From PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have the Nationals and Pirates facing off. Saturday's matchup is starting at 1:35 PM ET, and the Pirates are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -118. The money line odds for a Nationals win are at -102, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs.
SN PT will be televising this NL matchup, and DJ Herz is starting for the Nationals, while the Pirates are going with Luis L. Ortiz. Washington is currently on a two-game losing streak, and they are 4th in the NL East with a record of 62-78. The Pirates are 5th in the NL Central at 66-74.
Washington vs. Pittsburgh Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Nationals at Pirates
- Where: PNC Park Pittsburgh
- Date: Saturday, September 7th
- Betting Odds PIT -118 | WSH -102 O/U 8.5
Nationals vs Pirates Last Game Recap
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 only run in the 5th and added three in the 9th.
Bailey Falter only went five innings for the Pirates but gave up just three hits and three earned runs. He finished the game with just two strikeouts and allowed one home run. Aroldis Chapman came out of the bullpen for the save. Jake Irvin had a rough outing for the Nationals, giving up six runs in five innings of work.
Nick Gonzales had a three RBI game at the plate for the Pirates, while Andres Chaparro and Juan Yepez each drove in three for the Nationals. Nasim Nunez scored three times and drove in two runs while going 2/2.
Nationals Preview
Washington's overall series record is 18-23-4, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are currently on a two-game losing streak, with their most recent loss coming against the Pirates in the first game of this series. The Nationals have an overall record of 62-78, placing them 4th in the NL East, 22.5 games behind the Phillies.
Against the run line, the Nationals have a 78-62 record, with a 41-30 record on the road. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game this season, resulting in a 67-68 over/under record. When the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, their O/U record is 18-21, with 57 games this season having that total, making up 40.7% of their games.
Washington is sending DJ Herz to the mound today, and he comes in with a record of 2-7 and an ERA of 4.09. Herz has made 15 starts this year and has only turned in two quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Herz took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings against the Cubs. In that outing, he gave up four earned runs, five hits, and two homers. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight outings. Opponents are batting .226 off Herz this year, and his WHIP is 1.26.
Washington's offense has been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league this season, as they are 26th in the league in home runs. Overall, they are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the MLB. The Nationals' team batting average of .245 is 11th in the league, and they have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been the Nationals' top run producer this season, as he leads the team with 63 RBIs and is 2nd on the team with 15 homers. CJ Abrams has 18 homers this season, but his batting average is just .240. Over his last eight games, Andres Chaparro has three homers, but is batting just .179 in this stretch.
Pirates Preview
As underdogs, the Pirates have a 37-50 record and are 29-24 when favored. Their run line record is 78-62, including a 43-28 mark on the road. 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 season, Pirates games have averaged 8.8 runs, and their over/under record is 69-69. The over has hit in two straight games, and when the O/U line is 8.5, their record is 28-21.
Pittsburgh is sending Luis L. Ortiz to the mound today vs. the Nationals, and he has made 11 starts this year. Ortiz's overall record is 6-4, and he has an ERA of 3.19. Looking at his home/away splits, Ortiz has made 17 appearances on the road, going 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA. At home, he is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA. In his last outing, Ortiz didn't give up a run and got the win, going six innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts.
For the season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB. They are also just 24th in home runs and have a batting average of .235. Pittsburgh's team on-base percentage of .302 is 19th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in OPS and slugging percentage.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates' best hitter this season, batting .280 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs. However, he is just 4/22 in his last six games. Nick Gonzales has gone 8/26 in his last six games, but he has yet to hit a home run this season. Yasmani Grandal is currently on an eight-game hitting streak.
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Pirates ML -118
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Pirates on the money line at -118. With this payout, we see this as a great value pick, as we have the Pirates winning this one 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Luis L. Ortiz is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is four more than DJ Herz. However, Herz is projected to go for seven innings, compared to Ortiz, who we have going just over five innings.
