Nationals vs Pirates MLB Odds & Game Analysis.

Nationals vs Pirates MLB Odds & Game Analysis

Written by on August 21, 2019

No team is playing better baseball than the Washington Nationals at the moment. They figure to continue rolling on Wednesday playing at a Pittsburgh team that has basically quit on the season. The Nats are favored on the MLB Odds.

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Weather Forecast

  • Partly Cloudy: 27°C/81°F
  • Humidity: 67%
  • Precipitation: 16%
  • Cloud Cover: 32%
  • Wind: 8 mph W
  • Stadium Type: Open

Why Bet on Washington?

Reliever Hunter Strickland was hurt in a weightlifting accident on Tuesday. A bar fell and struck Strickland in the face. His nose was bandaged and there was discoloration around his eyes. Second baseman Brian Dozier is on the paternity leave list. Adrian Sanchez has been called up in a corresponding 25-man roster move to provide extra infield depth.

Trea Turner has reached base safely in a career-high 26 straight games. During the streak he is hitting .336 with four doubles, one triple, six homers, 18 RBI, 13 walks, six stolen bases, 25 runs scored, a .408 on-base percentage and a .555 slugging percentage. Turner has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, going 18-for-50 (.360) with a double, four homers, 13 RBI, seven walks, three stolen bases and 15 runs scored.

In 36 games dating to July 6, Anthony Rendon is hitting .340 with 12 doubles, one triple, seven homers, 36 RBI, 14 walks, one stolen base and 25 runs scored. The Nationals have nine players with at least 11 home runs this season, the most of any club in the National League.

It’s lefty Patrick Corbin on the mound. Corbin allowed one run on seven hits with four walks and eight strikeouts across six innings during a no-decision against the Brewers on Friday. The four walks hurt his WHIP and the offense didn’t support him enough to earn the win, but it was still a good night in the ERA and strikeout categories. Corbin has eight whiffs in three of his last four outings, but his success extends back a lot further than that. Since June 19, the lefty is 4-0 with a 2.37 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 68.1 innings across 11 outings. Overall, he is 9-5 with a 3.34 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 180 strikeouts in 153.2 innings this season.

This should be a favorable matchup for Corbin against a Pirates team that has struggled mightily against left-handers. Pittsburgh enters this contest ranked 29th in MLB in OPS against southpaws.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Runs: 5.29
  • Hits: 8.93
  • Walks: 3.55
  • Strike Outs: 8.25

Defense

  • Runs: 4.64
  • Hits: 8.59
  • Walks: 3.16
  • Strike Outs: 9.29

Why Bet on Pittsburgh?

Reliver Kyle Crick will began serving his three-game suspension on Tuesday. Crick was one of the players in the middle of a skirmish with the Reds last month. The team also activated RHP Richard Rodríguez from the 10-day injured list. Rodriguez ended up missing the minimum due to right shoulder inflammation. The 29-year-old returns to a 3.72 ERA and 41/19 K/BB ratio over 48 1/3 innings this season.

Since being activated from the injured list on June 23, reliever Chris Stratton has posted a 1.82 ERA (29.2ip/6er) and has struck out 31 batters in his 17 appearances. Among all National League pitchers with at least 25.0ip in that time, Stratton’s ERA is the fourth-lowest.

Nationals vs Pirates is going to be a close one.

With 21 home runs and 22 stolen bases, Starling Marte is one of just four Major League players this season to hit at least 20 home runs and steal 20 bases; he joins Ronald Acuna Jr, Christian Yelich and Jose Ramirez on that select list.

It’s Joe Musgrove for the Bucs. Musgrove struck out nine while allowing two runs on four hits with no walks across 7.1 innings during a no-decision against the Cubs on Friday. The 26-year-old left with two runners on base in the seventh with the Pirates clinging to a one-run lead, but Felipe Vazquez allowed more of Musgrove’s inherited runners to score, blowing his chance at a victory. While he didn’t get the win, this was arguably his best start of the year, as he struck out a season-high nine batters with no free passes.

He’s punched out more than five with zero walks in just one other outing. Musgrove is 8-11 with a 4.59 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 124 strikeouts in 137.1 innings this season. In his last 11 starts, he owns a 4.22 ERA with 63 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 59 2/3 innings.

Musgrove is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA (6.0ip/2er) in two career appearances/one start vs. Washington.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Runs: 4.61
  • Hits: 9.19
  • Walks: 2.70
  • Strike Outs: 7.66

Defense

  • Runs: 5.52
  • Hits: 9.19
  • Walks: 3.54
  • Strike Outs: 8.88

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Nationals vs Pirates MLB Betting Trends

  • Nationals are 4-1 in Corbin’s last 5 starts with 4 days of rest
  • Pirates are 2-5 in Musgrove’s last 7 starts vs. National League East
  • Nationals are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against Pittsburgh
  • The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Washington’s last 20 games on the road
  • Pirates are 3-13 SU in their last 16 games at home
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games

Expert Final Score Prediction for Nationals vs Pirates

Washington Nationals 5 – Pittsburgh Pirates 4