The best cure for a struggling Washington Nationals (46-38 SU, -1.01 Units) offense could be running up against a team and a pitcher with tendencies suggesting that big innings are possible.
That could be the case on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles (43-42 SU, -1.15 Units).
ODDS ANALYSIS
A streak of 14 straight games favored will probably come to an end at some point this weekend for the Nats, knowing that they are on the road in Baltimore. The team has played well in this run, going 9-5 in those 14 games, though bettors are only up 1.58 units in that stretch.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Miguel Gonzalez has had this knack for allowing home runs over his whole career, and here at Camden Yards against the fourth ranked offense by ISO in the NL getting the advantage of the DH probably isn't good news.
Gonzalez might be 7-5 with a respectable 3.87 ERA this season, but those numbers seem destined to rise just a bit in this one.
There's a chance that the Nats will move around their rotation after losing Wednesday's game to rain, but for now, Jordan Zimmermann is scheduled to be in this starting spot.
The righty has been good with a 3.04 ERA this year, but his 7-5 record leaves some to the imagination.
That said, there's no denying just how hot Zimmermann is right now. He’s allowed just one run and a total of 15 hits over his last 22.2 innings of work, and if he keeps that up in this one, this game will be easy.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I've been having a good curveball and fastball command, and it's been there. Tonight was one of those nights where I didn't have very many first pitch strikes and fell behind, and I was battling for the most part. I was able to get some big outs when I needed to." – Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann on his most recent successes
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Drew Storen hasn't had a ton of opportunities to close games lately, but we know that he is solid when he gets that chance to put games away. He’s used a total of just 40 pitches in his last four outings, all of which have seen zeroes hit the board. If this one is close late, trust that Storen will do his job for Washington.
PROP TALK
Gonzalez has allowed 15 home runs already in just 88.1 innings this year, so it's clearly tee time for the Nationals’ hitters.
You'd think that the man most likely to succeed in this situation would be Bryce Harper, though it should be noted of his 25 homers this year, just one has come since June 21.
We would generally trust the young Harper in a situation like this, but his price will be far too inflated to bother with.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
That's not stopping us from playing the Nats in this one, though. Zimmermann isn't a fantastic pitcher, but he is on fire at the moment, and he has a great matchup against a team which should play to his strengths and struggle to get good contact on the ball.
Whether it's Harper or anyone else in this Washington lineup, someone is going to be giving Gonzalez a ride in this game, and when that happens, this game could get ugly.
Washington 6, Baltimore 2
The baseball betting odds for this Saturday game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this 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!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone or tablet. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The duel between the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles will take place Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. Catch the action live on FOX.
