Taylor Jordan (0-1, 5.79 ERA) and Mark Buehrle (6-4, 4.97 ERA) take the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Washington Nationals (29-23) and the Toronto Blue Jays (24-30) at Nationals Park. The Blue Jays won the last game 7-3 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 3 and can be seen on RSN and MASN.
Jordan pitched 4.2 innings in his last outing, surrendering three runs, striking out one and walking two in a 5-2 defeat to the Reds. Bryce Harper (.329, 43 Rs, 18 HRs, 44 RBIs, 3 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run. When pitching against the Nationals, Buehrle is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts. Josh Donaldson (.314, 44 Rs, 15 HRs, 39 RBIs, 2 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Blue Jays, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run.
The odds for Washington and Toronto are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. Against the AL, the Nationals have a 4-2 record SU. The Nationals have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.5 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.5 runs per game. The Nationals have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the NL in offense with 4.5 runs per game. Washington is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.4 per game. Washington’s pitchers fall apart when American League teams are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game rises to 5.0 against AL teams, compared to its 4.2 season average.
Toronto is 1-3 SU against interleague opponents. Offensively, they average 5.1 runs per game, which is tops in the AL. The Blue Jays are tough outs for opponents, ranking fourth in the AL with 8.8 hits per game.
The Nationals have a great 3-1 record at home (8-3 overall) against left-handed starting pitchers, which is what they’ll be facing when Buehrle takes the mound.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR
Notes
The Nationals are 3-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are 1-1 in such matchups.
The Blue Jays are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Nationals have a 7-10 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Blue Jays are 21-5. The Nationals have a 20-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Toronto tops the league in runs with 275 this season. Washington ranks in the top five at fourth with 233.
Ranking seventh, Washington is in the top 10 of the league in walks, notching 172 this season. Toronto ranks in the top five at fifth with 175.
When the Nationals hit at least one home run, they are 21-9. When the Blue Jays hit at least one homer, they have a 21-15 record.
