The Washington Nationals (62-78) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (66-74) on Saturday, September 7th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on SN PT. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pirates. First pitch is set for 12:35 CT.
Nationals vs. Pirates Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Pirates (-118)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Pirates have scored an average of 5.1 runs per game over their last 15 games.
- The Pirates have won 4 of their last 5 home games.
- The Pirates have a higher home win percentage (47.8%) compared to the Nationals’ away win percentage (42.3%).
- The Pirates have outscored the Nationals 9-4 in their most recent head-to-head game.
- The Nationals are currently on a 2-game losing streak.
Nationals vs Pirates
Pittsburgh cruised to a 9-4 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 2nd inning, scoring five of their nine runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their final run in the 9th after getting on the board with three runs in the 1st.
Bailey Falter only went five innings for the Pirates but gave up just three earned runs and picked up the win. Aroldis Chapman closed things out. Jake Irvin had a rough outing for the Nationals, taking the loss.
Andres Chaparro and Juan Yepez each homered for the Nationals, while Nasim Nunez went 2/2 with an RBI. Jose Tena also had a two-hit game and scored a run for Washington’s offense.
Washington’s overall series record is 18-23-4, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games, entering today’s matchup. The Nationals are currently on a two-game losing streak, with their most recent loss coming in the first game of this series against the Pirates.
Against the run line, the Nationals have a 78-62 record, and they have been underdogs in most games, going 67-49. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 67-68. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, their record is 18-21.
DJ Herz Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander DJ Herz is getting the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 15 starts this year and has a record of 2-7 with an ERA of 4.09. Herz’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.26, and he has turned in two quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Herz took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had not allowed an earned run in two straight outings. Opponents are batting .226 off Herz this season.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game this season, which is 22nd in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have a collective slugging percentage of just .378. However, the Nationals are a good contact team, as they have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league. The team’s leading hitter this season has been Luis Garcia Jr., who is batting .290 with a team-high 63 RBIs.
CJ Abrams has been a big power threat for the Nationals this season, leading the team with 18 homers. However, he is batting just .240. Over his last eight games, Andres Chaparro has three homers but is batting just .179. Jose Tena has gone 9/33 in his last eight games.
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates have an over/under record of 28-21 when the total is set at 8.5 runs. Their games this season have averaged 8.8 runs per game, resulting in an overall over/under record of 69-69. Pittsburgh is 66-74 overall and trail the Reds by one game for 4th place in the NL Central, sitting 14.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead.
As underdogs, the Pirates have a 37-50 straight-up record, while they are 43-28 against the run line on the road. Their overall run line record is 78-62, with an average run margin of 3.3 runs in wins and 3.6 runs in losses. Pittsburgh has an overall series record of 19-21-5 this season, and they won the first game of this series vs. the Nationals.
Luis L. Ortiz Gets The Start For The Pirates
Pittsburgh is starting right-hander Luis L. Ortiz vs. the Nationals today. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 6-4 with a 3.19 ERA. So far, he has turned in five quality starts and is coming off a great outing vs. the Guardians, where he went six innings and didn’t give up a run. In that outing, he only gave up one hit and issued three walks. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts. Ortiz’s ERA at home is 3.79 compared to 3.45 on the road.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Pirates have been averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Collectively, the Pirates are batting just .235, which is 16th in the league. As a team, they are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and OPS.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top offensive player this season, leading the team with a batting average of .280 and 22 home runs. He also has 78 RBIs, which is also the best mark on the team. However, he is just 4/22 in his last six games. Nick Gonzales has gone 8/26 in his last six games, but he is still looking for his first home run of the season.
Nationals vs Pirates Prediction
Our pick for this Nationals vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Pirates on the money line at -118. We have the Pirates winning this one by a score of 5-4, which would also give you some room to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Luis L. Ortiz is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is good for fourth worst among today’s starters. As for the Nationals starter, DJ Herz is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is good for sixth best. However, Herz is projected to finish with six earned runs, which is sixth worst.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 7, 2024 Nationals, Pirates