The Nationals and Braves are set to face off in an NL East matchup at 12:05 PM ET at Truist Park in Atlanta. The forecast for Sunday's game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 70s. Washington is 58-72, while the Braves have won three straight and are 70-59 overall. Reynaldo Lopez will start for the Braves, while the Nationals are starting DJ Herz.
Currently, the Braves are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -189 compared to the Nationals at +159. The over/under line is at 8 runs, and the game will be televised on MLB Network.
Washington vs. Atlanta Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Nationals at Braves
- Where: Truist Park Atlanta
- Date: Sunday, August 25th
- Betting Odds ATL -189 | WSH +159 O/U 8
Nationals vs Braves Last Game Recap
The most recent game o of this Braves vs Nationals series came right down to the end, as the Nationals rallied late but still fell short with the Braves winning 4-2 at home. Heading into the game, the Braves were favored at -174 on the money line.
Charlie Morton got the start for the Braves, going just 5 2/3 innings while giving up two runs and striking out six. Aaron Bummer got the win out of the bullpen, and Pierce Johnson got the save. Jake Irvin only went 5 1/3 innings for the Nationals, giving up two earned runs on five hits.
Ramón Laureano and Orlando Arcia each homered for the Braves, while Whit Merrifield scored twice and drove in a run while going 2/2. Gio Urshela also had a two-hit game at the plate.
Nationals Preview
Washington is looking to break a two-game losing streak as they face the Braves today. The Nationals are 58-72 overall and are 17.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East, placing them 4th in the division. Their straight-up record as the underdog is 62-45, and against the run line on the road, they are 39-28.
The Nationals' games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, leading to a 64-61 over/under record. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.4, but it drops to -3.6 in losses. Washington's overall series record is 16-21-3, and they have a 3-7 record in their last ten games heading into today's matchup.
Left-hander DJ Herz gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Braves on the road. He has made 13 starts this year and has a record of 2-6 with an ERA of 4.15. Herz's WHIP for the season is currently 1.32. In his 13 starts, he has turned in two quality starts and is averaging 11.13 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are batting .239 off Herz this year. In his last outing, Herz took the loss, giving up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. He has given up at least one homer in three straight outings.
Washington's offense has been just 19th in the league this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game. They have been slightly better at home, where they are averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .245, which is 11th in the league, and have been good at putting the ball in play, as they have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Luis García Jr. comes into the game batting .293 for the season and leads the Nationals with 63 RBIs. He is also 2nd on the team with 15 homers. CJ Abrams has hit 18 homers this season, but is batting just .247. Over his last six games, José Tena is batting .391 with one home run and three RBIs.
Braves Preview
Atlanta has been on a roll, winning three straight series and taking the first two games of their current series against the Nationals. They are 5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East with an overall record of 70-59. The Braves are 60-46 straight up as favorites and 13-10 as underdogs.
Braves games have averaged 8.1 runs this season, and the under has hit in their last six games. Their run line record is 59-70, with a 26-37 mark at home. When the O/U line is set at 8 runs, their O/U record is 7-13-1.
Right-hander Reynaldo López gets the start for the Braves today as he faces the Nationals at home. So far this season, he has made 20 starts and has a record of 7-4 with an ERA of 2.05. López has made 10 quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he didn't allow an earned run. In that outing vs. the Phillies, he went five innings, gave up one earned run, and struck out 10 batters. López has allowed a total of seven home runs this year and is averaging 9.19 strikeouts per nine innings.
Marcell Ozuna comes into the game as the Braves' top hitter this season, batting .307 with a team-high 37 home runs and 94 RBIs. Ozuna has been even better of late, going 14/33 in his last nine games, with two homers and four RBIs. Ramón Laureano has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 12/32 in his last nine games, including three homers.
Overall, the Braves are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. Atlanta is 3rd in the league in home runs and has the 6th best isolated power figure in the league.
Nationals vs. Braves Prediction: Over 8 Runs -116
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Braves, and with the money line sitting at -189, we would recommend taking the over at 8 runs, as this is paying out at -116.
Looking at the starters, Reynaldo Lopez is projected to finish with six strikeouts, and with the Nationals' lineup projected to strikeout 13 times, Lopez is a solid option to finish with more K's than Lopez.
