Washington Nationals vs Milwaukee Brewers Picks and Predictions August 3rd 2024

From Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., the Brewers and Nationals square off in an NL matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 4:05 PM ET. BSWI is carrying a money line odds of -133 compared to the Nationals at +113. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs.

Washington comes into the game on a five-game losing streak and is just 4th in the NL East with a record of 49-61. Milwaukee is 1st in the NL Central at 62-47 and will start Aaron Civale. The Nationals are starting DJ Herz. Looking at the Brewers, they are the favorites to win the NL Central, as their lead is 3.5 games over the Cubs.

Milwaukee vs. Washington Key Information

Milwaukee is sending right-hander Aaron Civale to the mound today vs. the Nationals. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 2-7 with an ERA of 4.92. So far, Civale has turned in four quality starts and is averaging 8.75 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his last outing, Civale finished with a no-decision vs. the Marlins, giving up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. He has not allowed more than two home runs in any of his last four outings.

As a team, the Brewers are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Overall, they are batting .255 as a team (4th) and have the league’s 3rd best on-base percentage. One of the reasons they have been able to score runs is their ability to avoid strikeouts, as they have the league’s 17th best strikeout rate.

Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins have been the Brewers’ top power threats this season, with Adames having 17 homers and Hoskins at 18. Hoskins is batting just .220, but he has been swinging the bat better of late, going 6/21 in his last five games with two homers. Hoskins also comes into the game on an eight-game hitting streak.

Washington is sending DJ Herz to the mound today vs. the Brewers, and he is coming off a start in which he didn’t give up a run. In that outing vs. the Cardinals, he went five innings and gave up two hits. Herz finished with a no-decision in that outing. Looking back at his last three starts, Herz has given up two earned runs in each of them. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 1-4 with a 4.79 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .253 off Herz this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 11.54 strikeouts and 2.61 walks.

Washington’s offense comes into today’s game averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. This season, they are batting .241, which is 13th in the league. The Nationals have struggled in the power department, as they are 25th in home runs and have a collective slugging percentage of just .370. CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the team’s top two home run hitters, and they also come into the game with batting averages of .256 and .282, respectively.

Over his last four games, Alex Call has gone 4/9 with a home run and three RBIs. This is a nice change of pace for Call, as CJ Abrams has gone just 6/36 in his last nine games. Juan Yepez has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 11/36 with a home run and eight RBIs in his last nine games.

Our lean for a money-line pick would be to take the Nationals to come out on top at home. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 2nd lowest-scoring game of the day, and this one has the lowest home run projection. Between the two starters, we have DJ Herz as the better strikeout option than Aaron Civale for the Brewers.

Pair of Pitchers Desperate for Win Face Off in D.C.

Both extremely past due for wins, Aaron Civale of the Milwaukee Brewers and DJ Herz of the host Washington Nationals take the hill on Saturday afternoon, searching for a change of fortune in the second game of the three-game series.

Aaron Civale’s Mission for Triumph

Civale (2-7, 4.92 ERA) has not won in his past 18 starts, incorporating his initial four with Milwaukee since he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 3.

Civale showed guarantee in his latest trip. He gave up two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Miami Marlins on July 27. He gave the game to the warm up area with a 3-2 lead before the Marlins scored five runs in the seventh and proceeded to win 7-3.

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“I figured Civale did a really decent work navigating,” Milwaukee manager Patrick Murphy said of the right-hander’s performance.

Civale made his main career start against the Nationals on June 29 and allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, taking the misfortune in the 8-1 defeat.

DJ Herz’s Potential Breakthrough

Herz (1-4, 4.79 ERA) has gone six straight starts without a win. However, he pitched well in three of his four starts in July. For the month, the left-hander went 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA across 20 innings.

In his only victory this season, Herz threw six one-hit, shutout innings with 13 strikeouts and no walks in a 4-0 victory against the Marlins on June 15.

“I’m getting ahead. I’m attacking. I’m being efficient,” Herz said. “That’s all the things I want to see for myself, and that’s their main goals for me.”

The 23-year-old rookie allowed two runs and three hits in five innings in his most recent game, a no-decision against the host St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

“(Herz) didn’t rely on his off-speed stuff,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “He got ahead and stayed with the fastball, which was good. Our (scouting) reports were to try to get the ball up on some of these guys, and he did a great job, especially those lefties. … He was very, very effective.”

Herz also noticed that his fastball had extra zip to it.

“I could feel it out of the hand. I could see it,” he said. “I told (catcher Riley Adams), and then we kind of rode with it. Pretty much majority fastball, and when we needed to flip in an off-speed or a changeup, we did.”

Herz has yet to face the Brewers in his career.

Brewers’ Offensive Support

Blake Perkins conveyed a squeeze hit, two-run single for the Brewers as they won 8-3 in the series opener on Friday night. Perkins is 5-for-9 as a special hitter in his career, 3-for-5 this year.

“You can’t really think excessively,” Perkins said of subbing in. “It’s a situation where you couldn’t say whether you will come in or on the other hand on the off chance that you will be still on the seat, so you only sort of make its the vast majority. It’s sort of a mutual benefit, you know. You come in and attempt to go about your business and on the off chance that it doesn’t end up actually working, it’s all benefit. It’s something extreme to do, and I attempt to keep it basic.”

Game Outlook

With both Civale and Herz looking to break their winless streaks, the matchup promises to be a competitive one. The Brewers aim to maintain their momentum with solid offensive support, while the Nationals hope Herz can deliver another strong performance to secure a much-needed victory. Fans can expect an intriguing and tightly contested game as both pitchers strive to turn their fortunes around.