The Washington Nationals (20-24) travel to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies (33-14) on Sunday, May 19th. This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and televised on MASN. The Phillies are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Phillies. First pitch is set for 1:35 ET.
Nationals vs Phillies
Philadelphia picked up a 4-3 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Phillies had a two-run lead going into the 9th inning, and the Nationals could only muster one run in their half of the 9th. Heading into the game, the Phillies were favored at -171 on the money line.
Washington wasted a good outing from MacKenzie Gore, as he gave up just two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. Kyle Finnegan took the loss. Gregory Soto got the win out of the bullpen for the Phillies as Cristopher Sanchez went seven innings, giving up two earned runs.
Kody Clemens hit the game’s only home run while going 2/2 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Bryson Stott also had a two-hit game for Philadelphia.
Washington is on the road today, looking to pick up a win in game three of their series vs. the Phillies. The Nationals have dropped four straight games, and they are 20-24 overall this season. In the NL East, they trail the Phillies by 11.5 games and are 3rd in the division.
This season, the Nationals have gone 5-4 in divisional games. As the road underdog, the Nationals are 11-13 this season compared to 3-2 as the favorite. Washington has an overall series record of 5-8-1 and have lost two straight series.
Washington is 27-17 against the run line this season, including 18-9 on the road. The Nationals have covered the run line in five of their last six games, and they are 24-15 against the run line as an underdog this season. Washington has an average run margin of -0.3 runs per game this season.
Washington’s over/under record for the season is 18-24, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, their record is 4-5. The Nationals have played 33 games with over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, which accounts for 75% of their games. Their combined run average for the season is 8.1 runs per game.
Trevor Williams Gets The Start For The Nationals
Trevor Williams gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Phillies on the road. So far this season, he has made eight starts and has a record of 4-0 with an ERA of 1.94. Williams has made one quality start this year and is coming off an outing in which he gave up one earned run in five innings of work. In that outing, he gave up four hits, two walks, and one homer. Williams’ ERA on the road is 2.09, and he has a record of 2-0 away from home. At home, his ERA is 1.62.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league so far, coming in at 23rd in runs scored and 20th in home runs. Overall, they are averaging just 3.9 runs per game and are batting a collective .224. One of the few bright spots in their lineup has been CJ Abrams, who is hitting .271 and leads the team with seven home runs. Joey Meneses has driven in the most runs for the Nationals so far, but he is hitting just .219.
Over his last 10 games, Eddie Rosario has hit three home runs and has gone 10/30 (.333). This has brought his season average up to just .178, which is one of the worst marks in the Nationals lineup. Rosario’s five homers are the 2nd most on the team.
With an overall record of 33-14, the Phillies lead the NL East by four games over the Braves. The Phillies have taken the first two games of this series vs. the Nationals, and they have an NL East division record of 10-5 this year. The Phillies have been good both at home (18-8) and on the road (15-6) this season.
Philadelphia has been good as the favorite this year, putting together a mark of 28-11. As for their record as the underdog, the Phillies are 5-3 this year. Heading into today’s game, the Phillies have an overall series record of 9-2-4, and they have won four straight series on the road.
When the Phillies win, they win by an average of 3.7 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.5 runs per game. They are 25-22 against the run line this season. At home, they are 12-14 against the run line, while on the road, they are 13-8. As the favorite, they are 20-19 against the run line, while as the underdog, they are 5-3.
When the Phillies and Nationals met earlier this season, the over/under line was set at 7.5 runs, and the teams combined for seven runs, resulting in a push. The Phillies have played 28 games with over/under lines higher than 7.5 runs, and in those games, the over/under record is 12-16. Overall, the Phillies’ games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 23-21.
Aaron Nola Gets The Start For The Phillies
Right-hander Aaron Nola gets the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Nationals at home. Nola has made nine starts this year and has a record of 5-2 with an ERA of 3.10. Looking at his overall numbers, Nola has a WHIP of 1.09 and has pitched one complete game shutout this year. In his most recent outing, Nola was fantastic, going nine innings and not allowing a run. He gave up just four hits and didn’t issue a walk in the outing. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts.
Phillies Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Phillies are averaging 5.2 runs per game, which is the best mark in the league. They have also been excellent at home, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are 4th in batting average and have the league’s 5th best home run total. The Phillies also do a good job of getting on base, as they have the 3rd most walks in the league.
Over his last nine games, Alec Bohm has gone 11/40 (.275) with three runs scored and five RBIs. Bohm is currently hitting .329 for the season, which is 2nd on the team. Bryce Harper leads the Phillies with 10 homers and is 6th in the league with 33 RBIs. Harper has an on-base percentage of .374 and is batting .263 for the season.
Nationals vs Phillies Prediction
Based on the money line, we would recommend staying away from the Phillies at -242 and instead taking the over at 7.5 runs. Our predicted score is 6-5 in favor of the Phillies, giving us some nice value on the over.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Aaron Nola is predicted to finish with six strikeouts, which is 12th best among starters. As for Trevor Williams, we have him finishing with five K’s, which is 16th best. Williams is also projected to give up fewer runs than Nola.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 19, 2024 Nationals, Phillies