Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 2.87 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (4-3, 5.77 ERA) are on the hill in the third of a four-game series between the Washington Nationals (29-20) and the St. Louis Cardinals (25-24) at Nationals Park. The Cardinals won the last game 6-2, and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 28 and can be seen on FOX.
Gonzalez pitched 5.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering seven runs and striking out seven in a 7-1 defeat to the Mets. Daniel Murphy (.393, 26 Rs, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 3 yesterday. Wainwright went 6.0 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out four and walking three in a 4-3 win over the Cubs in his last outing. Matt Adams (.320, 15 Rs, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs) went 1 for 2 yesterday.
The odds for Washington and St. Louis are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Nationals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Washington is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.7 per game. Washington’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0. The Nationals are the third-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.115 so far this season.
Offensively, the Cardinals have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Cardinals can change the game with one swing of the bat, ranking third in the league with 67 home runs. St. Louis is excellent at drawing walks with 3.9 per road game, ranking fourth in the NL. The Cardinals allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span.
The Nationals lead the season series, 4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – STL
Notes
St. Louis has won 56% (15-12) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Washington has won 65% (13-7) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Cardinals are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Nationals have a 4-5 record when opponents give up one walk or less.
When they outhit their opponents, the Nationals are 23-6. The Cardinals have a 20-4 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 16th, Washington is in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 203 this season. St. Louis ranks in the top five at second with 265.
Ranking eighth, St. Louis is in the top 10 of the league in walks, notching 171 this season. Washington ranks in the top five at fourth with 182.
The Nationals are 22-9 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Cardinals are 20-14 when they hit at least one homer.
