Lane Thomas will be looking to extend his 17-game on-base streak as the Washington Nationals (19-27) host the Detroit Tigers (20-23) at Nationals Park on Sunday with the three-game Interleague series tied at 1-1.
The Nationals evened up the series 1-1 after winning 5-2 on Saturday. Patrick Corbin went six innings to get the win, giving up two runs on six hits, and Kyle Finnegan earned his ninth save with a scoreless ninth.
Jeimer Candelario went 2 for 4 with a home run and a double in the win. He drove in two runs. Thomas went 3 for 4 with a double, one run, and two RBIs. Spencer Torkelson was 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs for the Tigers.
ON THE MOUND
Joey Wentz (1-3, 6.38 ERA) is in line to take the mound for Detroit. The lefty allowed three runs over 2.2 innings in his last start, a 5-3 road win over the Mariners on May 14. He yielded six hits while striking out three and walking one in the no-decision.
Righty Josiah Gray (3-5, 2.96 ERA) gets the start for Washington. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Tigers. In his last start on Tuesday, Gray took a no-decision on the road against the Marlins. He threw seven innings and gave up two runs (1 ER) on seven hits, striking out five and walking three in the 5-4 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Detroit has averaged 3.8 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 3.6. Against right-handed pitchers like Gray this season, the Tigers have a .642 OPS, lowest in the league.
Riley Greene is the team’s strongest hitter against right-handers with a .829 OPS in 123 at-bats. Washington is averaging 4.2 runs per game in the last five, up slightly from 4.1 for the season.
The Nats have a .783 OPS against southpaws in 2023. With a 1.079 OPS over 50 at-bats, Thomas has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Detroit is 10-13 in away games in 2023, scoring 3.4 runs per game while allowing 4.7 runs. Washington has gone 9-15 at Nationals Park this season, averaging 3.4 runs per game while surrendering 5.0. In seven meetings at Nationals Park, Washington is 5-2 with an average scoreline of 4.4-3.7.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Tigers are second in the AL Central, two games behind the division-leading Twins. The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, 10 games behind the Braves.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Washington Nationals (-135)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
