Pick on the Total for Padres-Nationals on May 23

The San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals made a blockbuster trade last season in August and now the cornerstone pieces of the deal will look to stick it to the other team when they hook up in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

San Diego Padres (-150, 8) vs. Washington Nationals

Perhaps the most impactful pitcher in the trade last season gets the start for the Nationals on Tuesday as MacKenzie Gore enters with a 3.69 ERA and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings while having allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts. He has let up no more than four runs all season.

Gore also benefits from having to face a Padres lineup that has scored four runs in 10 of their last 11 games and posts a .221 batting average, good for last in the league.

On the mound for the Padres will be Yu Darvish, who has allowed two total home runs across his seven starts and 42 innings this season.

With his start against the Giants in Mexico City excluded, Darvish has a 3.21 ERA with 9.9 strikeouts and three walks per nine innings with two runs or fewer allowed in two of his three road starts this season.

Darvish will look to shut down a Nationals lineup that ranks fifth among MLB teams in batting average and is striking out the fewest times per game of any team in the league. They do generate the second-fewest runs per game at home of any National League team, however.

The biggest reason the Nationals are averaging just under 3.5 runs per game at home this season is a shortage of power with no single player accounting for more than six home runs and are last in the National League in both home runs overall and at home.

With the Padres bullpen leading the National League in ERA and the offense dealing with the loss of All-Star Manny Machado, Tuesday’s reunion between a ton of players facing their former teams will be a pitcher’s duel.

The Play: Padres vs. Nationals Under 8