Cesar Hernandez will be looking to extend his 16-game on-base streak as the Washington Nationals (51-97) match up against the Atlanta Braves (93-55) at Truist Park on Wednesday with the home team looking for a sweep of the three-game series. The Braves lead the series 2-0 after winning 3-2 on Tuesday, their fifth straight victory overall and 12th in 15 games against the Nationals this season. Starter Charlie Morton went 5.1 innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out nine, to get the win, and Kenley Jansen picked up his 36th save. Dansby Swanson went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the win. Joey Meneses was 1 for 4 with a double and one run for the Nationals.
ON THE MOUND
Paolo Espino (0-7, 4.24 ERA) is slated for the start for Washington. The righty threw a scoreless inning in relief in his last appearance, a 5-4 home win over the Marlins on Friday. He gave up two hits while striking out three. Over two previous starts against the Braves this season, Espino has allowed eight earned runs over 12.1 innings (0-1, 5.84). He has struck out 13 and walked three. RHP Bryce Elder (1-3, 3.67 ERA) is on the mound for Atlanta. He has made one prior start against the Nationals this season, giving up three runs over 5.2 innings in a 16-4 home win on April 12. He gave up six hits while striking out four in the win.In his last start on September 3, Elder took a no-decision at home against the Marlins. He threw six scoreless innings and gave up two hits, striking out six and walking two in the 2-1 win.
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 right-handed pitchers like Elder this season, the Nats have a .701 OPS. Luke Voit is the team’s strongest hitter against right-handers with a .837 OPS in 310 at-bats. Atlanta is averaging only 4.8 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 4.9 for the season. The Braves have a .755 OPS against right-handers in 2022, fourth highest in MLB. With a .816 OPS over 434 at-bats, Austin Riley has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Washington is on a five-game losing streak away from Nationals Park, bringing their record to 27-47 in 2022. The Nats have scored 3.9 runs per game away from home, while allowing 5.3 runs. Atlanta has won 10 in a row at Truist Park. The Braves are 52-25 at home this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game while surrendering 3.5. In the last 10 games between the NL East rivals at Truist Park, Atlanta is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 5.6-4.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 43 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 three.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Atlanta Braves
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
