The Major League baseball is back in action on Friday evening as the Atlanta Braves will clash Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. in game one of their three-game series. The Braves will give the nod to and the Nationals will counter with Stephen Strasburg.
Atlanta Braves Form
The Atlanta Braves are one of the teams that needed this break as they were suffering in the period before the all-stars game. Their form has been poor as they lost 8 of their last 11 games. Now, the Braves will aim to get back to winning ways and they will have a chance to achieve that against the Nationals – a team that is also struggling lately. The Braves have averaged 4.96 runs per game and has allowed 4.16 runs per game on the road so far. Anibal Sanchez record against the Nationals stands at 9-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 24 games (23 starts), including 3-1 with a 1.92 ERA in eight starts here at Nationals Park.
The Braves are one of the better offensive teams this season as they are placed on the 7th spot in the league in scoring, putting up 4.85 runs per game, while also being 5th in hitting at .258 and 18th place in homers with a total of 101. On the mound, they have solid this season as they are placed on the 10th spot in the league in ERA at 3.83 while also being 13th place in WHIP at 1.23 and 12th place in K’s with 837.
Washington Nationals Form
The Nationals were not playing well before the break. Moreover, their form has been very poor as they managed only one win in the last 5 games. Also, they have won only 10 of their last 30 games. This team will need to go on a run in order to seal its place in the World Series. They showed some good signs as they beat the Mets in the final game with a score of a 6-1. The Nationals have averaged 4.46 runs per game and have allowed 4.30 runs per game here at home for the year.
Stephen Strasburg record against the Braves stands at 11-10 with a 3.85 ERA in 29 starts.
On the offensive side of the game, the Nationals have been average so far this season as they are placed on the 18th place in the league in scoring, putting up 4.34 runs per game, while also being 19th place in hitting at .244 and 12th spot in homers with 112 so far. On the mound, they have been solid as they are placed on the 13th place in the league in ERA at 3.87, while also being on the 6th spot in WHIP at 1.22 and 7th place in K’s with 865.
This encounter has the potential to be a very interesting game. The Braves will aim to improve their form and on the other side, the Nationals will aim to put their recent struggles behind. However, the Nationals showed some notable improvements in their offensive game and that is why I believe that they will have the upper hand in this game. Go for the Nationals in this one.
My Free Pick & Prediction for Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals 07/20/2018 is: Take the Washington Nationals -175 (money line bet)
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