Heading into game two of this NL East matchup, the Nationals (56-67, 28-35 home) will send Jake Irvin to the mound against the Phillies (66-56, 32-32 away) and Cristopher Sánchez. Check out my pick for today’s Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals game in Washington.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS WASHINGTON NATIONALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Nationals Park at 4:05 ET on Saturday, August 19th.

WHY BET THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:

  • Against the runline, the Nationals have gone just 1-2 in their last three home games.
  • The Phillies have put together a 6-4 record vs. the runline in their last ten games as the favorite.
  • Jake Irvin has given up seven away runs across his last four starts.

CAN THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

Coming into today’s game, the Phillies have won exactly half of their games on the road at 32-32. Their overall record of 66-56 has Philadelphia sitting 2nd in the NL East. When looking at their overall series record, the Phillies are 20-15-3.

The Phillies will look to starter Cristopher Sánchez to lead the charge. With an overall record of 1-3 through 11 appearances, Sánchez has posted a 3.39 ERA and 8.18 K/9 figure. Additionally, his FIP stands at 4.66 and opponents have a .264 OBP against him this season.

Cristopher Sánchez earned a victory in his most recent outing, as his team defeated the Twins 13-2. The right-hander allowed two runs and six hits over six innings of work, delivering a quality start for the ballclub.

Offensively, Philadelphia is ranked 11th in the league with an average of 4.6 runs per game. When looking over their last ten matchups, the Phillies averaged 3.4 runs per contest, which is 7th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Philadelphia is 14th in all of baseball, with a total of 142 home runs.

The Phillies’ offensive leader, Nick Castellanos, has been a force at the plate this season. He currently holds a .276 batting average and boasts an impressive .466 slugging percentage and .314 on-base percentage.

WILL THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Nationals enter today’s game with an overall record of 56-67 which includes going 32-43 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 5th in the NL East. Across their 39 series, Washington is 16-21-2 and have records of 28-32 and 28-35 on the road and at home, respectively.

Jake Irvin is taking the mound for his 19th start of the 2023 season, with a 3-5 record and an ERA of 4.76. Opponents are batting .257 against him, and have a slugging percentage of .439 on the year. At home, Irvin has gone 2-4 with an ERA of 5.07, while he is 1-1 on the road with a 6.04 ERA.

Jake Irvin recently earned a quality start in the Nationals’ 3-2 victory over the Athletics, though he was not rewarded with a decision. The right-hander pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits.

For the season, the Nationals’ offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game. Over their last ten games they have swung the bats well, sitting 3rd in the league in scoring, with a total of 54 runs. Overall, Washington’s team batting average is .260, putting them 5th in the MLB.

Over the Nationals’ past five contests, Stone Garrett has been a major offensive contributor, leading the team with two home runs. Through the season thus far, he has blasted nine long balls and is batting .279.