Kevin Gausman will get the start for the Blue Jays (71-60, 33-29 home) as they host the Nationals (61-70, 32-34 away) at Rogers Centre. The Nationals will give the starting nod to Josiah Gray. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the Washington Nationals and Toronto Blue Jays.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Nationals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 7:07 ET on Monday, August 28th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

  • Against the runline, the Blue Jays have gone just 1-2 in their last three home games.
  • Over their last five games on the road, Washington is 4-1 against the runline.
  • Opponents are hitting just .205 against Josiah Gray in his last two starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS ON A RUNLINE WIN STREAK

Currently, the Nationals are 4th in the NL East on an overall record of 61-70. Their season-long runline record is 75-56, which includes going 44-22 vs. the runline on the road. For the season, Washington has won less than half of their series away from home (9-10). The Nationals’ over/under record this season comes in at 62-65.

Josiah Gray will take the mound for the Nationals with a 7-10 record in 25 appearances this season. His ERA is 3.85, and his strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) is 7.83. Additionally, his fielding independent pitching (FIP) is 4.91 and opponents’ on-base percentage (OBP) against him is .331.

Josiah Gray’s latest start was a quality one, as he limited the Yankees to just one run on one hit in six innings. Despite not earning the decision, his performance helped the team secure a 2-1 victory.

During their last ten games, Washington is the 13th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .250 and are averaging 4.5 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Nationals are hitting .259 with an OBP of .318 while averaging 4.4 runs per contest. This figure puts them 17th in the league.

The Nationals’ offensive leader, Lane Thomas, has been a consistent presence in the lineup this season. His batting average sits at .283 and he boasts a .474 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .332.

WILL THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Blue Jays enter today’s game with an overall record of 71-60, including putting together an above .500 mark at home (33-29). This year, Toronto has played in 41 series and have gone 23-16-2. Currently, they are 3rd in the AL East.

Kevin Gausman has had a solid season thus far, with an overall record of 9-8 and ERA of 3.23. On the road, he has gone 6-5 with an ERA of 4.21, while at home he is 3-3 with a 3.53 ERA. His WHIP stands at 1.16 and opponents are hitting .229 against him, slugging .373 in the process.

Kevin Gausman’s most recent outing came against his former team, the Baltimore Orioles. The right-hander delivered a quality start, surrendering five hits and two earned runs over six innings of work.

So far this season, the Blue Jays’ has gone deep 154 times, placing them 14th in the league. Over Toronto’s previous five games, they are 15th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.5 runs per game putting them 15th in the league. The Blue Jays’ overall team batting average stands at .257 along with an OBP of .327.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a standout for the Blue Jays in 2023, boasting a .268 batting average and driving in 76 runs. He has also hit 20 home runs this season.