MLB Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Washington for the second game of their three game series with the Nationals. The Nationals got off to a quick start putting up 3 runs in the 1st inning and held on for a 5-4 win in the first game of the series. The Nationals have struggled against the Pirates over the past couple seasons winning just 3 of the last 9 meetings overall and 2 of the last 6 meetings in Washington.

Head to Head Trends

Nationals are 3-6 in the last 9 meetings overall.
Nationals are 2-4 in the last 6 meetings in Washington.

Washington Nationals (-154)

The Washington Nationals are 1st in the National League East 6 games clear of the 2nd place Atlanta Braves. The Nationals are 14 games over .500 on the season and arguably have the best and most well rounded team in the National League. The Nationals are 4th in the NL in runs scored averaging 4.20 runs per game and they’re second in runs allowed with just 3.45 runs per game. At home those numbers get even better with 4.44 runs per game on offense and 3.32 runs per game on defense. On the hill for the Nationals today is lefty Gio Gonzalez who is 6-9 with a 4.00 ERA on the season. Gonzalez has struggled a bit recently going 0-3 with a 6.91 ERA over his last 3 starts.

Washington Nationals Trends

Nationals are 8-1 in their last 9 Saturday games.
Nationals are 18-8 in Gonzalezs last 26 starts with 5 days of rest.

Pittsburgh Pirates (+144)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 3rd in the National League Central 3.5 games back of the 1st place Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates have one of the best home records in the Majors with 39 win and 24 losses but away from home is a whole different story with just 25 wins and 34 losses. On the road the Pirates average 3.90 runs per game on offense and allow 4.37 runs per game on defense. Starting for the Pirates today is lefty Jeff Locke who is 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 13 starts this season. Locke has also struggled a bit recently with a 5.71 ERA over his last 3 starts but he still had a 2-1 record due to over 7 runs per game of support.

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends

Pirates are 2-6 in Lockes last 8 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Pirates are 2-5 in their last 7 overall.

Conclusion

I am betting my money on the Washington Nationals to keep rolling and beat the Pirates again today. The Nationals are arguably the best team in the National League and they play well at home while the Pirates who are also a pretty good team but they really struggle on the road.

Free Pick: Washington Nationals -154