In this interleague matchup, the Blue Jays (72-60, 34-29 home) play host to the Nationals (61-71, 32-35 away) at Rogers Centre. Taking the mound for the Blue Jays is José Berríos, while the Nationals will go with MacKenzie Gore. Check out my pick for two of this Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals matchup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Nationals +170

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 7:07 ET on Tuesday, August 29th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

  • Over their last five games on the road, Washington has a straight-up record of 3-2.
  • Toronto is on a five game winning streak when the underdog.
  • José Berríos has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 5.27 over his last three starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

So far this season, the Nationals have a series record of 19-22-2 and overall record of 61-71. This mark has Washington placed 4th in the NL East. On the road, they have a below .500 record of 32-35.

Heading into the game, MacKenzie Gore has an overall record of 6-10 and an ERA of 4.38. On the road, he has been less successful with a 4-6 record and 5.91 ERA in 14 appearances. At home, however, he has put together a 2-4 mark with a 3.27 ERA. His WHIP is 1.37 and opponents are hitting .244 against him with a slugging percentage of .425.

After a defeat to the Yankees, MacKenzie Gore endured a difficult outing in which he allowed six runs on four hits over four frames.

During their last five games, Washington is the 15th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .237 and are averaging 4 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Nationals are hitting .258 with an OBP of .318 while averaging 4.4 runs per contest. This figure puts them 18th in the league.

Over the Nationals’ last ten games, CJ Abrams has been a powerful presence in the lineup, leading the team with two home runs. His season-long total of 14 homers is impressive, as is his overall batting average of .253. Abrams has been a major contributor to the team’s offensive success this season.

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

Entering game 133 of their season, the Blue Jays are 10.5 games out in the AL East and are in 3rd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 23-17-2. Toronto’s road winning percent is currently 55.1% (38-31) compared to 54.0% at home (34-29).

José Berríos of the Toronto Blue Jays has a 9-9 record and an ERA of 3.55 this season. When pitching at home, he has an impressive 3.23 ERA, while his road ERA is 4.36. His WHIP for the season is 1.22, with opposing teams having a slugging percentage of .386 against him and a batting average allowed of .240.

José Berríos was dealt the loss in the Blue Jays’ 5-3 defeat against the Orioles, despite pitching for six innings and giving up five runs on nine hits.

For the season, the Blue Jays’ offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 9th in the league in scoring, with a total of 26 runs. Overall, Toronto’s team batting average is .257, putting them 7th in the MLB.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the home-run king for the Blue Jays in 2023, having blasted 20 long balls and driving in 78 runs. His slugging percentage is a respectable .441 for the season.