Joey Meneses will be looking to extend his 18-game on-base streak as the Washington Nationals (26-38) face off against the Houston Astros (37-29) at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game Interleague series.
The Nationals are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They won only one out of three in their last series against the Braves, taking the finale 6-2 on Sunday at Truist Park. Jeimer Candelario was 1 for 3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBIs.
The Astros are playing the first of nine games at home after finishing up a tough seven-game road trip (2-5). They lost two of three against the Guardians in their last series, dropping the finale 5-0 on Sunday at Progressive Field.
Grae Kessinger went 1 for 2 with a walk. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Last season, the Astros won two of the three games between the teams.
ON THE MOUND
Patrick Corbin (4-6, 4.89 ERA) is slated for the start for Washington. The LHP allowed three runs over six innings in his last start, a 6-2 road defeat against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. He was charged with the loss, yielding 11 hits while striking out four and walking one.
Corbin made one start against the Astros in 2022, an 8-0 home loss on May 15. He surrendered five runs on six hits over six innings, striking out five and walking two.
RHP Hunter Brown (5-3, 3.69 ERA) will toe the rubber for Houston. In his last start on June 6, Brown took the loss on the road against the Blue Jays. He threw six innings and gave up three runs on three hits, striking out five and walking three in the 5-1 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Washington offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .262/.324/.389. Lane Thomas leads the team in OPS at .790.
The center fielder is slashing .279/.332/.457 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs, and 42 runs over 63 games. Against right-handed pitchers like Brown this season, the Nats have a .675 OPS.
Candelario is the team’s most potent producer against right-handers with a .841 OPS in 161 at-bats. Houston is slashing .246/.314/.396 for the season and averaging 4.5 runs per game. Yordan Alvarez leads the team with a .978 OPS.
The left fielder has 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 41 runs scored with a slash line of .277/.388/.589. The ‘Stros have a .763 OPS against lefties in 2023. With a .988 OPS over 71 at-bats, Alvarez also has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Washington is 14-17 on the road in 2023, scoring 4.8 runs per game while allowing 4.5 runs. Houston has gone 18-14 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 3.8. In the last 10 games between the teams at Minute Maid Park, Washington is 9-1 with an average scoreline of 5.6-2.7.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 13 games behind the division-leading Braves. The Astros are second in the AL West, five games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Houston Astros -1.5 (-135)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
