Even with two powerful offenses taking the field, it was the Diamondbacks (55-49) who eked out a 3-2 win over the Nationals (52-52) last night. Washington, one of the surprise teams of 2026, will be itching to even up this series and bolster its postseason chances. As for Arizona, Saturday presents an opportunity to earn a series win on the road against a quality opponent. Who has the edge this afternoon in DC?
The Nationals are favorites (-156) over the Diamondbacks, with the over/under set at 9.5 runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Saturday’s showdown between Arizona and Washington on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals pick, best bet today
- Nationals -1.5 (+134): Throwing a rookie such as Bratt into this kind of environment is almost unfair. Washington’s bats are good against almost anyone, especially untested lefties. So long as Griffin doesn’t collapse, the Nationals are poised for a bounce back this afternoon.
Diamondbacks vs. Nationals prediction, preview
An otherwise solid Arizona pitching staff will look to an unfamiliar name on Saturday. Mitch Bratt will be making just his fourth career outing in the big leagues this afternoon. Through 10.2 innings of work (three starts), the rookie has notched a 5.06 ERA. During 52.1 innings at Triple-A Reno, the Canadian put up a 2.41 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 51 strikeouts (8.8 K/9). The southpaw relies heavily on a slurve and slider combo; he’s thrown those off-speed offerings on nearly 40% of his pitches.
The bad news for Bratt? He’s facing a juggernaut of an offense on the road. The Nationals rank first in runs scored (569), first in home runs (151) and first in slugging percentage (.442). To boot, they’ve recorded a league-best .787 OPS against left-handed pitching. Washington has been carried at the plate by the dynamic duo of James Wood (155 wRC+) and CJ Abrams (144 wRC+). Still, this lineup possesses plenty of depth. As previously mentioned, Bratt utilizes a slurve and slider often; Nats batters have a .429 slugging percentage against those pitches this season.
Pitching has been a constant source of frustration in DC. With that being said, there have been a few standouts on the mound. That includes unexpected All-Star Foster Griffin. The 30-year-old is the kind of feel-good story that evokes the romantic in any baseball fan. An NPB hurler in Japan for three seasons, he’s made his return stateside to great success in 2026. Through 117.1 innings pitched (20 starts), he’s produced a 2.68 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 111 strikeouts (8.5 K/9). Those numbers are backed up by solid peripherals; Griffin sits within the 72nd percentile in chase rate (33.6%), walk rate (5.7%) and ground ball rate (46.3%).
Much like Washington, the Diamondbacks specialize in hitting southpaws. Their .786 OPS against left-handed pitching is second-best in baseball, behind only the Nationals. If the home team has Abrams and Wood, the visitors can counter with All-Stars Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte; both hitters perform better against lefties as well. Arizona has scored 67 runs over its previous ten contests, best in baseball during that stretch. However, Griffin has had success in this spot before. When these teams met on June 5th in Phoenix, he held the Snakes to one run over five innings.
Best Bet: Nationals -1.5 (+134)
In this battle between left-handed pitchers, I have far more trust in Griffin. Although Arizona has been scorching hot at the plate, the Nationals at home are a difficult challenge for any hurler. That’s especially true for a rookie southpaw such as Bratt. After coming up short on Friday, expect Washington to come out firing this afternoon.
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