It’s two teams with Wild-Card hopes facing off on Tuesday night and a pitching matchup of former Top 3 overall MLB draft picks as Jon Gray and the Colorado Rockies visit Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals. The Nats are favored on the MLB Odds.
How to Bet Rockies at Nationals MLB Odds & TV Info
- When: Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET
- Where: Nationals Park
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Jon Gray/Stephen Strasburg
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: ESPN 1420
- MLB Lines: Washington Nationals -168 (Total 8.5)
Cardinals vs Pirates MLB Odds, Preview & Prediction
Why Bet on Colorado?
Entering its series in Washington, Colorado is tied for the last place in the division and five games back in the wild card race.
The Rockies made a couple of roster moves on Sunday that were a bit surprising. First, they moved starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela to Triple-A Albuquerque. He’s allowed 21 runs in July in the 11 innings he’s played. The woes culminated in Saturday’s game, when he gave up six runs in the first 1.3 innings he played before getting pulled. Jeff Hoffman was recalled to take Senzatela’s place. The other big move was designating Mark Reynolds for assignment. The veteran had not played well for a while, hitting just .170 for the year. Reynolds, who is in his second stint with Colorado, could see his 13-year MLB career coming to an end.
Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado have tied Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada (2000-03 with Oakland) for the most consecutive seasons of 20 or more home runs each for a third baseman/shortstop duo. Story is the first primary shortstop in Major League history to hit 20 or more home runs in each of his first four seasons.
The Rockies’ 4.21 road ERA ranks fourth in the National League. They were ranked second in the league prior to allowing 11 runs Saturday at New York-AL, the second time this season they have allowed double-digit runs on the road. The bullpen has posted a 2.94 road ERA. Jake McGee (0.75), Wade Davis (0.79 ERA) and Scott Oberg (0.90) rank second, fourth and tied for fifth in road ERA among NL relievers (min. 10 appearances).
It’s Jon Gray on the mound here. Gray (9-7) took the loss Wednesday versus the Giants after allowing six runs on 11 hits over 5.1 innings. He recorded three strikeouts and walks apiece. Gray ran into trouble early with a three-run first inning and struggled again across the fifth and sixth innings. It’s the first time the 27-year-old allowed more than three runs in a start since June 13. Gray has a 4.11 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 124:45 K:BB through 120.1 innings. In his last seven outings, Gray has a respectable 3.47 ERA.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.45
- Hits: 9.35
- Walks: 2.89
- Strike Outs: 9.47
- Runs: 5.87
- Hits: 9.93
- Walks: 3.40
- Strike Outs: 8.10
Why Bet on Washington?
The Washington Nationals boast the best record (33-15) in Major League Baseball since May 24, ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (35-17). The Nationals entered this stretch on May 24 with a 19-31 (.380) record, the fourth-worst record in Major League Baseball and the second-worst record in the National League.
First baseman Ryan Zimmerman was to undergo an MRI on his injured right foot on Monday. Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez indicated that it was a recurrence of his plantar fasciitis, and it sounds like a trip to the injured list could be imminent, but they’ll wait to see what the MRI reveals first. Matt Adams should see increased action at first base in his absence. Zimmerman missed two months earlier in the season with the issue.
Dating to May 17, Juan Soto ranks among National League hitters in on-base percentage (1st, .443), OPS (2nd, 1.046), batting average (3rd, .340) and slugging percentage (9th, .603). On the season, he ranks in the National League in on-base percentage (4th, .405) and walks (T5th, 58).
The Nats start Stephen Strasburg (12-4). He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks across 5.1 innings to earn the win Thursday against the Braves. He struck out seven. Strasburg scattered baserunners through the early innings before struggling in the sixth, when he allowed two runs on two hits and a walk before leaving with one out. He ensured himself the win with his own bat, as he drove in five runs on three hits at the dish to help his club pull away. Strasburg came in with 13.1 scoreless innings over his last two turns, so while this was a solid performance, it was a step down from his recent results. Strasburg is in the midst of a five-game winning streak on the mound, tied for the second-longest of his career, behind a six-game win streak from May 20-June 20, 2012.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.97
- Hits: 8.67
- Walks: 3.36
- Strike Outs: 8.37
- Runs: 4.53
- Hits: 8.41
- Walks: 3.09
- Strike Outs: 9.45
Rockies vs Nationals MLB Betting Trends
- Rockies are 8-2 in Gray’s last 10 road starts vs. a team with a winning record
- Nationals are 42-12 in Strasburg’s last 54 starts vs. a team with a losing record
- Rockies are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado’s last 6 games against an opponent in the National League
- Nationals are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games against an opponent in the National League
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington’s last 7 games at home
Expert Final Score Prediction for Nationals vs Rockies
Colorado Rockies 2 – Washington Nationals 5
