Although playoff hopes have fizzled for many teams, there’s still plenty to be excited about with one week left in MLB’s regular season. At least, that’s what we’ll tell ourselves as the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers kick off a three-game series on Monday night at Comerica Park.
The Nationals (73–83, 4th NL East) have won six of their last eight contests following a seven-game slide. The Tigers (73–83, 3rd AL Central) have dropped four of their last five after a six-game winning streak.
Looking at the pitching probables, Monday’s matchup features a pair of season debuts: Washington southpaw DJ Herz and Detroit right-hander River Ryan.
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Tigers enter as 1.5-run home favorites with -136 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Nationals are +113 underdogs, with the game total set at O/U 8.5 runs.
Nationals vs. Tigers Preview
Washington Nationals
A season that began with such optimism has devolved into another disappointing campaign for the Nationals. While they’ve sparked some recent momentum, the team has gone a middling 7–9 since the beginning of September and will remain without a postseason appearance since winning the World Series in 2019.
Washington’s offense — which had at one point this season been one of MLB’s most potent — has become a shell of its former self down the stretch. This month, the club ranks 28th league-wide in wOBA and 29th in wRC+. James Wood has struggled upon returning from injury, posting a .698 OPS since rejoining the lineup on September 2. He’s been stuck at 30 home runs since July 26. CJ Abrams has also been cold this month with a .650 OPS, though he went deep in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals.
And although the Nationals starting rotation has absolutely shoved this month, it hasn’t been able to deliver much length — ranking second-to-last in total innings pitched. That has left far too many innings in the hands of the weakest bullpen in baseball. Washington is demanding a lot from Monday’s starter, southpaw DJ Herz, who returns to the majors for the first time since 2024, when he held a 4.16 ERA across 19 starts (88.2 IP).
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers’ final homestand won’t carry the same intensity as in previous years, as the team is facing its first missed postseason since 2023. They’ve gone a decent 10–9 this month, though, and return to Motor City with one of baseball’s hottest lineups.
Since the beginning of September, Detroit ranks fifth in wRC+, seventh in wOBA, and fourth in xwOBA. Riley Greene is hitting an exceptional .361 with a 1.091 OPS and five homers in that span, while leading the majors with 21 RBIs. Spencer Torkelson has also surged with a .309 average, a 1.024 OPS, and four bombs this month.
Still, Detroit’s pitching staff remains largely pedestrian following the trade-deadline selloff of Casey Mize and reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. But on Monday, Tigers fans have a chance to see a return on investment in the season debut of right-hander River Ryan. The organization’s No. 5 overall prospect — who arrived in the Skubal trade — will make his first major-league start since 2024, when he held a 1.33 ERA across four turns (20.1 IP) for the Dodgers.
Nationals vs. Tigers Pick, Best Bet
Detroit’s scorching offense should be the difference-maker in a battle between starters who haven’t toed an MLB rubber since 2024. We find these teams in the rare, and perhaps only, instance where Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson are more formidable at the plate than James Wood and CJ Abrams.
Simply put, the Tigers are finishing their season much stronger than the Nationals are — and they should kick off their final homestand with a W.
