The Seattle Mariners (27-24) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (21-27) on Friday, May 24th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on RSNW. Both the Mariners and Nationals are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:45 ET.
Mariners vs Nationals
The Mariners will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Yankees with a 5-0 loss. Seattle was the +130 underdog on the road going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Mariners, as they got out of the 1st inning without giving up a run. However, the Yankees scored a run in the 2nd and added another in the 3rd to take the lead. New York’s offense scored three more times in the 7th to put things out of reach. Seattle’s offense only had three fewer hits than the Yankees but didn’t score a run.
Luis Castillo got the start for the Mariners and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits. Seattle’s offense also issued three walks and struck out 12 times. Kyle Seager had a good day at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a double.
Seattle is on the road today to take on the Nationals, and they are looking to bounce back, having dropped two straight games. Currently, the Mariners lead the AL West with a record of 27-24, which includes an AL West division record of 6-3. Seattle’s overall lead in the division is three games over the Rangers.
The Mariners have been good at home this year, going 15-10, but they are just below .500 at 12-14 on the road. As the road favorite, the Mariners are 4-3 this year, and they are 15-11 as the favorite overall. Seattle’s series record is 8-6-2 this year, and they split their most recent series vs. the Yankees.
Seattle has been a tough team to gauge on the run line this season, as they have an overall run line record of 25-26. They have been slightly better at home, going 13-12, compared to 12-14 on the road. Their average run margin for the season is -0.1, with a -0.5 run differential on the road and a +0.4 run differential at home. In their wins, they have an average run margin of +3.1, while in their losses, they have an average run margin of -3.7. They have failed to cover the run line in their last two road games.
Seattle Mariners games have gone over the total in 20 of 48 games this season, and their games have averaged 7.6 runs per game. When the O/U line is set at 7.5 runs, the over has gone 6-9. So far this season, 47.1% of their games have had higher O/U lines than 7.5 runs, while 23.5% have had lower lines.
George Kirby Gets The Start For The Mariners
Seattle is sending right-hander George Kirby to the mound today vs. the Nationals. He has made 10 starts this season and has a record of 4-4 with a 3.99 ERA. Kirby’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.01, and he has turned in five quality starts. In his most recent outing, Kirby took the loss, giving up five earned runs in six innings of work vs. the Orioles. Before that, he had won two straight starts. At home, Kirby is 4-1 with a 4.53 ERA compared to 0-3 with a 5.49 ERA on the road.
Mariners Offense Breakdown
Cal Raleigh has been the Mariners’ top power threat this season, as his 11 homers are 6th in the league and the most on the team. However, he has struggled at the plate of late, going just 3/18 in his last five games. Dylan Moore has also been a good power source for Seattle, as he has six homers this season and is also batting .248.
As a team, the Mariners are averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. They are also the worst team in the league in terms of strikeouts. Currently, they are the 8th ranked home run hitting team in the league and are batting just .226.
The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Twins with a 3-2 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 9th inning before the Twins scored one run in the top of the 9th. Washington was the +108 underdog at home going into the game.
Jake Irvin put together a good start for the Nationals, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up just two earned runs, and striking out six. However, the Nationals couldn’t close things out, and Irvin took the loss. Washington’s offense was carried by Joey Meneses, who went 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Washington is 21-27 overall and trails the Phillies by 14.5 games in the NL East. The Nationals lost the final two games of their series vs. the Twins and are just 5-5 in the division. Over the last ten games, the Nationals are 2-8.
At home, the Nationals are 8-12 this year and 13-15 on the road. As the underdog, the Nationals are 18-25 this year and 3-2 when favored. Washington’s overall series record is 5-10-1, and they have dropped four straight series.
Washington is 29-19 against the run line this season. They are 11-9 at home and 18-10 on the road. They are 3-2 against the run line as the favorite and 26-17 as the underdog. Their average run differential is -0.4 runs per game, with an average run differential of -0.6 at home and -0.3 on the road. Their average run differential in wins is +3.4 runs per game and -3.4 runs per game in losses. They have covered the run line in their last two games.
The Nationals have been involved in high-scoring games this season, with a combined run average of 8.4 runs per game. Their over/under record is 21-25, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the line is set at 7.5 runs, their record is 6-5, and 72.9% of their games have had higher lines than 7.5 runs.
MacKenzie Gore Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces off against the Mariners at home. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 2-4 with an ERA of 3.30. Gore’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.38. In his 46 1/3 innings of work, he has allowed four home runs and is averaging 10.49 strikeouts per nine innings. Gore’s most recent outing came against the Phillies, where he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight outings.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are just 23rd in runs per game and are also near the bottom of the league in home runs, batting average, and slugging percentage. The Nationals do have a few hitters who have put up good power numbers, as CJ Abrams and Jesse Winker are both in the top 12 in the league in home runs. However, Winker is batting just .226 for the season, and Abrams is hitting .257.
Joey Meneses comes into the game with the Nationals’ top batting average at .234, and he also leads the team with 24 RBIs. He has gone deep just two times this season. Meneses is currently on a four-game hitting streak. Jesse Winker has also gone deep two times in his last five games, going 4/16 over that stretch.
Mariners vs Nationals Prediction
The best way to play this Mariners vs. Nationals matchup is to take the Nationals on the money line, where they are currently sitting at +125. We actually have the Nationals winning this one by a score of 5-4, giving you some room to take them on the money line or to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we actually have McKenzie Gore finishing with more strikeouts than George Kirby, with Gore finishing with six and Kirby with five. Offensively, the Mariners are projected to finish with nine strikeouts compared to the Nationals with seven.
Looking at the Mariners lineup, they are projected to finish with just eight hits, which is the fifth-worst in the league today. As for the Nationals, they are projected to finish with nine hits, and their home run projection is the second-lowest in the league.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 24, 2024 Mariners, Nationals