A.J. Cole (0-1, 5.14 ERA) and the Washington Nationals (75-53) go up against Jorge De La Rosa (8-7, 5.07 ERA) and the Colorado Rockies (60-68) in the second of a three-game series at Nationals Park. The Nationals won the last game 8-5, and Washington leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 27 and will air on MAS2 and RTRM.
In his most recent outing, Cole pitched 7.0 innings, allowing four runs, striking out eight and walking two in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles. Bryce Harper (.254, 69 Rs, 22 HRs, 72 RBIs, 18 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run and two RBIs. The Rockies were victorious over the Cubs 11-4 the last time De La Rosa pitched. He went 8.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out six and walking one. Trevor Story (.272, 67 Rs, 27 HRs, 72 RBIs, 8 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one RBI.
Washington, a -166 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Colorado. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is nine runs. The Nationals perform well as a favorite with a 64-36 record, but haven’t fared as well with the overall money line (-175). The Nationals have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire NL, averaging 4.8 runs per game. The Nationals rank fifth in the majors in home runs with 171. They typically aren’t overmatched by pitchers, ranking third in the NL with an average of only 7.6 strikeouts per game. Turning to the pitching and defensive side, the Washington pitching staff and defense is very good at home, only giving up 3.6 runs per game. The Nationals are second in the league in WHIP at 1.183. An area where the Nationals are particularly strong is striking batters out, where they average an NL-best 9.2 K’s per game.
On the other side, the Rockies have a record of 35-44 when they are the underdog and are -189 overall with the money line. Colorado is one of the top hitting teams in the league with 449 extra base hits.
The Nationals will take on a left-hander (De La Rosa) in this game and have a 17-12 record against left-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Cole will take the mound against the Rockies, who have a 45-46 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – WAS, O/U – Over
Notes
Colorado has won 43% (28-37) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Washington has won 59% (32-22) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Rockies managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Nationals who are heading in with a 29-11 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Rockies are 13-46. The Nationals have a 13-30 record when opponents outhit them.
Colorado ranks in the top 10 of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 161 this season. Washington ranks in the top five with 171.
Colorado tops the league in hits with 9.40 per game this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 8.73.
Ranking seventh, Washington is in the top 10 of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.767). Colorado ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .793.
The Rockies are 31-53 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Nationals are 42-42 when they allow at least one homer.
