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From PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have the Nationals and Pirates facing off in an NL matchup. Friday’s matchup has a start time of 6:40 PM ET, and the game will be televised on SN PT.
Washington is 62-78 overall and they are 4th in the NL East, while the Pirates are 5th in the NL Central with a record of 66-74. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the Pirates are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -129. The Nationals are +109 on the money line. Friday’s pitching matchup is DJ Herz for the Nationals and Luis L. Ortiz for the Pirates.
Washington vs. Pittsburgh Key Information
- Teams: Nationals at Pirates
- Where: PNC Park Pittsburgh
- Date: Friday, September 6th
- Betting Odds PIT -129 | WSH +109 O/U 8.5
The Nationals Can Win If…
Left-hander DJ Herz gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 15 starts this year and has a record of 2-7 with an ERA of 4.09. Herz’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.26. In his last outing, Herz took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had pitched well, turning in a scoreless outing and giving up just two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Herz has allowed at least one homer in four straight starts.
Washington’s offense is averaging just 4.2 runs per game this season, which is 21st in the league. They have been even worse in terms of power, as their 117 home runs are 23rd in the league. As a team, the Nationals are batting .245, which is 11th in the league.
Luis Garcia Jr. has been a bright spot for the Nationals this season, leading the team with 63 RBIs while batting .290 and being 2nd on the team with 15 home runs. CJ Abrams is also near the top of the home run leaderboard, but he is batting just .240 for the season. In terms of recent performances, Jacob Young has gone 12/33 in his last 10 games, while Andres Chaparro is batting just .167 over that same stretch.
- The Nationals are 4-6 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Nationals are 1-4 vs. the run line.
- Washington has an over/under record of 3-7 in their last ten games.
- The Nationals have an average of 3.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Nationals are 3-7
- Looking back across the Nationals last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
- Washington has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Nationals have averaged 3.4 runs per game on offense
The Pirates Can Win If…
Pittsburgh is sending Luis L. Ortiz to the mound today vs. the Nationals, and he will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run. In that outing vs. the Guardians, he went six innings and picked up the win. Looking at his overall numbers, Ortiz has made 11 starts, and opponents are batting .213 off him this season. Ortiz’s ERA is 3.19, along with a record of 6-4. For the year, he has given up 12 homers and is averaging 7.01 strikeouts per nine innings.
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the MLB. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .235 and are near the bottom of the league in home runs. One positive is that they are 11th in the league in BABIP. Pittsburgh’s offense is also near the bottom of the league in OPS and slugging percentage.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, batting .280 with a team-high 22 home runs and 78 RBIs. He is also on a team-best eight-game hitting streak. Over his last four games, Andrew McCutchen is 4/15 with two homers, and Nick Gonzales has gone 9/31 in his last seven games.
- The Pirates are 4-6 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Pirates are 3-2 vs. the run line.
- Pittsburgh has an over/under record of 7-3 in their last ten games.
- The Pirates have an average of 4.0 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Pirates are 4-6
- Looking back across the Pirates last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
- Pittsburgh has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Pirates have averaged 3.1 runs per game on offense
Pirates Aim for Back-to-Back Wins Against Nationals
The Pittsburgh Pirates, coming off an impressive 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals, are looking to make it two in a row as their four-game series continues on Friday. Thursday’s victory was a strong response after being no-hit the previous night, showing the Pirates’ ability to bounce back quickly.
Pirates Bounce Back After No-Hitter
The Pirates (66-74) rallied from an early three-run deficit on Thursday, sparked by a clutch performance from Nick Gonzales, who drove in three runs. Pittsburgh’s resilience shone through as they swiftly moved on from Wednesday’s no-hitter, executing a well-crafted game plan against Washington’s pitchers.
“Getting no-hit yesterday doesn’t mean anything today,” Gonzales said. “We came in with a good plan and stuck with it.” The team’s offensive outburst was a stark contrast to the previous night’s struggles, highlighting their determination to keep pushing forward.
Nationals Struggle With Runners in Scoring Position
The Nationals (62-78) have hit a rough patch, losing five of their last six games. On Thursday, they went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners, missing several chances to put the game out of reach early.
“It came down to timely hitting. We left too many guys on base,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We have to do a better job of cashing in on those opportunities.”
One bright spot for Washington was rookie third baseman Andres Chaparro, who homered on Thursday. Chaparro has been on a tear since his mid-August debut, racking up 11 extra-base hits in his first 20 games.
Struggles for CJ Abrams
Nationals All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams has been in a prolonged slump, hitting just .173 with three home runs over his last 39 games. In an effort to help him reset, Abrams was rested on Thursday against Pirates lefty Bailey Falter.
“We all know he’s been struggling a bit,” Martinez said. “We’re giving him some time off, trying to help him find his groove again.” The Nationals will need Abrams to return to form as they try to snap out of their current slide.
Pitching Matchup: Herz vs. Ortiz
Washington will turn to left-hander DJ Herz (2-7, 4.09 ERA) on Friday. Herz is coming off a tough outing in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, where he allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old rookie has shown potential, especially with his 43-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 34 innings over seven starts. However, Friday will be Herz’s first career start against the Pirates.
Pittsburgh will counter with right-hander Luis L. Ortiz (6-4, 3.19 ERA), who is on fire with a 15-inning scoreless streak. Ortiz was dominant in his last start, allowing just one hit over six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Ortiz credits the Pirates’ coaching staff for helping him improve and guiding him through a career-high season in innings pitched (113) and wins.
“It’s a lot of hard work and the support from the staff,” Ortiz said. “They push me every day to get better.”
This will be Ortiz’s second appearance against Washington. He first faced them in relief on April 4, allowing two runs in one inning.
Pirates Make Roster Moves
In other team news, Pittsburgh designated pitcher Domingo German for assignment to make room for reliever Joey Wentz, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. Wentz made his Pirates debut on Thursday, allowing one run while recording one out in the ninth inning. Aroldis Chapman closed out the game, securing his sixth save of the season.
Series Outlook
With Luis Ortiz pitching at his best and the Pirates gaining momentum after their comeback win, Pittsburgh has a solid opportunity to build on their recent success. Meanwhile, the Nationals will need to find timely hitting and make the most of their scoring opportunities if they want to snap their losing skid.
This game is a pivotal moment in the series, with both teams looking to gain momentum as the season winds down.
The Lean
For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over as we have this as the lowest projected scoring game of the day. For a straight-up pick, we are leaning towards the Nationals to grab the win. Between the two starters, we have DJ Herz as the better strikeout option over Luis L. Ortiz.
