Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals Prediction:
The Atlanta Braves are battling the New York Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot. A road win against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday would go a long way in helping their cause in this playoff chase.
Jake Irvin gets the start for Washington. Jake enters Wednesday in his worst form of the season, with at least four runs allowed in seven of his past 11 starts. He has an overall 4.28 ERA with 1.4 home runs per nine innings across 29 starts this season.
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Since the All-Star Break, the Braves have been a boom-or-bust offense, ranking 21st in on-base percentage and 22nd in scoring with just over 4.2 runs per game. They are second in the National League in total home runs and home runs per game since the break.
The Nationals’ offense is the opposite. They entered Tuesday with 13 home runs fewer than any other team in the National League this season. But thanks in large part to leading the league in stolen bases and ranking second in the National League in fewest strikeouts, they are averaging nearly as many runs per game this season as the Braves, with 4.2 runs per game.
The Nationals will look to scratch across runs off of Braves starting pitcher Max Fried. This season, Fried has a solid 3.35 ERA with 0.7 home runs per nine innings allowed, but his 3.1 walks per nine innings is tied for the most he’s had since the start of the 2018 season.
Things have unraveled for Fried since the All-Star Break. He has at least three runs surrendered in five of his seven starts since the break, with a 4.08 ERA and nearly 3.9 walks per nine innings allowed.
Since July 1, the Braves are ninth in the league with a 3.36 ERA in their bullpen, while the Nationals are 19th with a 4.35 ERA.
With Irvin allowing 2.4 home runs per nine innings across his past 11 starts and Fried’s command dipping, these two starting pitchers’ issues will help each offense score plenty of runs on Wednesday.
MLB Pick: Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals Over 7.5 Runs
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