Pittsburgh heads into Sunday's matchup vs. the Nationals looking to avoid a three-game losing streak, as they are 5th in the NL Central with an overall record of 66-76. Washington is 4th in the NL East and they have won two straight, bringing their record to 64-78.
The money line odds have the Pirates at -160 compared to the Nationals at +135. Today's over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and MASN will be televising this NL matchup. First pitch from PNC Park is set for 1:35 PM ET.
Washington vs. Pittsburgh Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Nationals at Pirates
- Where: PNC Park Pittsburgh
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds PIT -160 | WSH +135 O/U 8.5
Nationals vs Pirates Last Game Recap
It was a high-scoring game in the most recent game of this Nationals vs. Pirates series. Washington went into the matchup as +122 underdogs and picked up an 8-6 win. The Nationals had a huge 9th inning, scoring four runs to take the lead, and the Pirates could only muster two runs in the 8th inning.
Pittsburgh wasted a good outing from Mitch Keller, as he gave up just two earned runs in six innings of work for the Pirates. Aroldis Chapman took the loss. Robert Garcia got the win out of the bullpen for the Nationals as Mitchell Parker went just 3 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs.
Offensively, the Nationals were led by Andres Chaparro and Keibert Ruiz, as they were the only two Nationals hitters to have more than one hit. Chaparro, James Wood, and Drew Millas each homered for Washington.
Nationals Preview
Washington has a 64-78 record and is 21 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. They have won two straight games and lead the series vs. the Pirates 2-1.
As underdogs, the Nationals are 52-66 straight up and 69-49 vs. the run line. Their over/under record is 68-69 for the season, with games averaging 9.0 runs per game. Today's O/U line is set at 8.5 runs.
Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Pirates on the road. Corbin has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 5-12 with an ERA of 5.41. Looking at his overall numbers, Corbin has a WHIP of 1.52 and has pitched much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 4.73 compared to 7.11 on the road. Opponents are batting .290 off Corbin this season. In his last outing, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and got the win. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Washington's offense has been a bit below average this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. The Nationals are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and ISO. As a team, they are batting .245, which is 10th in the league.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been one of the Nationals' top hitters this season, batting .288 with a team-high 63 RBIs. He is also 2nd on the team with 15 homers. CJ Abrams has also been a solid power threat, leading the team with 18 homers, but he is batting just .238. Over his last 10 games, Andres Chaparro has four homers and 10 RBIs, but is batting just .243.
Pirates Preview
When the total is 8.5 runs, the Pirates have a 28-22 O/U record. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, and their overall O/U record is 70-70. Pittsburgh's run line record is 78-64, including a 43-28 mark on the road and 57-30 as underdogs. However, they have struggled as favorites, going 21-34.
Pittsburgh is 4-6 in their last 10 games and has lost two in a row. Overall, they are 66-76 and sit 16 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Pirates have a 33-38 record both at home and on the road this season.
Jared Jones gets the start for the Pirates today and comes in with a record of 5-7 and ERA of 3.91. Looking back at his last outing, Jones finished with a no-decision against the Cubs. In that start, he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, and one homer. Before that outing, he had given up at least one homer in three straight starts. Jones has made 18 starts this year and has turned in 10 quality starts. His ERA at home is 3.12 compared to 5.64 on the road.
For the season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, putting up 4.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are just 22nd in home runs and are batting a collective .235, which is 17th in the league. One area they have struggled in is in terms of strikeouts, as they are 26th in the league in this category.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates' top offensive threat this season, as he is batting .278 with a team-high 22 home runs and 79 RBIs. He is also on a 9-game hitting streak. Bryan De La Cruz is 2nd on the team in homers and 3rd in RBIs, but he is batting just .235 for the season.
Nationals vs. Pirates Prediction: Pirates ML -160
Our predicted final score for this game is 5-4 in favor of the Pirates, and with their money line sitting at -160, that is the way we recommend playing this one. We actually have the Pirates finishing with fewer hits than the Nationals, but they are projected to have a higher run total.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Jared Jones going six innings and finishing with six strikeouts. As for Patrick Corbin, he is projected to finish with five K's and go six innings. If you're looking for a player prop bet, you could look at Jones' strikeout total and take the over if the line is around six.
