In the second of a two-game series between the Washington Nationals (73-53) and the Baltimore Orioles (70-56) at Nationals Park, Max Scherzer (13-7, 3.05 ERA) and Ubaldo Jimenez (5-10, 6.94 ERA) get the start. The Orioles won the last game 10-8, and Baltimore leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 25 and will air on MAS2 and MASN.
In his last start, Scherzer pitched 6.1 innings, giving up four runs, striking out six and walking three in an 11-9 victory over the Braves. Daniel Murphy (.347, 76 Rs, 24 HRs, 95 RBIs, 3 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 3 for 5 with one run, one home run, and five RBIs. The Orioles were unsuccessful the last time Jimenez pitched. He tossed 3.0 innings, allowing three runs, striking out two and walking four in a 15-8 loss to the Astros. Manny Machado (.306, 87 Rs, 29 HRs, 78 RBIs) has been doing well, going 4 for 6 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and four RBIs.
Washington is a heavy -235 favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is eight runs. The Nationals are in an interesting position this season. While they have a notable winning record in games where they’re the favorite (63-36), their overall money line (-275) is less impressive. They come into the game with notable records of 9-4 as the favorite and 11-8 SU against the AL. The Nationals come into the game with the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the NL, averaging 4.9 runs per game. They have been very patient at the plate, ranking fourth in the NL with an average of 3.5 walks per game. Washington’s pitching staff will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent struggles. The Nationals have given up an average of 6.8 runs to opponents in their last 10 games, above their season average of 3.8 runs per game. The Nationals are third in the league in WHIP at 1.192. An area where the Nationals are particularly strong is striking batters out, where they average 9.2 K’s per game.
Switching gears, the Orioles come into this game with a win percentage of .404 when playing as the underdog (23-34) and an overall money line of +1,280. Teams in the National League haven’t been able to get the upper hand on fiery Baltimore. The Orioles hold a record of 4-2 in games where they were ranked as the underdog and an 11-5 SU. Baltimore has been playing better lately, averaging 6.0 runs per game, more than their season average of 4.8. Baltimore is the top home-run-hitting team in the league with 197 home runs. Baltimore’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 6.9 runs per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 4.5.
The previous three games have all gone Baltimore’s way. This game will feature Jimenez (RHP) on the mound against the Nationals, who have a 56-41 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Scherzer will take the mound against the Orioles, who have a 53-38 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – WAS, O/U – Over
Notes
Washington has won 58% (31-22) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Baltimore has won 62% (34-21) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Orioles are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 10 runs. The Nationals have a 0-3 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they are outhit, the Orioles are 18-43. The Nationals have a 13-30 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking first in home runs, Baltimore has hit 197 this season. Washington ranks fifth with 168 home runs.
Ranking eighth, Washington is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.67 per game. Baltimore ranks in the top five at fourth with 8.99.
Ranking seventh, Washington is in the top 10 of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.765). Baltimore ranks in the top five with an OPS of .776.
When the Orioles allow at least one home run, they are 41-44, well-matched with the Nationals who are 41-42 when allowing at least one homer.
