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The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves square off on Saturday with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Truist Park in Atlanta and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Patrick Corbin (4-10, 5.68 ERA) will be on the hill for the Nationals while the Braves will start Kyle Wright (9-4, 2.91 ERA).
Washington (30-56) had another nightmare performance from its pitching staff following a 12-2 loss to the Braves in the series opener. In addition to the lackluster showing from the bullpen, the Nationals’ offense didn't do much themselves. Juan Soto’s two-run homer at the top of the third was Washington’s only scoring for the night. The Nationals have now dropped seven of their last eight overall.
Atlanta (50-35) has now won four of its last five and is beginning to close in on the NL East lead, sitting just 2.5 games behind the division-leading New York Mets. The Braves’ 2022 success mimics last season’s blueprint as Atlanta continues to ride a hot streak in the summer after starting the season slow. The Braves are the fifth-highest scoring offense in baseball with an average of 4.71 runs per game and will look to take a 2-0 series lead on Saturday.
Nationals vs. Braves
Pitchers: Patrick Corbin vs. Kyle Wright
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. ET
Nationals local broadcast: Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
Braves local broadcast: Bally Sports Southeast
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Braves -1.5 (-125)
Run total: 9.5
Moneyline odds: Nationals +205, Braves -245
Moneyline pick: Braves -245
The Nationals don’t have the pitching to compete against the likes of Wright, who is having a breakout season with a 17.1 K-BB%. The Braves have a well-rounded roster that is now finding its rhythm through the summer months. Take the favorites and roll with the Braves in this one.
Player prop pick: Ronald Acuña Jr. over 1.5 total bases (+160)
Acuña Jr. had a homer and three RBIs in the Braves’ thrashing of the Nationals on Friday. Corbin is also among the least qualified starters by ERA (5.68) which opens up the door for success from Atlanta’s batters. We’re betting on an efficient day from Acuña Jr. at the plate on Saturday.
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