Joe Ross (3-4, 2.70 ERA) takes the hill for the Washington Nationals (28-19) as they square off against Mike Leake (3-3, 4.07 ERA) and the St. Louis Cardinals (24-23) in the first of a four-game series at Nationals Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 26 and can be seen on MASN and FSMW.
Ross pitched 5.2 innings in his last outing, surrendering three runs (one unearned), striking out seven and walking two in a 3-2 defeat to the Marlins. Daniel Murphy (.394, 26 Rs, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4. Leake went 7.0 innings, surrendering zero runs and striking out three in a 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks in his most recent start. Matt Adams (.316, 15 Rs, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs) has been successful at the plate for the Cardinals, going 3 for 5 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
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 3.8 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 1.127 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 fifth in the league with 64 home runs. St. Louis is excellent at drawing walks with 4.0 per road game, ranking second 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 have the edge in the season series, 3-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – STL
Notes
For the third time this season, the Nationals registered at least two errors in a game.
The Nationals didn’t score any runs in their last game. The Cardinals have a 3-0 record when they don’t allow any runs.
When they are outhit, the Cardinals are 4-19. The Nationals have a 4-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking ninth in home runs, Washington has hit 55 this season. St. Louis ranks fifth with 64 home runs.
Ranking 19th, Washington is in the bottom half of the league in hits, notching 8.17 per game. St. Louis ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 9.28.
Ranking 14th, Washington is in the top half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.728). St. Louis ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .805.
When the Cardinals allow at least one home run, they are 13-17. When the Nationals allow one or more homers, they have a 16-16 record.
