The Kansas City Royals (83-74) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (69-88) on Wednesday, September 25th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on MASN. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 5:45 CT.
Royals vs. Nationals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Royals (-121)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Royals have won 4 out of their last 5 road games.
- In their last 15 games, the Royals have scored 5 or more runs in 7 games.
- The Royals have a recent win against the Nationals, scoring 5 runs on September 24th.
- Over the last 15 games, the Royals have a record of 6-9, while the Nationals have a record of 3-12.
- The Royals have a better overall away record (38-38) compared to the Nationals’ home record (36-40).
Royals vs Nationals
Thanks to a late rally in the 10th inning, the Royals picked up a 1-0 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -199 on the money line.
Kansas City got to Nationals starter Mitchell Parker, who gave up five hits and six earned runs in just five innings of work. As for the Royals, Cole Ragans put together a good outing, going six innings and striking out six without giving up a run.
The only run of the game came on a Bobby Witt Jr. RBI single in the 10th. Witt finished the game 2/4 with a stolen base.
After losing seven of their last ten games, the Royals are now 7.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central with an 83-74 record. They have a 33-19 record in divisional games this season. The Royals are looking to avoid a third straight series loss heading into today’s game against the Nationals.
For the season, the Royals have an over/under record of 16-17-3 when the total is set at 8 runs. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game, and 59.2% of their games have had over/under lines above 8 runs. The under has hit in their last two games, and they have an overall series record of 22-26-2 for the season.
Michael Lorenzen Gets The Start For The Royals
Kansas City is sending Michael Lorenzen to the mound today vs. the Nationals. He has made 23 starts this year and has a record of 7-6 with an ERA of 3.43. So far, Lorenzen has turned in nine quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he went just 1 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a run. In that outing, he gave up one hit and one walk. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Opponents are batting .217 off Lorenzen this year, and his WHIP is 1.25.
Royals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Royals have been one of the better offensive teams in the league, averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 4.8 runs per game. Overall, they are 7th in batting average and have the 12th best slugging percentage in the league. The Royals have been tough to strike out, but they don’t walk much as a team.
One of the reasons the Royals offense has been so good this season is the play of Bobby Witt Jr., who is batting .335 for the season and has gone 13/35 in his last 10 games. During this stretch, he has two homers and nine RBIs. Witt Jr. is also on a five-game hitting streak. Salvador Perez has also been a big power threat for the Royals, as he is 2nd on the team with 27 homers and has 103 RBIs.
Washington is 3-7 in their last ten games and have lost two straight. They are 23-26 against other NL East teams and trail the Phillies by 23.5 games in the division. The Nationals are 4th in the NL East with a 69-88 overall record.
For the season, the Nationals have an over/under record of 73-78, with their games averaging 8.8 runs per game. Their run line record is 87-70, and they are 41-35 against the run line at home. Washington’s series record is 19-25-6, and they have lost two straight series.
DJ Herz Gets The Start For The Nationals
Washington is sending DJ Herz to the mound today vs. the Royals, and he is coming off a rough outing vs. the Mets. In that start, he took the loss, giving up seven earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. Herz has a record of 4-8 this season and an ERA of 4.30. Opponents are batting .221 off the right-hander this season. Herz has made 18 starts, and his WHIP for the season is 1.27. Per nine innings, he is averaging 11.08 strikeouts and 3.55 walks.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are 25th in runs per game at 4.1. The Nationals have also struggled in the power department, as they are 23rd in home runs and have a collective isolated power mark of just .132. However, they do have two hitters with over 20 homers, with CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. leading the team in RBIs, with 65 apiece.
Luis Garcia Jr. comes into the game with a batting average of .280 and is on a 3 game hitting streak. Over his last five games, Joey Gallo has gone 4/12 with two homers and six RBIs. Jose Tena has also been swinging a hot bat, going 7/20 in his last five games.
Royals vs Nationals Prediction
The best way to play this Royals vs. Nationals matchup is to take the Royals on the money line, with the payout sitting at -121. We have the Royals winning this one by a score of 6-4, which means there is also some value on the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Michael Lorenzen has the second-best chances of picking up a win today, and he also has the highest projected innings pitched among all starters. As for Nationals starter DJ Herz, he has the third-best chances of getting a win but is projected to go just six innings, with six strikeouts.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 25, 2024 Nationals, Royals