Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction, 7/14/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Friday, July 14, 2023

Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

Odds/Point Spread: Washington (+140) St. Louis (-170)

The St. Louis Cardinals (38-52) host the Washington Nationals (36-54) at Busch Stadium on Friday. The moneyline on this game has the Nationals at +140 and the Cardinals are priced at -170. The over/under comes in at 8. The starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore and Jack Flaherty.

As a team, the Washington Nationals are putting up 4.1 runs per game, which ranks them 26th in baseball. They have accumulated 373 runs and hold an OBP of .318. The Nationals have tallied 156 doubles as a team and have knocked 78 balls out of the stadium. They have compiled 356 RBI's as well as 806 hits for the year, while their average at the plate is .261. Washington has a slugging rate of .399 and have been called out on strikes 633 times, while drawing a walk on 223 occasions.

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Their K/BB ratio is 1.95 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.48. Nationals pitchers have yielded 124 long balls and also 456 runs (26th in MLB). Washington has allowed 834 base hits (9.5 per 9 innings) as well as 420 earned runs. The Nationals have a team earned run average of 4.76 over the course of the season (26th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 670 batters. They have walked 343 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 5.04 as a team so far this season.

The Nationals bullpen have accumulated a save percentage of 56.1% and has entered the game in 85 save situations. The relievers have inherited 125 runners this season and 32.0% of them crossed the plate. Nationals relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 77 times and also have had 90 appearances in high leverage situations. The Nationals have sent 278 relievers to the mound so far this year. The relievers have a total of 44 holds over the course of the season (21st in the league). They have tallied 23 saves this year and have blown 18 of their 41 chances to save the game.

The Nationals have converted 68.2% of balls in play into outs out of their 7,149 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 22nd in baseball. The Washington Nationals have accounted for 2,383 putouts this season, as well as 846 assists and 53 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .984 which puts them in 23rd in pro baseball, and have earned 87 double plays.

Gore has pitched in 159 innings and is sitting with 180 strikeouts so far in his career. His ERA is 4.45 (79 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.466. He has surrendered 158 base knocks (8.9 hits per 9 innings) with 76 free passes. Gore (8-11 career win-loss mark) sits with a FIP of 4.18 while he has gone up against 697 batters during his time in the major leagues.

The Cardinals have a SLG% of .426 and they earn 4.61 runs per outing (12th in baseball). They have 151 doubles, while walking 308 times and recording 415 runs. St. Louis has accumulated 121 HRs on the season to go along with 401 RBIs. They have been rung up on 761 instances (19th in baseball) and have a total of 779 hits. The St. Louis Cardinals have accounted for a team on-base percentage of .328 and a team batting average of .254 on the campaign.

The Cardinals hold a team WHIP of 1.466 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.19 as a pitching staff this year. They sit at 28th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 849. The St. Louis pitching staff have allowed 448 runs on the campaign while having a team ERA of 4.56 (401 earned runs conceded). They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.30 (727 strikeouts vs 312 walks). They have surrendered 87 dingers and they allow 5.09 runs per 9 innings (25th in MLB).

Sitting with 89 save situations, the Cardinals have compiled 46 holds in addition to 21 blown saves. St. Louis has called on relief pitchers to enter the contest in 43 save opportunities and they have earned 22 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 104 times in high leverage situations in addition to 104 occasions with runners on. St. Louis relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 29.2% out of their 171 inherited runners. They are ranked 27th in baseball holding a save percentage of 51.2%, and they have dispatched 273 bullpen pitchers onto the field this season.

In 7,131 innings on the field, the Cardinals have a efficiency on defense of 66.2% (30th in MLB). The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten 83 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .988 (5th in the majors). The Cardinals have accrued 846 assists, 38 errors and have a tally of 2,377 putouts for the year.

Flaherty (40-30 career mark) has a 3.54 ERA while giving up 7.1 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.92 and he has faced 2,549 batters so far in his MLB career. He has given up a total of 242 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.177 and a FIP of 3.9. In his MLB career, Flaherty has allowed 489 base knocks and he has 689 punch outs in 616 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Washington (+140)

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