Joan Adon will get the start for the Nationals (50-66, 22-34 home) as they host the Athletics (33-82, 15-41 away) at Nationals Park. The Athletics will give the starting nod to Paul Blackburn. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS VS WASHINGTON NATIONALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Nationals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Nationals Park at 7:05 ET on Friday, August 11th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

  • The Athletics are just 4-6 vs. the runline in their last ten road games.
  • In their five most recent games as the favorite, the Athletics have gone just 1-4 against the runline.
  • Across Joan Adon’s one starts, the Nationals have put together a record of 1-0.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Heading into today’s game, the Athletics are 5th in the AL West with an overall record of 33-82. When looking at their performance in their 36 series, Oakland is 9-26-1. Against below .500 teams, the Athletics are 12-12 while going 15-41 on the road and 18-41 at home.

Paul Blackburn will take the mound for the Athletics with a 2-2 record. In 12 appearances, he has an ERA of 4.35 and opponents are batting .285 against him. Blackburn has issued 21 walks and struck out 63 batters, resulting in a WHIP of 1.50 and a SLG allowed of .434.

Paul Blackburn earned a quality start in the Athletics’ 2-1 victory over the Giants, going six innings and allowing no earned runs on two hits. Despite his strong performance, he was unable to get the win as he was handed a no-decision.

The Athletics have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 13 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 7th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 22nd in home runs and 26th in slugging percentage. Overall, Oakland is averaging 3.6 runs per game (27th).

The Athletics’ Esteury Ruiz leads the team in hits, boasting a .254 batting average. His slugging percentage stands at .323 and on-base percentage at .305 entering the game.

WILL THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Through 116 games, the Nationals are in 5th place in the NL East on an overall record of 50-66. So far, they have a below .500 record at home, going just 22-34. For the season, Washington has played in 37 series and gone 14-21-2.

Across three outings, Joan Adon has yet to suffer a loss, holding an impressive 1-0 record. His ERA stands at 4.91 and he has allowed a slugging percentage of .385. The right-hander has racked up 11 strikeouts, resulting in a K/9 ratio of 9. Additionally, Adon has issued two walks, leading to an OBP allowed of .186.

Joan Adon earned the victory in his most recent start, surrendering three earned runs and three hits over six frames against Cincinnati. The Nationals emerged victorious with a 7-3 scoreline.

Over their last ten games, the Nationals are ranked 13th in the league in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.3 per contest puts them 17th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Washington is 13th, with an OBP currently sitting at .317. The team’s collective batting average is .258 (5th).

The Nationals’ Lane Thomas is the team’s leader in hits, boasting a .283 batting average. He has an impressive .486 slugging percentage and .328 on-base percentage entering the game.