Joe Ross (1-1, 3.46 ERA) and A.J. Burnett (6-2, 1.89 ERA) take the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Washington Nationals (34-33) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (39-27) at Nationals Park. The Pirates come into this series hoping to extend an eight-game winning streak. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 19 and can be seen on ROOT-PIT and MASN2.
Ross pitched 0.0 inning in his last outing, surrendering zero runs in a 16-4 defeat to the Rays. Denard Span (.307, 29 Rs, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs, 7 SBs) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run and one stolen base. Against the Nationals, Burnett is 7-2 with a 2.37 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts. Starling Marte (.285, 37 Rs, 12 HRs, 45 RBIs, 13 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Pirates, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run.
The odds for Washington and Pittsburgh are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Nationals are the second-best team in the NL at limiting walks to their opponents, allowing only 2.4 walks per game so far this season.
Offensively, the Pirates have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 4.1 runs per game by averaging 2.9 during that stretch. The Pirates are an excellent base stealing team with 51 stolen bases, ranking fifth in the MLB. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL at pitching on the road, with a 2.87 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Pirates are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.17 for the season. The Pirates have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.2 strikeouts per road game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Nationals have a 25-28 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Burnett takes the mound. Ross (RHP) will be on the hill against the Pirates, who have a 30-23 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – PIT
Notes
Washington recorded at least two errors for the eighth time this season.
The Nationals are 4-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Pirates are 2-6 in such matchups.
The Pirates are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded six strikeouts. The Nationals have a record of 12-8 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Nationals are 6-30. The Pirates have a 6-18 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 22nd in home runs, Pittsburgh has hit 53 this season. Washington ranks eighth with 71 home runs.
Washington and Pittsburgh both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Washington sits at eighth with 8.58 hits per game and Pittsburgh ranks sixth with 8.88.
Ranking 19th, Pittsburgh is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.698). Washington ranks in the top 10 at ninth with an OPS of .726.
When the Pirates allow at least one home run, they are 10-18, well-matched with the Nationals who are 10-19 when allowing at least one homer.
