Max Scherzer (7-5, 1.93 ERA) and the Washington Nationals (35-33) take on Francisco Liriano (4-5, 2.94 ERA) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (39-28) in a game that has the potential to be low scoring. This is the second of a three-game series at Nationals Park. The Nationals won the last game 4-1 and Washington leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jun. 20 and can be seen on ROOT-PIT. MASN2 and MLB N.
Scherzer is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA in his appearances against the Pirates, but goes up against a good Pittsburgh offense which is batting .257 this season. Denard Span (.310, 30 Rs, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs, 7 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 5 with one run. Liriano is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA when pitching against the Nationals. He takes on a quality Washington offense which is hitting .257 this season.
Washington is a -135 favorite against Pittsburgh and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at six runs. The Nationals have an overall money line of -599 and a record as the favorite of 27-22. 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.
In the other locker room, in contrast to an encouraging overall money line (+732), Pittsburgh has an unimpressive 6-12 record when playing as the underdog. 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 tough outs for opponents, ranking fourth in the NL with 8.9 hits per game. The Pirates are an excellent base stealing team with 51 stolen bases, ranking fifth in the MLB. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an NL-low 2.85 ERA on the road. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Pirates are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.18 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 the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Nationals have a great 9-4 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Liriano takes the mound. Scherzer (RHP) will be on the hill against the Pirates, who have a 31-23 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSH, O/U – Over
Notes
The Nationals are 4-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Pirates are 2-6 in such matchups.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Pirates are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Nationals have a 15-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Pirates are 29-5. The Nationals have a 26-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 17th in runs, Pittsburgh has earned 271 this season. Washington ranks seventh with 296 runs.
Ranking 23rd, Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 166 this season. Washington ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 212.
When the Nationals hit at least one home run, they are 25-14, well-matched with the Pirates who are 23-14 when hitting one or more homers.
