MLB Betting – Braves vs Nationals Preview & Pick
Losing three of four games through Thursday night, the Atlanta Braves aren’t playing like a team that wants the National League Wild Card.
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Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
Broadcast: SPSO, MASN
Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals Betting Lines from Sportsbook.com
Money Line: OFF
Over/Under: OFF
Atlanta Braves (88-68 through September 22)
Brandon Beachy (7-2, 3.58)
They still hold the position but lead the streaking St. Louis Cardinals by just two games entering weekend play.
Rookie Brandon Beachy will start at Washington on Saturday afternoon. While he looks like a future ace, having struck out 160 batters and walked only 42 in 135.2 innings, he is experiencing predictable rookie growing pains. Beachy is still more of a thrower than a pitcher, so he nibbles too much. He hasn’t lasted more than six innings in nine straight starts. It’s no wonder he has more no-decisions (15) than decisions (9) this season.
Washington Nationals (76-79 through September 22)
Chien-Ming Wang (3-3, 4.31)
Are the Washington Nationals baseball’s hottest team? They beat the first-overall Phillies four straight times in Philadelphia this week and have won eight of 10 through Thursday. It must be the “Stephen Strasburg Effect,” though the youngster hasn’t pitched in any of the team’s five straight victories. The other National starters are clearly getting it done, too. Maybe just having Strasburg on the team raises the bar.
Chien-Ming Wang, innings-eater extraordinaire, has been serviceable. He beat the Marlins last week and has lost once in his last eight starts. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The pick:
The one team to beat Wang over that stretch: Atlanta. The last team to beat him before that game: also Atlanta. The Braves really have Wang’s number, for some reason. He’s 0-3 over four career outings against them with a 4.18 ERA. The latter number is deceiving, as the Braves scored six runs off him in an August 3 victory but only two were earned.
Dan Uggla, who leads Atlanta with 35 homers, is 3 for 5 with a long fly against Wang in his career. He’s the obvious threat but the Braves should also get Eric Hinske into their lineup. The bench bat is 14 for 34 (.412) with two homers and five RBI against Wang all-time.
Beachy may take his lumps as he works his way through a slump but the Braves should also bash Wang around. Expect a high-scoring affair and an Atlanta win.
Braves vs Nationals prediction: Braves 7, Nationals 5
