The Washington Nationals (26-40) are on the road to face the Houston Astros (39-29) at Minute Maid Park on Thursday with the home team eyeing a sweep of the three-game Interleague series.
The Astros lead the series 2-0 after winning 5-4 on Wednesday. Ryan Pressly threw one inning of relief to get the win. Jose Abreu went 3 for 4 with a home run and a double in the win.
He scored two runs and had three RBIs. Dominic Smith was 2 for 4 with a triple and a double for the Nationals. He scored one run and drove in one. Corey Dickerson added a double, one run, and one RBI.
ON THE MOUND
MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 4.04 ERA) is set for the start for Washington. The left-hander allowed five runs over five innings in his last start, a 6-4 road defeat against the Braves on Saturday. He was charged with the loss, yielding four hits while striking out three and walking one.
Right-hander Cristian Javier (7-1, 3.13 ERA) will toe the rubber for Houston. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Nationals. Javier made one start against the Nationals in 2022, throwing 3.2 innings in a 13-6 road defeat on May 14.
He gave up eight hits and walked three while striking out five in the loss. In his last start on Friday, Javier took a no-decision on the road against the Guardians.
He threw five innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking three in the 10-9 loss. The RHP is tied for fifth in the AL in wins.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Washington has averaged 3.4 runs a game, a small drop compared to their season average of 4.2. Against righties like Javier this season, the Nats have a .672 OPS, the fifth lowest in MLB. Jeimer Candelario is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .825 OPS in 165 at-bats.
Houston is averaging 5.2 runs per game in the last five, up slightly from 4.5 for the season. The ‘Stros have a .771 OPS against left-handers in 2023. With a .988 OPS over 71 at-bats, Yordan Alvarez has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Washington is 14-19 in away games in 2023, scoring 4.7 runs per game while allowing 4.5 runs. Houston has gone 20-14 at home this season, averaging 4.5 runs per game while surrendering 3.7. In the last 10 games between the teams at Minute Maid Park, Washington is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 5.2-3.5.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 15 games behind the division-leading Braves. The Astros are second in the AL West, three games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Houston Astros (-190)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
