The MLB brings more excitement on Monday night as the San Diego Padres will clash with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. in game one of their three-game series. The Pitching choice for the Padres is Robbie Erlin and the Nationals will give the nod to the experienced pitcher Gio Gonzalez.
San Diego Padres Form
The San Diego Padres have been one of the worst teams in the league at the start of the season. However, it seems that they turned the tide in the recent games as they were able to win three games in a row against the Pirates. They have also improved their offensive stats as they did an average 5.25 runs per hour in their four-game set against Pittsburgh. They will aim to keep this winning momentum but it will not be easy against a better equipped Nationals team. The Padres have averaged 3.83 runs per game and have allowed 4.17 runs per game and these stats represent a solid improvement from the bad start of the season. Robbie Erlin will be the starter for the Padres and his stats against the Nationals are 0-2 with a 16.39 ERA in a total of two away starts.
On the offensive side of the game, the Padres overall stats are still poor as they are placed on the 28th spot in the league in scoring, putting up an average of 3.85 runs per game, while also being 28th in hitting at .229 and on the 27th spot in homers with a total of 41 so far. On the mound, they have some average stats as they are placed on the 15th spot in the league in ERA at 4.10, while also holding the 22nd place in WHIP at 1.38 and 7th in K’s with 426.
Washington Nationals Form
The Washington Nationals have been in a solid form lately. However, they had an extensive break as the had one game postponed because of rain combined with a couple of days off. Although a prolonged rest can be always positive, that was not the case as the Nationals lost the two-weekend games against the Dodgers. It seems that their offensive form is a bit down and they will need to improve their scoring abilities in order to get back on track. The Nationals have averaged 3.87 runs per game and have conceded an average of 3.48 runs per game here at home this season. Gio Gonzalez will get the nod in this game. His record against the Padres stands at 3-2 with a 3.21 ERA in seven games. Gonzalez has gone 39-25 with a 3.13 ERA in 93 career starts at the Nationals Park.On the offensive side of the game, the Nats have been in a below average form this season so far as they are placed on the 17
On the offensive side of the game, the Nats have been in a below average form this season so far as they are placed on the 17th spot in the league in scoring, putting up 4.33 runs per game, while also being placed on the 24th spot in hitting at .234 and on the 11th spot in homers with a total of 56. On the mound, the Nationals have been a solid team as they are placed on the 6th spot in the league in ERA at 3.52, while also being the 2nd best team in WHIP at 1.14 and the 3rd best team in K’s with 461.
The Major League Baseball is a great league in which every team has a chance. Not many people saw that the Padres will win three games in a row against the Pirates. On the other side, almost nobody expected that the Nationals will lose four games in a row against the Dodgers. The Padres gained momentum in the last few games and while that is a remarkable turnaround for them, I expect that the Nationals to bounce back in this game. Washington is the better team overall and playing in front of their home fans will give them even more motive to win this game. Go for the Nats in this one.
My Free Pick & Prediction for San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals on 5/21/2018 is: Take the Washington Nationals -160 (money line bet)
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