The Washington Nationals (26-29) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (37-19) on Friday, May 31st. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on MASN. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Guardians are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rockies. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.
Nationals vs Guardians
Washington closed out their series vs. the Braves with a 3-1 win on the road. Heading into the game, the Nationals were the +160 underdog. It was a big 3rd inning for the Nationals, as they scored all three of their runs in the inning. Washington’s offense was carried by Joey Meneses, who went 2/4 with two RBIs.
Trevor Williams started for the Nationals, going 5 2/3 innings, and giving up just one run on four hits. He only had four strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
Washington is 26-29 overall and trails the Phillies by 12 games in the NL East. The Nationals are on a two-game winning streak, and they closed out their series vs. the Braves with three straight wins. So far, they are 8-6 in divisional games.
As for how they have fared on the road, the Nationals are an even 16-16 compared to 10-13 at home. As the road underdog, Washington is 14-15 this season, and they have won two straight as the underdog overall. Their overall series record is 7-10-1, and they have won two straight series.
Washington is 34-21 against the run line this season, including a 21-11 mark on the road. The Nationals have covered the run line in two straight road games and are 31-19 as underdogs. Their average run differential in wins is +3.5, while it’s -3.4 in losses.
Washington is on the road today against Cleveland, and the O/U line is set at 8. The Nationals have a combined run average of 8.2 runs per game, and their O/U record is 24-29. The average O/U line in their games is 8 runs, and when the line is set at 8, their record is 3-4-1. So far this season, 61.8% of their games have had O/U lines set higher than 8 runs.
Patrick Corbin Gets The Start For The Nationals
Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Guardians on the road. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 1-5 with a 6.12 ERA. Corbin’s WHIP for the season is 1.69, and opponents are batting .305 off him this year. Corbin’s last outing came against the Mariners, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Corbin has given up at least two homers in three of his last four outings.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 22nd in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and are batting a collective .233. The team’s collective on-base percentage of .306 is also below the league average.
CJ Abrams is the Nationals’ top home run hitter this season, but he has struggled of late, hitting just .206 over his last eight games. However, he has gone deep twice during this stretch. Joey Meneses and Luis Garcia Jr. are also tied for the team lead in RBIs, with 26. Meneses and Garcia Jr. are batting .245 and .262, respectively, for the season.
The Guardians will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Rockies with a 7-4 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 2nd inning before the Rockies scored six runs in the 2nd. Cleveland was the -150 favorite on the money line going into the game.
Logan Allen had a rough outing, giving up seven earned runs on six hits and issuing two walks. He only lasted json 1 2/3 innings, taking the loss. Offensively, the Guardians scored their four runs on eight hits and didn’t hit a home run.
Cleveland is hosting the Nationals today with an overall record of 37-19, good for 1st place in the AL Central. They lead the Royals by three games heading into today’s game. The Guardians closed out their series vs. the Rockies with a loss, dropping the series 2-1. So far, they have gone 10-5 in divisional games.
At home, the Guardians have been really good this year, going 18-6. They have also been strong on the road, putting together a record of 19-13. Heading into today’s game, the Guardians have won seven straight games at home. They are 16-5 in day games this year.
When the Cleveland Guardians are the underdog, they have been a solid bet on the run line, going 15-5 so far this season. Their average run differential in those games is +1.3 runs per game, which is right in line with their overall run differential of +1.3 runs per game.
Today’s over/under line for the Cleveland Guardians’ game against the Washington Nationals is set at 8 runs. The Guardians’ games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 28-24. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 5-4-1. Half of their games this season have had over/under lines set at over 8 runs.
Tanner Bibee Gets The Start For The Guardians
Cleveland is sending Tanner Bibee to the mound today vs. the Nationals, and he has made 11 starts this season. Bibee’s record is 3-1, and he has an ERA of 3.99 to go along with a WHIP of 1.23. Opposing batters are hitting .238 this season off Bibee, and he has turned in three quality starts. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Before that, he had gone four straight outings without taking the loss. Bibee has finished with a no-decision in three straight starts.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Guardians offense has been one of the league’s best, averaging 5.1 runs per game, which is the 2nd best mark in the MLB. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .239, which is 14th in the league, and are also one of the league’s top power-hitting teams, coming in 5th in the league in isolated power.
Jose Ramirez has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his 16 home runs are the 2nd most in the MLB. He also leads the league with 56 RBIs. Over his last seven games, Ramirez is batting .370 with four homers. Josh Naylor is also near the top of the league in home runs, but he has struggled of late, hitting just .192 over his last six games.
Nationals vs Guardians Prediction
Our prediction for this one is that the Guardians will pick up a 5-4 win over the Nationals. However, with the money line payout for the Guardians sitting at -219, we recommend taking the over, as we have the total score at nine runs and the line is currently sitting at eight.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Tanner Bibee is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is the third-best among starters today. As for Patrick Corbin, he is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, which is the fifth worst among starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 31, 2024 Guardians, Nationals