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It's a battle of the Mitchs when the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates square off in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Saturday. Neither of these teams is in the heat of the playoff race, with the Nationals sitting 22 games out of the National League East and 14 games out of the wild card. It hasn't been as bad for the Pirates, who sit 15 games out of the National League Central and just ten games out of the wild card. This series began Thursday night, with the Pirates taking a 9-4 victory. It was the sixth win for Pittsburgh in their last seven meetings against Washington. The Nationals have lost five of their past six games, while the Pirates have won three of their previous four. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Pirates prediction and pick.
Nationals-Pirates Projected Starters
Mitchell Parker vs. Mitch Keller
Mitchell Parker is 7-9 with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
Parker's last start was at home against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched 6 innings with 8 strikeouts, allowing 7 hits, 1 walk, and 3 earned runs. The Pirates' bullpen fell apart after Parker left the game, allowing nine runs over the last three innings.
Parker is 2-5 on the road with a 5.98 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.
Mitch Keller is 11-9 with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
Keller's last start was on the road against the Cleveland Guardians. He pitched 5 1/3 innings with 7 strikeouts, allowing 11 hits, zero walks, 3 earned runs, and 3 home runs.
Keller is 5-3 at home with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Pirates Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-184)
Moneyline: +122
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -144
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
Article Continues Below
How to Watch Nationals vs. Pirates
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
TV: SNP, MASN2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
Mitch Keller had a rough stretch through the middle of August, allowing 15 earned runs over two starts. He corrected that with seven innings of shutout ball in his next start, but has allowed three in back-to-back starts since then. The Nationals haven't been hitting the ball well, so a matchup with Keller could be what they need to get going. It has been much easier for them against right-handed pitching over the last ten games, batting .233 with a .305 on-base percentage and four runs/nine. The Pirates are batting just .172 against lefties over the same span.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates may not be performing well against left-handed pitching lately, but it may not matter if Mitchell Parker stays on a low pitch count. Parker hasn't thrown more than 90 pitches in four consecutive starts and could be out of the game early again in this one. The Nationals bullpen has been abysmal recently, owning a 7.27 ERA over their last three games.
The Pirates have been batting well over the last ten games, hitting .245 with a .324 on-base percentage and 5.5 runs/nine.
Final Nationals-Pirates Prediction & Pick
Both of these starting pitchers have a propensity to get blown up in recent starts, and the bullpens haven't been much better. The Nationals bullpen owns a 7.27 ERA over their last three games, while the Pirates have a 5.59 mark over the same span. The offenses aren't as bad as you may think and they could score some runs with a tired bullpen in Game 2 of a doubleheader.
Final Nationals-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Over 8 (-110)
