The Washington Nationals (26-30) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (38-19) on Saturday, June 1st. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on MASN. The Guardians are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Guardians. First pitch is set for 3:10 CT.
Nationals vs Guardians
Cleveland cruised to a 7-1 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a huge 3rd inning, scoring all seven of their runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their only run in the 7th. Heading into the game, the Guardians were favored at -241 on the money line.
Tanner Bibee pitched well for the Guardians in this one, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with seven strikeouts but issued one walk. On the other side, Patrick Corbin got the start for the Nationals, going six innings and giving up two earned runs.
At the plate, the Guardians were led by David Fry and Steven Kwan, as they were the only two hitters in the lineup to have more than one hit. Fry also hit the game’s only home run. For the Nationals, Luis Garcia Jr. went 3/4 with an RBI.
Washington is 26-30 overall and trails the Phillies by 13 games in the NL East. So far, they have gone 8-6 in divisional games. The Nationals are on the road today, and they are 16-17 on the road compared to 10-13 at home.
As the road underdog, the Nationals have gone 14-16 this year, and they are 23-28 when playing as the underdog overall. Washington’s overall series record is 7-10-1, but they have won two straight series.
Washington is 34-22 against the run line this season, including a 21-12 mark on the road. The Nationals have been a run-line underdog in most games, going 31-20 in that role. Their average run differential in all games is -0.3 runs per game, and they have been outscored by 0.2 runs per game on the road.
The Washington Nationals are on the road against the Cleveland Guardians today, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Nationals and their opponents have combined to average 8.2 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 25-29. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-10. So far this season, 26.8% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs.
Mitchell Parker Gets The Start For The Nationals
Washington is sending left-hander Mitchell Parker to the mound today vs. the Guardians. Parker has made eight starts this season and has a record of 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Parker has a WHIP of 1.10 and has turned in three quality starts. In his most recent outing, Parker picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings vs. the Braves and giving up three earned runs. He has won two straight starts and has not lost on the road since May 14th. Parker’s ERA on the road is 4.12 compared to 2.56 at home.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense is averaging just 4 runs per game this season, which is 24th in the league. They have been even worse in terms of power, as their 47 home runs are also 20th in the MLB. The team’s collective batting average of .231 is 17th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage and slugging.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are both near the top of the Nationals’ home run leaderboard, and they are also the team’s top two hitters in terms of RBIs. However, Abrams is hitting just .182 over his last five games, and Eddie Rosario has been one of the league’s worst hitters this season, with a batting average of just .179.
Cleveland is 38-19 overall and leads the AL Central by four games over the Royals. So far, they have gone 10-5 in divisional matchups. The Guardians have won eight straight home games, and they are 19-6 at home this year.
So far, the Guardians have been good in day games, going 16-4, and they are 19-13 on the road. Cleveland has been really good as the favorite this year, putting up a mark of 26-11. In addition, they are 12-8 as the underdog. Looking at their overall series record, the Guardians are 13-5 and have won eight of their last ten games.
When the Guardians win, they tend to do so by a comfortable margin, as their average run differential in victories is +3.6. They have covered the run line in 33 of their 57 wins, including 15 of 25 at home. They have been a profitable run line bet as an underdog, going 15-5, but have been less successful as a favorite, going 18-19.
The Cleveland Guardians are playing at home against the Washington Nationals today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The Guardians’ games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 29-24. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 5-10. So far this season, 22.8% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, while 50.9% have had lower lines.
Ben Lively Gets The Start For The Guardians
Through eight starts, Ben Lively has a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 2.80. He has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Lively has been especially tough at home, coming in with a record of 2-0 and an ERA of 1.5. In comparison, his ERA on the road is 3.68. Lively’s most recent outing came on May 26th, where he picked up the win after going seven innings, giving up two earned runs, and giving up two homers. He has won each of his last three starts.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Jose Ramirez has been on a tear of late for the Guardians, going 14/38 (.368) over his last 10 games with five homers and 16 RBIs. He is also on a four-game hitting streak. Overall, Ramirez leads the league with 57 RBIs and is 3rd in homers with 16. First baseman Josh Naylor is also a power threat in the lineup, as he is 2nd on the team with 15 homers.
As a team, the Guardians are 3rd in the league in scoring at 5.1 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 8th in homers and have the league’s 11th best batting average. Cleveland comes into the game with a team batting average of .240.
Nationals vs Guardians Prediction
Our predictions for this game have the Guardians picking up a 6-5 win over the Nationals. With the Guardians being the predicted winner, we recommend taking them on the money line, where the payout is -158.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Ben Lively finishing with four strikeouts compared to Mitchell Parker with five. Lively also has a higher projected innings total, and if you’re looking for a starting pitcher to stack in DFS, Lively would be the better option.
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:June 1, 2024 Guardians, Nationals