Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Picks and Predictions June 7th 2024

Skidding Nationals Seek Bounce-Back Effort vs. Braves

The Washington Nationals aim to break a four-game losing streak as they welcome the Atlanta Braves on Friday evening.

Nationals’ Struggles and Key Performances

The Nationals’ offense has been struggling, allowing just six runs in their last three games. In Thursday’s series opener, they fell 5-2 to the Conquers, denoting their fourth consecutive misfortune. A glimmer of hope was provided in that game when CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas hit consecutive solo home runs in the sixth inning. However, the Nationals couldn’t push the force along, even after the following two hitters singled, as they neglected to score more against Atlanta starter Reynaldo Lopez.

CJ Abrams’ Performance

CJ Abrams has been running against the wind, going only 2-for-25 over his last six games, which dropped his normal from .266 to .246. Regardless of the battles, he figured out how to knock it out of the park in the game. Dave Martinez, manager, is hopeful that this signals the beginning of a turnaround. He walked by and said, “I’ve got him this time,” before his third at-bat. He also did. Martinez stated, “He acquired him.” Ideally that will get him moving a tad.”

Jesse Winker’s Contribution

One bright spot for the Nationals has been Jesse Winker. Winker had his third multi-hit game in his past four contests on Thursday. He’s reached safely in 18 of his last 21 games, posting a .313 batting average (20-for-64) with 10 RBIs and 10 runs in that span. His consistent performance has been a silver lining in an otherwise tough stretch for the Nationals.

Braves’ Offensive Surge

The Braves’ offense has been heating up. In Thursday’s game, Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer to tie the game in the seventh inning, and Marcell Ozuna’s two-run homer capped a three-run eighth inning, sealing their victory. “A walk and then a blast, or a base hit and a blast,” said Duvall, who has 19 career homers against the Nationals. “Up and down the lineup, we’ve got guys that can drive the baseball, so we always feel like, at any moment, we can strike.”

Marcell Ozuna’s Hot Streak

On Thursday, Marcell Ozuna hit his 18th home run of the season, continuing his hot streak. Since May 5, Ozuna is hitting .327 (34-for-104) with six duplicates, nine homers, 23 RBIs, and 17 runs. The Braves’ recent success is largely attributable to his resurgence.

Injury Update

Atlanta outfielder Jarred Kelenic was out of the lineup on Thursday after jamming his right wrist while making a diving catch in Wednesday’s game against Boston.

Pitching Matchup: Chris Sale vs. Jake Irvin

Chris Sale’s Recent Performance

On Friday, the Braves will use lefty Chris Sale, who is 8-1 with a 3.06 earned run average. After a stellar performance in which he went 5-0 with a 0.56 ERA, Sale was selected as the NL Pitcher of the Month for May. In 32 innings, he gave up 23 hits, struck out 45 people, and only walked two. However, Sale struggled in his last outing on Saturday, giving up eight runs on nine hits in four innings to the Oakland A’s in a no-decision. He gave up two home runs while striking out four and walking one.” Sale stated, “It kind of just kept unraveling.” With such a poor beginning, there ought to be a pretty obvious solution. I clearly have a work to do.” Deal has a lifelong record of 0-1 with a 4.66 Period in four games (two beginnings) against the Nationals.

Jake Irvin’s Recent Performance

For the Nationals, right-hander Jake Irvin (3-5, 3.39 ERA) will take the mound. In his last three starts, Irvin went 1-1 with a 1.96 earned run average in 18 1/3 innings. He won his last start on Sunday against Cleveland after pitching six innings and allowing five hits and two runs. However, Irvin has had a bad record against the Braves in the past, going 0-1 with a 5.19 earned run average in two starts.

Conclusion

The Nationals will depend on vital participants like CJ Abrams and Jesse Winker to move forward as they endeavor to end their terrible streak. Then again, Adam Duvall and Marcell Ozuna’s solid exhibitions will assist the Conquers with proceeding with their hostile flood. The pitching matchup between Chris Sale and Jake Irvin will be crucial in determining Friday’s game’s outcome.