The Washington Nationals (19-20) travel to face off against the Chicago White Sox (12-29) on Monday, May 13th. This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago and televised on MASN. Both the Nationals and White Sox are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.
Nationals vs White Sox
The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Red Sox with a 3-2 loss. This was Washington’s third straight loss, and they were the +117 underdog on the road. MacKenzie Gore put together a good start for the Nationals, going six innings and giving up just two runs on six hits. He also issued only two walks and struck out nine Red Sox batters.
Washington’s offense scored their only two runs in the 4th inning. Eddie Rosario hit a homer, and the Nationals added another run on a double by CJ Abrams. Rosario went only 1/2 but scored both of the team’s runs. The Nationals also wasted a good game from Abrams, who went 2/4 with a double.
Washington is 19-20 overall, and they are 8.0 games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. The Nationals are on a two-game losing streak, dropping the final two games of their series vs. the Red Sox. So far, they have been very good against other NL East teams, going 5-2.
At home, the Nationals are just 7-10 this year, but they have gone 12-10 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 17-19 this year, and they are 2-1 when favored. The Nationals’ overall series record is 5-7-1 heading into today’s game.
Washington is a team that has been a good bet against the run line this season, as they are 25-14 overall. They have been particularly strong on the road, where they are 16-6 against the run line. Their average run margin on the road is +0.2, compared to -0.6 at home. They have been a good bet as an underdog, going 23-13 against the run line in those games.
Washington’s over/under record for the season is 17-21, and the average over/under line for their games is 9 runs. However, the over/under line for today’s game against the White Sox is set at 8.5 runs. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the Nationals have gone 7-9 on the over/under line. Their combined run average for the season is 8.4 runs per game.
Trevor Williams Gets The Start For The Nationals
The Nationals are sending right-hander Trevor Williams to the mound today vs. the White Sox. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 4-0 with an ERA of 1.96. Williams has made just one quality start this year, and his ERA for the season is 1.96. In his last outing, he went five innings and didn’t give up a run, picking up the win. Williams has won each of his last two outings. So far, he has not allowed a home run on the road.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Nationals offense is averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road (4.2 RPG) than at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, they are batting .228 and have the league’s 17th ranked home run total. Washington’s offense has been good at avoiding strikeouts, as they have the 8th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Washington’s top two home run hitters are CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr., who have 7 and 3 homers, respectively. Abrams and Garcia Jr. are also the team’s top two hitters in terms of RBIs. Eddie Rosario has really struggled this season, batting just .174, but he has gone 9/19 with four homers over his last six games. Rosario also comes into the game on a seven-game hitting streak.
Heading into their last game vs. the Guardians, the White Sox closed out the series with a 7-0 loss. Chicago was the +145 underdog at home going into this matchup. Things really got away from the White Sox in the 4th inning, as the Guardians scored three runs in the inning. Chicago’s offense didn’t score a run, and their only bright spot was Zach Remillard going 2/2.
Michael Soroka got the start for the White Sox and took the loss. He only lasted 5 1/3 innings, giving up four earned runs. Offensively, the White Sox had six hits but didnjson’t score a run. Soroka also had a rough day at the plate, going 0/3 with a run scored.
Chicago is hosting the Nationals today with an overall record of 12-29, which puts them 5th in the AL Central. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 5-19. Chicago is 13 games behind the Guardians for the division lead.
At home, the White Sox are 8-13 compared to 4-16 on the road. So far, they have been much better at home as the underdog, going 7-13. Their overall record as the underdog is 11-29, and they are 1-0 as the favorite this year. Chicago’s series record is 3-9-1 this year but did win their most recent series vs. the Guardians.
When the White Sox win, they win big, with an average run margin of 2.2 runs per game. That’s why they have a run line record of 20-21 on the season. They have been a good bet at home, going 13-8 against the run line, while they are just 7-13 on the road.
Chicago White Sox games have gone under the total in their last two games, and their games have gone under the total in 51.2% of their games this season. The White Sox have had 22.0% of their games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, and their games have gone over the total in 5 of 11 games with that line. The White Sox have a combined run average of 8.0 runs per game this season.
Chris Flexen Gets The Start For The White Sox
Chris Flexen will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in six innings of work. In that outing, which came against the Rays, he finished with a record of 1-0. Looking at his overall numbers, Flexen has made six starts and two of them have been quality starts. His ERA for the season is 4.29, along with a record of 2-3. Flexen’s WHIP for the season is 1.21, and opponents are batting .224 off the right-hander this year. For the season, Flexen has allowed five homers and is averaging 6.31 strikeouts per nine innings.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been the worst in the league so far, averaging just 2.9 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, including team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. The White Sox have also been one of the league’s worst home run hitting teams, coming in 20th in the league.
Paul DeJong has been the team’s top power threat so far, as his six homers are 8th in the league. He is also 2nd on the team with 12 RBIs and comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak. DeJong has gone 11/35 in his last 10 games. Eloy Jiménez and Korey Lee are also tied for 2nd on the team with four homers apiece, but Jiménez is batting just .208, and Lee is hitting .284.
Nationals vs White Sox Prediction
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. White Sox matchup is to take the Nationals on the money line at -128. We have the Nationals winning this one by a score of 5-4. If you’re looking for a parlay, we also like the over/under line, with the line sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Trevor Williams finishing with a higher strikeout total than Chris Flexen. However, Flexen has a better chance of picking up the win, as he ranks 8th compared to Williams at 19th.
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 13, 2024 Nationals, White Sox