Wednesday, June 8, 2016

U.S. Cellular Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs. James Shields

The Washington Nationals head to U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday to take on the Chicago White Sox. The probable pitchers are Max Scherzer for the Nationals and James Shields for the White Sox. The opening line for this game has Washington at -152 and Chicago at +142. The over/under is 8.5. The Nationals have a 26-25-6 over/under mark and a 28-29-0 run line record, meaning they cover 49% of the time. The White Sox are 26-31-0 against the run line and have a 25-29-3 over/under record. They cover the spread 46% of the time.

The Nationals head into this game with a 34-23 record, and they are 19-12 on the road. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer has a 6-4 record with an ERA of 3.87 and a WHIP of 1.07. He has 101 strikeouts during his 81.1 innings pitched and he has given up 63 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.16. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 2.97 and they have allowed 123 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .214 against the pen while they've been struck out 168 times and walked 49 times this year. As a unit, Washington has given up 7.52 base hits per nine innings while striking out 9.44 hitters per nine. They are 3rd in the Majors in team earned run average at 3.18. The Nationals pitchers have collectively given up 431 base hits and 182 earned runs. They have allowed 56 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 157 batters and struck out 541. They walk 2.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.4 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.14 and their FIP as a unit is 3.45.

As a team, Washington is hitting .244, good for 18th in the league while putting together a .245 average on the road. The Nationals have a .416 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .318 which is good for 16th in the league. They rank 20th in baseball with 8.19 hits per contest. Bryce Harper comes into this game hitting .249 and his on-base percentage is at .413. He has 42 hits this season along with 34 runs scored and 34 runs batted in. He's struck out 41 times and has walked 49 times. Daniel Murphy is hitting .384 and he has an on-base percentage of .416. He has totaled 81 hits so far while scoring 34 runs and he's driven in 37. He has walked 10 times and has struck out 24 times. The Nationals have 467 hits, including 85 doubles and 76 home runs. They've stolen 28 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 15 times. Washington has walked 198 times this season and they've struck out 441 times as a unit. They've left 382 men on base and have a team OPS of .734. They score 4.35 runs per contest and have scored a total of 248 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this game with a 13-12 home mark and a 29-28 overall record. With an ERA of 4.28, James Shields has a 2-7 record and a 1.43 WHIP. He has 57 strikeouts over the 67.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 69 hits. He has allowed 9.2 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.42. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.42 and they have given up 138 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .229 against the White Sox bullpen while being struck out 138 times and walking 71 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.42 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.64 batters per nine. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.61. The White Sox pitchers as a team have surrendered 476 base knocks and 204 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 51 home runs this year and they give up 0.9 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 183 hitters and struck out 432. They give up a walk 3.2 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.30 while their FIP as a staff is 3.90.

As a team, they are batting .243, good for 20th in the league while putting together a .233 average at home. The White Sox hold a .381 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .313 which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 18th in baseball with 8.25 hits per contest. Adam Eaton comes into this matchup batting .270 and he has an OBP of .353. He has 60 hits this year along with 22 runs scored and 18 RBI. He's struck out 33 times and has walked on 23 occasions. Melky Cabrera is hitting .275 and he has an OBP of .339. He has collected 56 hits so far while he's scored 25 runs and drove in 24. He has earned a walk 20 times and has punched out 21 times. The White Sox as a unit have 470 base hits, including 88 doubles and 51 homers. They have 25 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 13 times. Chicago as a team has walked 181 times this year and they have struck out 453 times. They've had 400 men left on base and have an OPS of .693. They score 4.02 runs per game and have totaled 229 runs so far this season.

Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 26-25-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Washington Nationals are 28-29-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 25-29-3 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 26-31-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Washington Nationals

06/06/16 1B Ryan Zimmerman Personal is expected to be in the starting lineup Tuesday vs. Chicago White Sox04/28/16 P Matt Belisle Calf 15-day DL (4/27)03/31/16 P Aaron Barrett Elbow 60-day DL (4/1)

Chicago White Sox

06/06/16 CF Austin Jackson Toe "?" Tuesday vs. Washington Nationals06/06/16 LF Melky Cabrera Personal "?" Tuesday vs. Washington Nationals05/06/16 P Jacob Petricka Hip 15-day DL (5/2)04/27/16 C Kevan Smith Pelvis 15-day DL (4/24)

Tony's Pick: Take the White Sox

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