The Washington Nationals (23-28) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (30-20) on Monday, May 27th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on MASN. The Braves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Mariners. First pitch is set for 4:10 ET.
Nationals vs Braves
The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Mariners with a 9-5 loss. Washington was the +150 underdog at home going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Nationals, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Mariners scored three times in the top of the 2nd.
Washington started Patrick Corbin, and he took the loss, going six innings and giving up three earned runs on four hits. The Nationals’s offense scored their other four runs in the 5th inning but couldn’t add on after that. CJ Abrams went 1/4 with a homer and three RBIs.
Washington is 23-28 overall and trails the Phillies in the NL East by 13.5 games. So far, they are 5-5 in divisional games and have dropped five straight games on the road. At home, the Nationals are 10-13 this year.
As the road underdog, the Nationals have gone 11-14 this year compared to 3-2 as the favorite. Washington’s overall series record is 6-10-1, and they are just 3-7 in their last 10 games overall.
Washington is 31-20 vs. the run line this season, including 18-10 on the road. The Nationals have been the underdog in 46 of their 49 games, going 28-18 vs. the run line in those contests. Washington’s average run margin in winning games is +3.4, while it’s -3.5 in losses.
The Nationals have an over/under record of 22-27, with a combined run average of 8.4 runs per game. Their games have averaged an over/under line of 8 runs per game, and when the line is set at 9 runs, they have gone 1-3. Only 17.6% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher.
Mitchell Parker Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander Mitchell Parker gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Braves on the road. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Parker has a WHIP of 1.16 and has issued just 1.89 walks per nine innings. In his last outing, Parker picked up the win, going six innings and giving up three earned runs on seven hits. Before that, he had taken the loss in two straight outings. Parker has made two quality starts this year.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Nationals offense is averaging 4 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been even worse in terms of power, as their 45 home runs is 17th in the MLB. Overall, they are batting just .226 and have the 8th most strikeouts in the league. Washington’s team OPS of .657 is also one of the worst marks in the league.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been the Nationals’ top run producer this season, as he is batting .273 with 26 RBIs. He also has five homers, which is 4th in the league. However, he has gone just 4/19 in his last five games. CJ Abrams is also looking to get back on track, as he is just 3/19 in his last five games after batting .256 for the season.
Matt Olson had a big game at the plate for the Braves in their most recent game vs. the Pirates, going 3/5 with a homer and three RBIs. The Braves really broke things open with a four-run 8th inning and added another two runs in the 9th to close things out. Atlanta was the -243 favorite on the money line going into the game.
Chris Sale started for the Braves, going seven innings and giving up just one run on four hits. He only had one strikeout in the outing and got the win.
With a record of 30-20, the Braves are six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. Atlanta will open their series vs. the Nationals, who are 13.5 games behind the Phillies and trail the Braves by 6.5 games. The Braves have gone 10-5 in divisional games this year.
At home, the Braves are 16-8 this year compared to 14-12 on the road. So far, they have really taken care of business as the favorite, going 29-17. As for their record as the home favorite, they are also 16-8. Atlanta’s overall series record is 11-5-1 this year, and they are coming off losing their series to the Pirates.
When the Braves win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.8 runs per game. They have a run line record of 26-24, but have been better on the road, where they are 15-11 against the run line. As the favorite, they are 23-23 against the run line, but as the underdog, they are 3-1.
When the Braves play at home, the over/under line is set at 9 runs. Their games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 17-31. When the line is set at 9 runs, their over/under record is 4-7-1. So far this season, 22.0% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs, while 54.0% have had lines set below that number.
Charlie Morton Gets The Start For The Braves
Charlie Morton gets the start for the Braves today and comes into the game with a record of 3-1 and ERA of 3.35. So far, he has made four quality starts and is averaging 9.18 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Morton finished with a no-decision, going five innings and giving up one earned run on four hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins was a complete game. Opponents are batting .213 off Morton this year. At home, his ERA is 4.59.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been the Braves’ most consistent hitter this season, batting .311 with a team-high 15 home runs and 47 RBIs, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. Matt Olson is 2nd on the team in RBIs, but he is hitting just .230 for the season. Olson has also gone deep eight times.
Over his last six games, Adam Duvall has two homers but is just 3/14. Matt Olson has also gone deep twice in this stretch, but he is batting just .231. Michael Harris II has gone 8/25 in his last six games and is also on a three-game hitting streak.
Nationals vs Braves Prediction
For this Nationals vs. Braves matchup, we are actually predicting the Braves to come away with a 6-4 win. However, with the payout on a Braves win being -201, we are actually recommending taking the over, as we have the over/under line at 9 runs, and you can get the over at -103.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Charlie Morton finishing with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best among all starters today. As for Mitchell Parker, we have him finishing with six strikeouts, which is seventh among all starters.
Offensively, we actually have the Braves finishing with the second-most home runs today, while the Nationals are in the middle of the pack in terms of projected home runs.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 27, 2024 Braves, Nationals