The Washington Nationals (19-18) travel to face off against the Boston Red Sox (19-19) on Saturday, May 11th. This game will be played at Fenway Park in Boston and televised on MASN. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Red Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nationals. First pitch is set for 4:10 ET.
Nationals vs Red Sox
Washington cruised to a 5-1 win over the Red Sox in the most recent game of this series. The Nationals had a two-run lead after the 2nd inning and added three more runs in the 9th. As for the Red Sox, they scored their only run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Nationals were at +177 on the money line.
Eddie Rosario and Victor Robles each had two hits and an RBI for the Nationals. Trey Lipscomb also had a two-hit game and scored a run. As for the Red Sox, Connor Wong went 2/4 with an RBI.
Patrick Corbin only went five innings for the Nationals but gave up just one run and got the win. Tanner Houck struggled on the mound for the Red Sox, giving up three earned runs in seven innings of work.
Washington is 19-18 overall this season and trails the Phillies by seven games for the NL East lead. So far, they have gone 5-2 in divisional games. The Nationals are on the road today, and they are 12-8 as the road team compared to 7-10 at home.
The Nationals have been good as the underdog this year, going 17-17, which includes an 11-8 mark as the road underdog. They have also been good in the favorite role, putting up a record of 2-1. Washington’s overall series record is 5-6-1, and they are currently up 1-0 in the series vs. the Red Sox.
Washington has been a strong play on the run line this season, going 24-13 overall. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 15-5. The Nationals have been an underdog in 34 of their 36 games, and they have covered the run line in 22 of those contests. Their average run margin in wins is +3.2, while their average run margin in losses is -3.6.
The Washington Nationals have had 10 games this season with over/under lines higher than 8.5 runs, and the over/under record in those games is 7-3. The combined run average in those games is 8.5 runs, and the Nationals have hit the over in seven of them. Overall, the Nationals’ over/under record for the season is 17-19.
Jake Irvin Gets The Start For The Nationals
Jake Irvin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. So far this season, he has made seven starts and has a record of 2-3. Irvin’s ERA is 3.72, along with a WHIP of 1.19. In his 38 2/3 innings of work, he has turned in three quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Irvin took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. The right-hander has been much better on the road, coming in with a 2.48 ERA compared to 5.86 at home.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game this season, which is 18th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .232 and are 16th in home runs. However, they do come into the game with a collective batting average that is 17th in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the Nationals’ top two home run hitters this season, with seven and three home runs, respectively. Garcia Jr. is also batting .318 for the season and has gone 11/28 over his last eight games. Eddie Rosario has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/23 in his last eight games with two homers.
Boston is at an even 19-19 overall heading into today’s game vs. the Nationals. The Red Sox are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, and they are 6.5 games behind the Orioles for the AL East lead. So far, they are 0-3 in the division.
At home, the Red Sox are 7-10 this year and 12-9 on the road. As the favorite, the Red Sox are 9-6 this year, and they are 10-13 as the underdog. Looking at their overall series record, the Red Sox are 6-5-1 but have lost two straight series.
When it comes to betting the run line, the Red Sox have been a much better option on the road this season, going 13-8 compared to just 6-11 at home. They have covered the run line in two straight games at Fenway Park, but overall are just 5-10 against the run line as the favorite this season.
When the Red Sox take the field at Fenway Park against the Nationals, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Boston’s games have averaged 7.9 runs per contest, and their over/under record for the season is 14-21. So far this season, 44.7% of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s, and they’ve gone 7-6 in games with an 8.5 run line. Over their last three games, the under has cashed each time.
Cooper Criswell Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Cooper Criswell is getting the start for the Red Sox at home vs. the Nationals. He has started 3 games this year, and has a 1-0 record. In his last outing, he went 4 1/3 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 5 hits. He has 12 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings this season.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per game. As a team, the Red Sox are batting .245, which is 9th in the league, and they have the 9th ranked on-base percentage in the league. One thing to keep an eye on is their team strikeout numbers, as they are currently 27th in the league in this category.
Ceddanne Rafaela has been on a tear of late, going 10/36 in his last 10 games with a home run and three RBIs. He is also on an eight-game hitting streak. Jarren Duran has also been swinging a hot bat, going 12/40 in his last 10 games. For the season, Rafaela has 20 RBIs, which is 14th in the league, and Duran is 2nd on the team with 15 RBIs.
Nationals vs Red Sox Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Nationals vs. Red Sox matchup is to take the Red Sox on the money line at -157. We actually have the Red Sox winning this one by a score of 5-4, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Cooper Criswell of the Red Sox is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is the same as Jake Irvin. However, Criswell is projected to finish with fewer earned runs, and we also have the Red Sox finishing with a better record than the Nationals.
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:May 11, 2024 Nationals, Red Sox