Mat Latos (0-3, 10.24 ERA) and Stephen Strasburg (1-1, 4.50 ERA) start in the first of a three-game series between the Miami Marlins (5-11) and the Washington Nationals (7-9) at Marlins Park. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 24 and can be seen on MASN2 and FSN-FL.
Latos is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA in his appearances against the Nationals, and goes up against a below-average Washington offense which is batting just .224 this season. Adeiny Hechavarria (.311, 12 Rs, 1 HR, 10 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game yesterday, going 4 for 4 with two runs and three RBIs. When pitching against the Marlins, Strasburg is 9-5 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts. Bryce Harper (.259, 11 Rs, 4 HRs, 8 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
The odds for Miami and Washington are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at seven runs. Within its division, Miami has a record of 3-9 SU. The Marlins have seen a decline in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 3.7 runs per game. They average 4.2 runs per game on the season.
The Nationals are 5-5 against NL East opponents. Offensively, they average four runs per game on the road, which is fourth in the NL. Washington is excellent at drawing walks with 3.3 per game, ranking fifth in the NL. Washington’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL, with a 3.01 ERA.
The Marlins have a bad 2-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Strasburg takes the mound. Latos (RHP) will be on the hill against the Nationals, who have a 5-7 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSH, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Washington is 4-6, while Miami is 3-6.
The Marlins are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Nationals have a 0-4 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
It looks like the Marlins have a slight leg up on the Nationals, as the Marlins have won their last two games while the Nationals have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Marlins are 5-4. The Nationals have a 5-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 19th in runs, Washington has earned 61 this season. Miami ranks 11th with 68 runs.
Ranking 11th, Miami is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 48 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 53.
The Marlins are 2-5 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Nationals are 6-5 when they hit at least one homer.
