At 7:20 PM ET, the Nationals and Braves face off in an NL East matchup. This one is taking place at Truist Park in Atlanta, and the Braves are the heavy favorite on the money line, with odds of -274. The Nationals have won two straight and their record is 58-70, putting them 4th in the NL East.
Friday’s over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and the game can be seen on MASN. Chris Sale is the Braves’ starter, while the Nationals are going with MacKenzie Gore.
Nationals Struggle to Gain Ground in NL East as Gore Looks to Bounce Back
The Washington Nationals are 58-70 overall and 4th in the NL East, 16.5 games behind the Phillies. They are 17-18 in divisional games this year. Washington is 30-33 at home and 28-37 on the road. As the underdog, they are 46-59, compared to 12-11 as the favorite. Their over/under record is 64-59, and they are 16-21-3 in series matchups. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games. Washington’s games have averaged nine runs per game this season, but today’s over/under line of 7.5 runs is the lowest of the year for the Nationals.
MacKenzie Gore is 7-11 with a 4.66 ERA and has a .272 batting average against. He has five quality starts in 25 outings and is averaging 9.74 strikeouts per nine innings. Gore most recently faced the Phillies on August 17th, and he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Washington’s offense is 17th in runs per game at 4.3, and their 106 homers are 24th. Luis García Jr. leads the team with 63 RBIs and is 2nd in homers with 15. CJ Abrams leads the team with 18 homers. José Tena has a 6-game hitting streak, and Alex Call is on a 5-game streak.
Chris Sale Takes the Mound: Braves Look to Extend Winning Streak Against Nationals
Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves today and comes in with a record of 14-3 and an ERA of 2.62. He has made 23 starts this year and has turned in 13 quality starts. Sale’s ERA at home is 3.44, and he has yet to lose at home, coming in with a record of 8-0. In his last outing, Sale went six innings, giving up two earned runs, and got the win. Before that, he had three straight no-decisions. Sale has allowed a total of eight home runs this year. His WHIP for the season is .99.
With an overall record of 68-59, the Braves are six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. Atlanta will host the Nationals today, and they are 20-17 in divisional games this year. The Braves took two of three in their most recent series vs. the Phillies. At home, the Braves are 34-27 this year and 34-32 on the road. They have won three straight games as the favorite, and they are 58-46 when favored this year. As for their record as the underdog, the Braves are 10-13 this year. Atlanta’s overall series record is 22-14-5, and they have won three straight series overall and two straight series on the road.
Nationals Edge Braves in Predicted 5-4 Thriller; Sale Dominates in Strikeouts
Our predicted score for this game is 5-4 in favor of the Nationals, giving us a great payout with them on the money line at +222. Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Chris Sale finishing with more strikeouts than McKenzie Gore, but Sale’s Braves lineup is projected to finish with the second-fewest runs in the league today.
If you’re looking for a potential parlay, you could look to pair the Nationals with Sale to finish with the most strikeouts. Sale is projected to finish with seven K’s, and McKenzie Gore is projected to finish with six.
