Max Scherzer (11-9, 2.73 ERA) gets the ball for the Washington Nationals (60-59) as they meet Yohan Flande (2-1, 4.19 ERA) and the Colorado Rockies (48-70) in the last of a three-game series at Coors Field. The Nationals won the last game 4-1 and Washington leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 8:40 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 20 and will air on RTRM and MAS2.
In his last start, Flande pitched 6.0 innings, allowing four runs, striking out four and walking one in a 9-5 loss to the Padres. Nolan Arenado (.282, 68 Rs, 29 HRs, 87 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 3 yesterday. The Nationals were unsuccessful the last time Scherzer pitched. He struggled, going 3.0 innings, allowing six runs and striking out three in an 8-5 loss to the Giants. Bryce Harper (.327, 84 Rs, 30 HRs, 73 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Nationals, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run.
The Over/Under (O/U) for this game is 10 runs and Colorado is a considerable +179 underdog. The Rockies perform poorly as an underdog with a 34-51 record and have an overall money line of -1,473. Over the last 10 games, they have performed poorly when playing as the underdog (1-7). The Rockies come into the game with the NL’s top ranked home scoring offense, averaging 5.5 runs per game in their own ballpark. The Rockies are an exceptional hitting team with an NL-best 10.6 hits per home game.
On the other side, the Nationals have a record of 46-36 when they are favored and are -1,255 overall with the money line. The Nationals rank third in the NL in road scoring, averaging four runs per game. The Nationals average 3.1 walks per game, making them one of the most disciplined teams in the NL. Washington’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 5.2 runs per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 4.0. They also allow just 2.2 walks per game, best in the NL.
The Nationals are 3-2 against the Rockies this season. This game will feature Scherzer (RHP) on the mound against the Rockies, who have a 43-51 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Nationals will be the left-hander Flande. They sport a 15-12 record against southpaws.
Predictions: SU Winner – Was, O/U – Over
Notes
Colorado has won 45% (23-28) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Washington has won 54% (28-24) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Nationals are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Rockies have a 3-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rockies are 37-13. The Nationals have a 46-6 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 15th, Washington sits in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 494 this season. Colorado ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 525.
Ranking 27th, Colorado is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 282 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 365.
The Rockies are 43-37 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Nationals are 43-28 when they hit at least one homer.
