Jordan Zimmermann (5-4, 3.74 ERA) and Matt Andriese (1-1, 3.76 ERA) start in the first of a two-game series between the Washington Nationals (34-31) and the Tampa Bay Rays (36-30) at Nationals Park. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 17 and can be seen on SunSports, MASN2 and ESPN 2.
Zimmermann pitched 3.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering six runs, striking out four and walking one in an 8-4 defeat to the Brewers. Bryce Harper (.346, 49 Rs, 22 HRs, 52 RBIs, 3 SBs) had another good game yesterday, going 3 for 3 with one run, one home run, and one RBI. Andriese went 5.2 innings, surrendering zero runs (two unearned), striking out five and walking one in a 7-5 win over the White Sox in his most recent start. Logan Forsythe (.276, 26 Rs, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
Washington is a -158 favorite against Tampa Bay and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Nationals have an overall money line of -477 and a record as the favorite of 27-21. Against the AL, they have a 3-2 record when they were the favorite and 5-6 SU. Washington’s pitchers fall apart when American League teams are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game rises to 5.5 against AL teams, compared to its 4.3 season average.
In games where it is the underdog, Tampa Bay has a 18-16 record and an overall money line of +613. Tampa Bay has put in a great performance against teams in the NL, coming in with a nice record SU ({betdsi.at.nl.su_record}) and as the underdog (3-1). Offensively, the Rays have really picked up the pace in interleague games. They have exceeded their season average of 3.7 runs per game by averaging 5.2 in those contests. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.00 ERA on the road. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Rays are the best in the AL with an average of 7.7 hits allowed per game. The Rays have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.5 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Nationals have a 24-27 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Andriese takes the mound. Zimmermann (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rays, who have a 22-21 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WSH, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Washington is 18-14, while Tampa Bay is 13-12.
The Nationals are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Rays have a 13-17 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Nationals are 6-29. The Rays have a 7-21 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 15th in home runs, Tampa Bay has hit 58 this season. Washington ranks seventh with 71 home runs.
Ranking 12th, Tampa Bay is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.00 per game. Washington ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 8.45.
Ranking 22nd, Tampa Bay is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.687). Washington ranks in the top 10 at sixth with an OPS of .732.
The Rays are 15-22 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Nationals are 10-17 when they allow at least one homer.
