Free MLB Picks Today: Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals 9/20/22

The Washington Nationals (51-96) are on the road to face the Atlanta Braves (92-55) at Truist Park on Tuesday. The Braves took Monday’s series opener 5-2, their fourth straight victory overall and 11th in 14 games against the Nationals this season. Kyle Wright went six innings for the win, allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out seven, and Kenley Jansen picked up his 35th save with a scoreless ninth. Eddie Rosario went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the win. Austin Riley added a home run and two runs. Ildemaro Vargas was 2 for 4 with a double and one run for the Nationals.

ON THE MOUND

Patrick Corbin (6-18, 6.11 ERA) is slated for the start for Washington. The southpaw allowed one run over six innings in his last start, a 6-2 road defeat against the Orioles on Wednesday. He scattered four hits while striking out four in the no-decision. Over three previous starts against the Braves this season, Corbin has allowed 15 earned runs over 13.2 innings (0-3, 9.88). He has struck out 15 and walked seven. For Atlanta, right-hander Charlie Morton (8-6, 4.17 ERA) takes the mound. He has made one prior start against the Nationals this season, giving up two runs over seven innings in a 12-2 home win on July 8. He gave up four hits and walked three, while striking out seven in the win. In his last start on Wednesday, Morton took the loss on the road against the Giants. He threw 5.1 innings and gave up four runs on four hits, striking out seven and walking two in the 4-1 defeat.

AT THE PLATE

Over the last five games, Washington has averaged 3.0 runs a game, a small drop compared to their season average of 3.8. Against righties like Morton this season, the Nats have a .703 OPS. Luke Voit is the team’s strongest performer against right-handers with a .837 OPS in 307 at-bats. Atlanta is averaging only 4.4 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 4.9 for the season. The Braves have a .784 OPS against lefties in 2022, third highest in MLB. With a 1.140 OPS over 133 at-bats, Riley has been their best hitter against left-handers.

HOME AND AWAY

Washington is on a four-game losing streak in road games, bringing their record to 27-46 in 2022. The Nats have scored 3.9 runs per game away from home, while allowing 5.3 runs. Atlanta has won nine in a row in front of their home fans. The Braves are 51-25 at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game while surrendering 3.6. In the last 10 games between the NL East rivals at Truist Park, Atlanta is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 6.1-4.3.

STANDINGS UPDATE

The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 42 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 five.