The Atlanta Braves (91-55), one of the highest-scoring offenses in baseball, are set to host the Washington Nationals (51-95) at Truist Park on Monday for the first of a three-game series. The Nationals are playing their first of six games on the road. They won two out of three in their last series against the Marlins, dropping the finale 3-1 on Sunday at Nationals Park. Alex Call was 1 for 2 with one run. The Braves are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They are coming off a three-game sweep of the Phillies, taking the finale 5-2 on Sunday at Truist Park. Robbie Grossman went 2 for 4 with a home run and a double. He drove in two runs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Braves have won 10 of 13 in the season series between the NL East rivals, although they suffered a 7-3 defeat in their last meeting on July 17 at Nationals Park. Reliever Steve Cishek threw 1.2 scoreless innings to get the win.
ON THE MOUND
Cory Abbott (0-2, 4.37 ERA) is set to get the start for Washington. The righty allowed two runs over three innings in his last start, a 4-3 road defeat against the Orioles on Tuesday. He yielded five hits while striking out three and walking three in the no-decision. Right-hander Kyle Wright (18-5, 3.18 ERA) will toe the rubber for Atlanta. He has made two appearances against the Nationals this season, both as the starter, giving up five runs over 14 innings (2-0, 3.21) with nine strikeouts and three walks. In his last start on Tuesday, Wright got the win on the road against the Giants. He threw 5.1 innings and gave up one run on three hits, striking out four and walking three in the 5-1 victory. The RHP is tied for the league lead in wins.
AT THE PLATE
The Washington offense is averaging 3.8 runs per game for the season, third lowest in the National League, with a slash line of .251/.315/.383. Lane Thomas leads the team in OPS at .731. The center fielder is slashing .252/.306/.425 with 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 55 runs over 130 games. Against righties like Wright this season, the Nats have a .706 OPS. Cesar Hernandez is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a .605 OPS in 356 at-bats. Atlanta is slashing .253/.317/.443 for the season and averaging 4.9 runs per game, third best in MLB. Austin Riley leads the team with a .895 OPS. The third baseman has 36 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 83 runs scored with a slash line of .278/.349/.546. The Braves have a .752 OPS against right-handers in 2022, fourth highest in MLB. With a .813 OPS over 426 at-bats, Riley also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Washington is on a three-game losing streak away from Nationals Park, bringing their record to 27-45 in 2022. The Nats have scored 4.0 runs per game away from home, while allowing 5.3 runs. Atlanta has won eight in a row at home. The Braves are 50-25 at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game while surrendering 3.6. Atlanta is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings at Truist Park with an average scoreline of 6.1-4.5.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 40 games behind the division-leading Mets. The Braves are second in the NL East, one games behind the Mets. They currently occupy one of the Wild Card spots, sitting first with a magic number of seven.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Atlanta Braves (-350)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
