The first game of the day is from the nation’s capital as the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals wrap up their big NL East series. Atlanta looks to have the pitching edge with NL Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Soroka opposed by Anibal Sanchez. And the Braves are slight favorites on the MLB odds.
How to Bet Braves at Nationals MLB Odds & TV Info
- When: Wednesday, 12:05 PM ET
- Where: Nationals Park
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Mike Soroka/Anibal Sanchez
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: ESPN 1420
- MLB Odds: Atlanta Braves -110 (Total 10)
Why Bet on Atlanta?
Shortstop Dansby Swanson (foot) is expected to return from the injured list on Saturday, the first day he’s eligible. The Braves relented and put Swanson on the IL on Saturday, but he’s moving around well now and will be back when his 10 days are up, barring a setback. Johan Camargo has been filling in at shortstop for the Braves.
The team recently lost outfielder Nick Markakis for 6-8 weeks with a wrist injury. The good news is that his fractured left wrist will not require surgery, which could have ended his season. Instead, Markakis could be looking at a return to the Braves in mid-September if all goes well with his recovery. The 35-year-old is slashing .284/.358/.429 with nine home runs and 55 RBI on the season.
On Monday, third baseman Josh Donaldson became the 84th active player to reach 1,000 career hits. Three of Donaldson’s teammates (Markakis, 2,341; Brian McCann, 1,575; Freddie Freeman, 1,399) are among the active players with 1,000 hits. Freeman is on pace to reach base 286 times this season, while Ronald Acuna Jr. is on pace to reach 280 times. The franchise record is 309 times by Chipper Jones in 1999.
The Braves’ Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.44) was cruising against the Phillies on Friday before his night ended early thanks to a 37-pitch fifth inning in which he recorded only two outs. Soroka allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out five over 4.2 innings. He didn’t factor into the decision. Soroka dealt with plenty of traffic on the bases, but he gave up just one run on a single to right field in the fifth inning. He narrowly missed qualifying for the win, as he was pulled with two outs in the fifth after 88 pitches (60 strikes).
Soroka sits with a 2.44 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 91:25 K:BB over 107 innings this season. On the road this year, he’s 6-0 with a 1.19 ERA.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.32
- Hits: 9.06
- Walks: 3.62
- Strike Outs: 8.86
- Runs: 4.80
- Hits: 8.75
- Walks: 3.70
- Strike Outs: 8.63
Why Bet on Washington?
Anthony Rendon hit a grand slam in the Nationals’ 6-3 defeat of the Braves on Monday. Rendon’s third career grand slam was his 23rd homer of the season, and it gave him 80 RBI. His 1.020 OPS puts him fourth in the majors behind Christian Yelich (1.141), Mike Trout (1.100) and Cody Bellinger (1.099). Rendon ranks fourth in the National League (1st among NL third basemen) in Wins Above Replacement (4.2).
Washington’s Anibal Sanchez (6-6) allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out six over seven innings Friday against the Dodgers. He didn’t factor into the decision. Sanchez certainly threw the ball well enough to earn the victory, but his offense struggled to put up enough run support, resulting in a no-decision. Sanchez generated 10 swinging strikes and got 23 called strikes, 11 of them on his fastball. His velocity ranged from 67.1 MPH (on a changeup) to 92.7 on his fastball, and he induced 10 ground ball outs from the 25 batters he faced.
The 35-year-old has held the opposition to three or fewer runs in each of his last five outings, picking up three wins over that stretch. He owns a 3.63 ERA with 87 punchouts heading into this one. This will be Sanchez’s fourth start this season against the Braves, after spending last season with Atlanta, and he is 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in his first three outings against them. He has won six straight decisions since May 29. Sanchez made 24 starts for the Braves in 2018.
Over the last 25 games, Nationals starters have combined to pitch to a 2.24 ERA with 165 strikeouts, 37 walks, and a .222 opp. AVG. Washington’s starting rotation leads the National League with 675 strikeouts, 9.87 strikeouts per 9.0 IP and 1.02 home runs allowed per 9.0 IP.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.98
- Hits: 8.68
- Walks: 3.46
- Strike Outs: 8.31
- Runs: 4.50
- Hits: 8.34
- Walks: 3.12
- Strike Outs: 9.50
Braves vs Nationals MLB Betting Trends
- Braves are 10-1 in Soroka’s last 11 starts vs. National League East
- Nationals are 8-3 in Sanchez’s last 11 starts
- Braves are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the National League
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 5 games on the road
- Nationals are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 6 games this season
Expert Final Score Prediction for Braves vs Nationals
Atlanta Braves 4 – Washington Nationals 3
