The Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays meet Saturday in MLB action from Nationals Park. Here’s a Nationals vs Rays prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Washington vs Tampa Bay pick.
Strong Pitching for the Rays
It was strong pitching for the Rays that was the difference on Friday as they were able to knock off the Nationals. They actually gave up 12 hits, but they worked around them, and were able to secure the 4-1 win. Adrian Houser got the start, and he went four innings giving up six hits and one run. He had four strikeouts and three walks. Brian Van Belle went two innings giving up two hits and zero runs. Brandon Lowe was the top player, hitting a home run and driving in two RBIs. The Rays had lost two games in a row against the Cleveland Guardians heading into the game, so it was key for them to get the season back on the right track.
Ryan Pepiot is getting the start for the Rays, and he sits with a 9-10 record and an ERA of 3.82. In his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals, he went five innings giving up one hit and zero runs. Two starts against the San Francisco Giants, he went 5.2 innings giving up six hits and four runs.
Why the Rays Will Beat the Nationals
- The Nationals have lost each of their last six games.
- The Rays have won each of their last four games at Nationals Park.
- The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in 14 of their last 15 games at Nationals Park against teams that held a losing record.
- The Rays have covered the run line each of their last four games at Nationals Park against teams that held a losing record.
- The Rays have won the first inning in three of their last four games at Nationals Park against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
- The Rays have led after 5 innings in five of their last six games.
- The Rays have led after 3 innings in four of their last five games against the Nationals.
Nationals Need to Hit with Runners in Scoring Position
The Nationals really need to start hitting with runners in scoring position, because there was really no reason for them to lose on Friday night. The Nationals scored in the first inning but the next eight innings, they couldn’t get another one to cross the plate. Mitchell Parker was on the mound for Washington and he went 6.1 innings giving up six hits and three runs. The bullpen didn’t do too bad, it was just the lack of offense that ended up leading to the loss. The Naitonals have lost six games in a row.
Getting the start for Washington in this game is going to be Jake Irvin, who sits with an 8-9 record and an ERA of 5.40. He has really struggled, and over his last three starts, he has given up 15 runs total. Against the Phillies on the 24th he went 2.1 innings giving up six hits and three runs.
Why the Nationals Will Beat the Rays
- The Nationals have won three of their last four games as home underdogs after playing the previous day.
- The Rays have lost nine of their last 11 day games after playing the previous day.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games as favorites against NL East opponents following a win.
- The Nationals have covered the run line in six of their last eight games against AL East opponents following a home loss.
Nationals vs Rays Prediction
The Nationals have lost six games in a row, and it’s not going to get any easier in this game. Irvin was better earlier in the season, but as of late, it has gone all downhill. Two starts ago, Irvin gave up eight hits and six runs, and in his last start he gave up six hits and three runs in 2.1 innings. The Rays scored only four runs on Friday, but they will go much higher than that here. The Nationals are going to struggle to hit again in scoring position, and its going to be Rays that will win this game by at least a couple of runs. Back the Rays on the run line to cash.