Washington’s grasp on first place in the NL East is slipping and the Nats can blame their failure to beat the Marlins as a big reason why. Their recent struggles on the road haven’t helped either, losing four of their first five on a 10-game road trip. The teams conclude their three-game set with Thursday’s matinee.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Washington’s lead over the Mets in the NL East slipped to one game after a 4-1 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday. The Nationals’ road trip hasn’t started very well as they lost for the fourth time in five games going down 2.96 units on the moneyline. The Nats have surprisingly stumbled against Miami this season, losing for the fifth time in seven games while losing all four at Marlins Park following Tuesday’s verdict. Washington fell to 24-27 away from Nationals Park this season where they’re down 6.65 units.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Max Scherzer (10-8, 2.33 ERA) surrendered five runs against Pittsburgh on Friday, giving up seven hits, including three home runs. It was an uncharacteristic outing for Scherzer, who hadn’t allowed three homers in a game since Sept. 15, 2011 as a member of the Tigers. In his starts directly following two other five-run outings this year, Scherzer is 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA.
Scherzer’s other five-run game was against the Marlins on May 6 when he surrendered 10 hits in seven innings while fanning 10. He picked up the win in a 7-5 Nats victory. He whiffed 10 Marlins in each of his two career starts against them while giving up 16 hits in 13 innings.
Dan Haren (7-6, 3.51 ERA) pitched well but was bitten by three solo home runs in a 3-1 loss Friday at San Diego. He’s given up five homers in his last two starts and 20 for the season with the long ball continuing to be a problem for him. Haren has just one win in his last nine outings, despite turning in six quality starts in that span. He also has a solid 2.83 ERA in 10 home starts compared to a 4.16 ERA in 10 road outings.
Haren allowed three hits and two runs in five innings to get a win over Washington on Apr. 26 in his only appearance against them this season. He’s 4-3 with a 2.85 ERA in seven starts over eight lifetime appearances against the Nats.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“All I’m going to say is that I’m aware of the move and I’ve talked to [GM] Mike [Rizzo] about it and talked to my agent and we’ve had some ongoing discussions and until those have progressed I’m going to leave it at that and no comment for now.” – Nationals newly-demoted closer Drew Storen, who isn’t happy about the acquisition of Jonathan Papelbon.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Washington Nationals can hear the footsteps of the New York Mets getting closer and closer. That explains some of the moves the team made this week. The Nats acquired closer Jonathan Papelbon from the Phillies for cash considerations and a Double-A pitcher. Washington also activated two key players from the disabled list, putting first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and left fielder Jayson Werth in the lineup for the first time in well over a month. Papelbon has stated his desire to leave Philadelphia and said he would not waive his no-trade clause to go to a team where he wouldn’t be the closer. Because of that, the Nats will make current closer Drew Storen their setup man. Storen is 29 for 31 in save situations while Papelbon has converted all 17 of his chances.
PROP TALK
After a monstrous month of May when he hit 13 home runs, Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper has cooled the long ball pace. But the kid is still hitting and with regulars Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman back in the lineup, the added protection could get him in a groove once again. Harper is tied for the NL lead in home runs and matched his longest stretch of games this season without one, going homerless in his ninth straight on Tuesday. Harper homered in his first career at-bat against Dan Haren when the teams met in Miami on Apr. 26 and he’s a .313 lifetime hitter with 13 home runs against Marlins pitching.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Nationals are starting to get some of their pieces back and that’s trouble for the rest of the National League. Anthony Rendon re-joined the club Saturday with Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman back in the lineup for Tuesday’s game. It might take a few games for them to get back in the groove, but the Nationals are a much better team with those three back in the lineup. It also doesn’t hurt that Max Scherzer is on the bump, helping the Nats to a win over the feisty Marlins.
Washington 5, Miami 1
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Washington Nationals versus the Miami Marlins will commence Thursday, July 30, 2015, at 12:10 p.m. ET at Marlins Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
