The Washington Nationals will face off with the San Francisco Giants for the second of a three-game series in the Bay Area. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Giants prediction and pick.
The Nationals demolished the Giants 14-4 in the opener at Oracle Park. Juan Soto started the run-scoring fun with a solo home run to center. It was his fourth home run in 2022. Next, the Nationals tacked on two more runs thanks to RBI singles by Victor Robles and Alcides Escobar in the second inning. The Giants answered back in the bottom half when Jason Vosler blasted a shot to deep center for a two-run bomb. It was his first home run in 2022. Consequently, the Nationals replied with an RBI double by Maikel Franco and an RBI single by Lane Thomas in the third to boost the Washington lead to 5-2. The Giants cut the deficit to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth and headed into the sixth looking to preserve the score.
Ultimately, Washington clapped back with RBI singles by Cesar Hernandez and Soto. The Nationals added two more runs to make it 9-3. Soto finished 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Meanwhile, Josh Bell went 4 for 6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Aaron Sanchez tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits, claiming the victory.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Nationals-Giants odds:
MLB Odds: Nationals-Giants Odds
Nationals: +1.5 (-114)
Giants: -1.5 (-105)
Over: 7.5 (-102)
Under: 7.5 (-120)
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Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Washington scored plenty of runs last night and will look to replicate the effort in the second game. They also hope to get a quality start from their starter. Joan Adon takes the hill for the Nationals.
Adon is 1-3 with a 6.98 ERA in 2022. He only tossed four innings, allowing five earned runs and six hits in his last start. Adon’s previous start was against the Giants, so now he gets a chance to redeem himself against the same lineup that torched him last weekend. He hopes his hitters pick him up and offer plenty of support. Soto is hitting .253 with an on-base percentage of .423. He is finding ways to get on base even when he does not hit the ball. Bell has been an excellent addition to the Washington lineup, as he is batting .357 with two home runs and 15 RBIs. Additionally, Franco has performed adequately, hitting .293 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.
The Nationals will cover the spread if Adon can replicate his numbers from the start against Arizona, where he tossed 6 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. Also, Adon has to keep the ball in the park and not allow San Francisco hitters to jump over his pitches. The Nationals must find consistency in their offense and not fall back down to Earth after a monster performance.
Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread
San Francisco has done an excellent job of scoring this season and they look to repeat what they did against Adon last weekend. The Giants rank sixth in the majors in home runs and runs scored. Additionally, their pitching has been fantastic, as they rank fourth in team ERA. Today, Logan Webb gets the call and will look to give the San Francisco bullpen some rest after last night.
Webb is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA over four starts. He tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits in his win over the Nationals last weekend. Now, Webb looks to duplicate that effort and beat the Nationals again. He will need some help from a lineup that includes Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford. However, the Giants are without Joc Pederson, who strained his groin and is out for the time being. Mike Yastrzemski will return to the lineup after sitting out for a few games due to the Covid-19 protocol. It should give the Giants a boost as Yastrzemski is hitting .267 with an on-base percentage of .340.
The Giants will cover the spread if Webb can give them a quality start and allow the bullpen to rest after last night’s clunker. Webb must locate the strike zone and command his pitches while fooling the Nationals into swinging at deceptive pitches. The Giants will cover if Belt, Crawford, and Yastrzemski find ways to put the ball in play. Once they do that, they will be able to put themselves in better positions to score.
Final Nationals-Giants Prediction & Pick
The Nationals are not a great team but played like one last night. Webb is a much better starter and will give them fits. Expect the Giants to ramp up the pressure on Adon and score some wins. The Giants win the game and cover.
Final Nationals-Giants Prediction & Pick: Giants: -1.5 (-105)