Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros 6/14/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
The Washington Nationals will go against the Houston Astros in MLB action in Minute Maid Park, TX, on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 8:10 PM ET.
The Nationals entered this series on a 3-9 run, despite defeating the Braves on Sunday. They are unquestionably the bottom-place team in the NL East and are hovering around the National League standings.
Before meeting Houston, they were 25th in ERA, so they may need to improve. FanGraphs said their relievers arrived in Texas with a 28th-ranked ERA and a -0.1 WAR.
Even though Josiah Gray has performed well thus far, the starting rotation is under much strain. With a 3.00 ERA over his last nine outings, Gray helped the Nationals win six of those games.
Even with the lowest strikeout totals of his career thus far, his current career-best HR% of 2.6% resulted in a career-best FIP. Gray had good luck in away games, and DC hopes that trend continues this time.
This season, the offense, which has a lineup mostly of younger players, ranks 21st in runs per game. However, there are some positives, such as MLB’s sixth-highest batting average and lowest strikeout percentage.
The squad ranks 29th in home runs and 23rd in slugging percentage, indicating a serious problem with slugging. Similar to their base-running aggressiveness, they rank 27th with only 33 steals.
A walk rate that ranks 29th is yet another apparent problem. It’s good to be able to score hits, but life gets challenging when you can’t do anything else well.
The Nationals’ pitchers started games 56 times with runners on base and in high-leverage situations 62 times. This year, the relievers have 33 holds, which ranks 22nd in the league.
The Nationals bullpen entered the game in 65 save situations with a cumulative save percentage of 53.1%. They have made 17 saves so far this year, while 15 of their 32 chances to make saves were unsuccessful.
This season, bullpen pitchers gave up 95 runs, and 36.8% of them reached base. During the current season, the Nationals used 197 bullpen pitchers.
- The total went under in four of Washington’s last five matches.
- The Washington Nationals are 1-7 SU in their last eight matches.
- The Washington Nationals are 3-6 SU in their last nine matches against Houston.
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Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros Predictions 6/14/2023
The Astros scored at least five runs on six different occasions this month. They also scored two runs or less five times in a row.
They currently rank 14th in runs per game overall this season, but if they want to repeat, they will need more bombs. Without Yordan Alvarez for the foreseeable future, that might be challenging.
He is the best hitter and the greatest home run danger for a squad that isn’t generally breaking many records. Alvarez also allows other batters to see better pitches, which is crucial given Houston’s subpar OBP.
For a while, things could be difficult at the Houston batting cages.
Fortunately, the Astros’ pitching staff is top-notch. No team in the league has a lower ERA than this one. With an ERA of 3.20, the rotation and bullpen rank third in the league.
This time, Framber Valdez is at the top of the rotation and is attempting to recover from a rare failure. In his most recent start, he only lasted 5.0 innings, giving up three runs and walking four batters.
He had pitched 22.0 innings of one-run ball before then. He had a 2.36 ERA, 2.94 FIP, and 1.060 WHIP heading into this game. Against the Nationals, anticipate a better showing.
In 25 opportunities for saves, Houston’s bullpen relievers entered the game and secured 17 saves. They sent 202 relievers to the mound this season and are presently ranked 10th in MLB with a save rate of 68.0%.
They used their bullpen relievers 34 times with runners on base and 54 times in high-leverage situations. The Astros amassed 34 holds and eight blown saves out of 60 save opportunities.
- The total went under in five of Houston’s last seven matches.
- The Houston Astros are 2-5 SU in their last seven matches.
- The Houston Astros are 4-1 SU in their last five matches at home.
Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros The MLB pick for this game is the Washington Nationals. Any time during this series, Houston’s pitchers shouldn’t have trouble facing this Nationals lineup.
The more important query is whether Washington’s pitching can compete. With Josiah Gray starting this game, it ought to. Gray faces a depleted version of the Astros lineup and has a 2.63 ERA on the road.
The Nationals were winning Gray’s starts, or at the very least controlling the score the entire time. Washington keeps it tight and has a chance to prevail. The Washington Nationals will win by a predicted score of 6-4.
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Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros 6/14/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
MLB Starting Time: 8:10 PM ET
Location: Minute Maid Park, TX
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2023
TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
MLB Odds: Washington Nationals +216
MLB Totals: 7.5