ODDS ANALYSIS
Pittsburgh’s pitching has been so good over the last two weeks the mastery on the hill is hiding the team’s deficiencies at the plate. The Pirates won their eighth straight game beating the White Sox 3-2 on Thursday, giving up just four runs in the four-game sweep.
The Bucs surrendered seven runs in the eight games winning five by shutout. They scored 28 times over that span but 11 came in one game. Over their last 11 games the Pirates are 9-2 cashing the under 10 times in those 11 games.
Every team has to deal with injuries over the course of a season but the Nationals have been hit hard with the injury stick this season. A good home team for most of the season, the Nats have struggled in their own park recently dropping both games to the Rays to fall to 1-7 in their last eight at Nationals Park, down 7.88 units during that time. There is hope with Max Scherzer on the hill. The Nats won six of his last eight starts with the under going 4-1 in his last five. Two dominant pitchers facing lineups struggling for runs makes the under a smart play in this one.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Francisco Liriano (4-5, 2.94 ERA) pitched masterfully Monday in a win over the White Sox, striking out 12 over eight scoreless innings. He allowed just two singles and matched a career-high in strikeouts for his fourth double-digit punch-out game of the year. The lefty owns a 1.29 ERA over his last five starts.
Liriano threw 7.2 shutout innings in his only career start at Washington on July 24, 2013 and is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA over 12.2 innings in two starts against them.
Max Scherzer (7-5, 1.93 ERA) twirled one of baseball’s best pitching performances of the season with a 16-strikeout one-hit gem against the Brewers on Sunday. Scherzer flirted with perfection allowing just a seventh inning single in his 119-pitch masterpiece. The crown jewel of free agents has pitched as advertised with a 1.93 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.
Scherzer is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 41.1 innings covering seven games versus the Pirates in his career.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“The length has been so good from the starters and the run totals have been small. The bullpen has come in and closed things down. There’s no question the pitching has been the strength of everything we’re doing.” – Pirates manager Clint Hurdle
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
Washington was predicted to run away with the NL East given their projected rotation and lineup at the beginning of the season. Things haven’t quite worked out for the Nationals so far and their depth is being severely tested. The Nats are already without left fielder Jayson Werth and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman while starter Steven Strasburg continues his rehab. Now you can add stud Bryce Harper to the list of injured players. Harper left Thursday’s game with what the club is calling a mild left hamstring strain but it appeared it could have been something worse. “It’s unfortunate that it happened. We have a game to play tomorrow,” manager Matt Williams deadpanned. A lengthy loss could be a severe blow to the Nats. Harper leads the team in nearly every offensive category and is enjoying a career season. Clint Robinson and Danny Espinosa have filled in nicely but, let’s face it, they are not the same caliber players.
PROP TALK
His record isn’t all that impressive, but look beyond that and the numbers Max Scherzer has put up are phenomenal. He leads the NL with 0.88 WHIP and ranks in the top five in wins, ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts. And he’s had success against a number of Pirates players. He’s fanned Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen, Jordy Mercer, Gregory Polanco and Neil Walker in exactly half of their career at-bats against him. Coming off a masterful 16-strikeout performance and with five double-digit strikeout games this season, look for Mad Max to corral the slumbering Pirates bats.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s hard to imagine a lot of offense in this game with two starters on the top of their game. But the Pirates have found ways to win games – a lot of them – recently without much run production and their bullpen has been superior in their recent win streak. The Nationals could be faced with a bigger problem if Bryce Harper’s hamstring injury keeps him out of the lineup for an extended period of time with Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman already on the shelf. Pittsburgh’s Francisco Liriano gets a short-handed Nats squad and disposes of them for the win.
Pittsburgh 2, Washington 1
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2015, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. The matchup can be seen live on ROOT Sports and MASN2.
