak at home was nine consecutive games at Mile High Stadium from July 25 to Aug. 18, 1993.

The Rockies (34-38) have lost nine of their past 11 games and 13 of their past 17, a slide that has dropped them a season-most four games below .500

Starter Tyler Anderson gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings before relievers Harrison Musgrave, Jake McGee, Jeff Hoffman and Brooks Pounders combined to allow nine runs in 3 2/3 innings, raising the ERA for the Rockies relievers to a National League-worst 5.60.

“Is there a higher ceiling for this group? For sure,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “But it’s going to take the combination of the good hitting and the good pitching, and right now we got to get the pitching turned around. And we got to get it turned around quickly.”

Vargas is 2-2, 9.00 in five starts against the Rockies, the last in 2014. He’s 1-2, 11.40 in three starts at Coors Field, allowing three runs in seven innings in the most recent one in 2012 while pitching for Seattle.

Marquez is 0-2, 8.44 in three starts this month and last won on May 27 against Cincinnati. He’s 1-4, 7.71 in seven starts at home this season.

Marquez is 1-0 Zach Brown Jersey , 3.75 in two starts against the Mets. He beat them this season on May 4 at Citi Field, allowing two runs in six innings in Colorado’s 8-7 victory and got a no-decision Aug. 3, 2017, at Coors Field when he allowed three runs in six innings in the Rockies’ 5-4 triumph.

The Mets (31-38) will be trying to win four straight games for the first time since May 18-21. They have since gone 7-19, and Monday’s victory was just the sixth for the Mets in their past 19 games. Monday also marked Nimmo’s second game at Coors Field. He pinc hit and grounded into a fielder’s choice last season on Aug. 2.

“I remember I broke my bat,” Nimmo said. “I did a little bit better today.”

Nimmo’s two-homer, four-hit game raised his average to .287 in 60 games with 22 RBI and a 1.013 OPS.

“It’s a much different feel (than last year),” Nimmo said. “It’s a different experience, but I’m glad to be here. Very, very blessed. Most people do not get to out their dream like this and wonder what it’s like to play on that field and then get to experience that some day in the big leagues. So really, really blessed.”