Doug Fister (2-1, 2.61 ERA) and Julio Teheran (3-1, 3.82 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Washington Nationals (15-15) and the Atlanta Braves (14-15) at Nationals Park. The Nationals won the last game 9-2 and Washington leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 9 and can be seen on FSN-S, MASN2 and FS1.
Fister is 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA in his appearances against the Braves, but goes up against a good Atlanta offense which is batting .256 this season. Bryce Harper (.284, 23 Rs, 10 HRs, 25 RBIs) had another good game yesterday, going 3 for 4 with two runs, two home runs, and five RBIs. Against the Nationals, Teheran is 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts. Freddie Freeman (.324, 20 Rs, 5 HRs, 18 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate for the Braves, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Washington is a -157 favorite against Atlanta and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Nationals have an overall money line of -517 and a record as the favorite of 11-11. Washington is an impressive 5-2 as the favorite over its last 10 games. The Nationals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.4 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.1 runs per game. Washington is one of the best in the NL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.3 per game.
In games where it is the underdog, Atlanta has a 9-10 record and an overall money line of +164. They are 5-7 as the underdog against NL East foes, and 10-11 SU. Offensively, the Braves have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.5 runs per game by averaging 5.6 during that stretch. Atlanta is excellent at not striking out with an NL-low 6.2 per game. Atlanta’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL at pitching on the road, with a 3.40 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Braves are third in the NL on the road with an average of 7.5 hits allowed per away game.
The Nationals lead the season series, 3-1. The Nationals have a 10-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Teheran takes the mound. Fister (RHP) will be on the hill against the Braves, who have a 12-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSH, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Washington is 8-7, while Atlanta is 6-12.
The Nationals are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Braves have a 4-7 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Braves are 2-11. The Nationals have a 3-14 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 16th in home runs, Atlanta has hit 24 this season. Washington ranks ninth with 29 home runs.
Washington and Atlanta both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Washington sits at 10th with 8.07 hits per game and Atlanta ranks ninth with 8.39.
Ranking 17th, Washington is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.699). Atlanta ranks in the top half at 12th with an OPS of .717.
When the Braves allow at least one home run, they are 4-10, well-matched with the Nationals who are 4-6 when allowing at least one homer.
