Gio Gonzalez (2-2, 3.86 ERA) and Eric Stults (1-2, 4.91 ERA) start in the first of a three-game series between the Washington Nationals (14-15) and the Atlanta Braves (14-14) at Nationals Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 8 and can be seen on FSN-S and MASN2.
Gonzalez is 2-8 with a 5.20 ERA in his appearances against the Braves, and goes up against a quality Atlanta offense which is batting .257 this season. Bryce Harper (.265, 21 Rs, 8 HRs, 20 RBIs) had another good game Wednesday, going 3 for 4 with three runs, three home runs, and five RBIs. Stults is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA against the Nationals in his career. He takes on a below-average Washington offense that’s batting just .239. Freddie Freeman (.318, 20 Rs, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate, going 3 for 4 Wednesday with three RBIs.
The odds for Washington and Atlanta are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Washington has a record of 12-11 SU. The Nationals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.4 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.1 runs per game. Washington is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.3 per game.
The Braves are 10-11 against NL East opponents. Offensively, the Braves have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.5 runs per game by averaging 5.6 during that stretch. Atlanta is excellent at not striking out with an NL-low 6.2 per game. The Braves allow 4.4 runs per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 5.6 runs per game during that span. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Braves are third in the NL on the road with an average of 7.5 hits allowed per away game.
The Nationals lead the season series, 2-1. The Nationals have a 4-2 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Stults takes the mound.
Predictions: SU Winner – ATL
Notes
Atlanta has won 35% (6-11) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Washington has won 50% (7-7) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Nationals are coming into this game after allowing zero walks during their last outing. The Braves have a 1-1 record when opponents give up that many walks.
When they are outhit, the Braves are 2-10. The Nationals have a 3-14 record when opponents outhit them.
Both Washington and Atlanta are tied at 15th in home runs, hitting 24 this season.
Washington and Atlanta both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Washington sits at 10th with 8.07 hits per game and Atlanta ranks ninth with 8.39.
Ranking 23rd, Washington is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.684). Atlanta ranks in the top half at 11th with an OPS of .722.
The Braves are 4-9 when they allow at least one home run. The Nationals perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 4-6 record.
