ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON 8/9/2018 MLB Odds, Pick & Preview

The ATLANTA and the WASHINGTON will both be gunning for a victory on 8/9/2018 at 1:05 PM when they meet in a game matchup.

GAME: Atlanta Braves (62-49) at Washington Nationals (58-56)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, August 09 – 1:05 PM EST
WHERE: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia

TV: 1:05 PM
LINE: -135
PREDICTION: WASHINGTON , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the WASHINGTON listed as -135 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.

Ronald Acuna arrived in the majors as one of the most heralded prospects in recent memory, and the Atlanta Braves outfielder enters Thursday’s series finale at the Washington Nationals off the biggest performance of his young big-league career. Acuna displayed the tools that made scouts salivate in Wednesday’s 8-3 victory, outrunning a pickoff throw for a stolen base, belting a 452-foot homer and snagging Matt Adams’ would-be homer at the top of the center field fence.

The Braves have captured two of the first three contests in the series, pulling within one-half game of Philadelphia for first place in the National League East as Charlie Culberson belted his third homer of the series and his fifth of the year against the Nationals. Washington entered the series as winners of eight of 11 contests, but wakes up Thursday sitting 5 ½ games behind the Braves in the division and desperate to salvage a series split. Outfielder Bryce Harper lined his 28th homer into the left-field seats in the sixth for the Nationals, and enters the series finale hitting .339 with five homers and 17 RBIs since the All-Star break. Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon collected three hits Wednesday and is batting .317 in his past nine games.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, Facebook-Watch

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Anibal Sanchez (6-3, 2.89 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (6-8, 4.04)

Sanchez is one of the reasons the Braves are contending for a playoff spot, considering the spring-training signee enters Thursday with the lowest WHIP (1.06) and third-lowest ERA of his 13-year career. The 34-year-old held the New York Mets to one run on two hits over six innings Friday with a season-high nine strikeouts – the sixth-consecutive start he has worked at least six frames. Sanchez is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against the Nationals in 2018.

Gonzalez, a steady piece of the Nationals rotation since 2012, has struggled mightily since beginning the season 6-2. The 32-year-old is winless in his past 11 starts, posting a 6.37 ERA with nine homers allowed in 53 2/3 innings, and opponents are hitting .303 with a .871 OPS in that span. Gonzalez is 5-11 with a 5.04 ERA lifetime against the Braves, and gave up three runs with nine strikeouts over seven innings in his lone appearance against Atlanta this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. After scoring eight runs in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Nationals are 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position the past two games with 18 runners left on base.

2. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman drove in a run with a seventh-inning single and is hitting .325 during his 10-game hitting streak.

3. Washington placed RHP Kelvin Herrera (right rotator cuff impingement) on the disabled list Wednesday and recalled RHP Koda Glover from Triple-A Syracuse.

PREDICTION: Braves 6, Nationals 3

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