On Friday evening, fans at Nationals Park will witness an intriguing matchup as the Cincinnati Reds take on the Washington Nationals at 6:45 PM ET. The Reds, holding a season record of 47-50, come into the game trailing the Brewers by eight games, positioning themselves in 4th place in the NL Central. The Nationals, with a season record of 44-53, also find themselves in 4th place but in the NL East, lagging 18.5 games behind the Phillies.
Despite their current standings, the Reds are favored to win the game. However, the Nationals, marked as underdogs at +105, have a projected 62% chance of victory, indicating that fans could be in for a competitive contest.
Pitching Matchup
Frankie Montas will take the mound for the Reds. He has a 4-7 record with a 4.38 ERA across 17 starts this season. Montas' recent performance was a mixed bag, having given up five earned runs in seven innings against the Rockies in his last outing. On the other side, Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals. Corbin, who has struggled this season with a 4-9 record and a 5.57 ERA in 19 starts, has also given up at least one home run in each of his last four outings. However, it's worth noting that he pitched seven scoreless innings on June 24th, showing that he can still deliver strong performances. Corbin is projected to finish with five strikeouts in the upcoming game.
Recent Team Performance
The Reds have shown resilience on the road recently, boasting a 4-1 record over their last five away games. In contrast, the Nationals have had a tougher time at home, posting a 2-3 record in their last five games at Nationals Park. When playing as favorites, the Reds have a 5-5 record, while the Nationals, as underdogs, have a 6-4 straight-up record and a 5-5 record against the runline.
Both teams are coming off losses in their previous games. The Reds were edged out by the Marlins, losing 3-2. In that game, Nick Lodolo gave up two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, and Elly De La Cruz hit a home run in the first inning. The Nationals, meanwhile, suffered a heavy 9-3 defeat against the Brewers, with Jake Irvin giving up six earned runs in four innings. Over their last ten games, the Nationals have registered a disappointing 3-7 record, though they did win two of three games in their most recent series against the Brewers.
Team Statistics
The Reds, averaging 4.5 runs per game, rank 14th in the league. Their batting average of .231 places them 17th in on-base percentage and 25th in strikeouts. Spencer Steer has been a standout performer for the Reds, driving in 60 runs and hitting 15 homers, placing him among the top ten in RBIs in the MLB. On the Nationals' side, they average 4.1 runs per game, ranking 23rd in the league, but see a slight improvement at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. Their .239 batting average ranks 13th in on-base percentage. CJ Abrams leads the Nationals with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs, though he has struggled recently, going just 3/21 in his last five games.
Betting Insights
The over/under for the game is set at nine runs. The Reds have a 2-16-3 record when the over/under is set at nine runs, whereas the Nationals have a 7-7-2 record under the same conditions. When it comes to the run line, the Reds have a 53-44 record overall and an impressive 30-14 performance on the road. The Nationals have a solid 46-34 record against the run line as underdogs.
Injury Watch
Both teams will have to cope without some notable players. The Reds will be missing Joey Gallo, Luke Maile, and Matt McLain, while the Nationals will be without Trevor Williams, Josiah Gray, and CJ Abrams.
As the Reds and Nationals prepare for their Friday evening clash, both teams will be looking to bounce back from recent defeats and secure a much-needed victory. Expect strong efforts from the starting pitchers and key contributions from standout players as the two teams battle it out at Nationals Park.