Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 9/21/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: MASN

Wrigley Field is the site where the Chicago Cubs (77-75) will try to defeat the Washington Nationals (68-84) on Saturday. The pitchers taking the mound are MacKenzie Gore and Kyle Hendricks.

As a unit, the Washington Nationals are scoring 4.1 runs per contest, which is 23rd in baseball. They have tallied 626 runs and hold an OBP of .309. The Nationals have hit 258 doubles as a unit and have knocked 127 balls out of the park. They have amassed 588 RBI's and 1,218 hits on the season, while their team batting average is .242. Washington is slugging .375 and have been called out on strikes 1,137 times, while taking a walk on 431 occasions.

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The Nationals have an ERA of 4.34 this year (24th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,236 hitters. Nationals pitchers have yielded 159 home runs and also 727 runs (25th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 443 opposing players and their FIP is 3.95 as a team this season. Washington has surrendered 1,361 hits (9.1 per 9 innings) as well as 649 earned runs. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.79 and the pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.34.

The Nationals relievers have a save rate of 65.6% and stepped onto the hill in 141 save situations. The relievers have inherited 212 runners over the course of the season with 36.8% of them ended up crossing the plate. Nationals bullpen pitchers have come into the game with players on base 148 times in addition to having 131 appearances in high leverage situations. The Nationals have dispatched 533 relief pitchers to the mound over the course of the season. The bullpen have a total of 80 holds for the season (14th in baseball). They have earned 40 saves this year and have missed out on 21 of their 61 save opportunities.

The Washington Nationals are sitting with 4,038 putouts over the course of the season, as well as 1,346 assists and 105 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .981 which is 28th in pro baseball, and have a total of 147 double plays. The Nationals have transformed 67.2% of balls in play into outs out of 12,114 innings on the field, which has them ranked 29th in baseball.

Gore has pitched in 359 innings and has accounted for 386 punch outs in his MLB career. Gore (20-26 career mark) is the owner of a FIP of 4.27 and he has faced 1,577 hitters during his time in the major leagues. His ERA is 4.33 (173 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.453. He has surrendered 367 hits (9.2 hits per 9 innings) with 155 free passes.

Chicago has knocked in 162 home runs this season to go along with 658 RBIs. They have recorded 241 doubles, while taking a walk 513 times and putting up 698 runs. The Chicago Cubs have a team on-base percentage of .318 in addition to a batting average of .243 for the year. The Cubs hold a slugging % of .396 and they tally 4.59 runs per game (12th in MLB). They have struck out on 1,296 occasions (15th in baseball) and have totaled 1,244 base knocks.

The Chicago pitching staff have conceded 635 runs on the campaign while holding a team ERA of 3.81 (569 earned runs surrendered). They have conceded 171 homers and they surrender 4.26 runs per 9 innings (12th in MLB). The Cubs hold a team WHIP of 1.249 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.05 as a unit over the course of the season. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 8.60 (1,283 strikeouts vs 460 walks). They have a ranking of 10th in baseball as a staff in total hits allowed with 1,217.

Chicago has had bullpen pitchers step onto the hill in 59 save chances and they have tallied 34 saves. They sit at 26th in baseball with a save rate of 57.6%, and they have dispatched 465 relief pitchers onto the diamond on the campaign. Their relievers have taken the field 158 times in high leverage situations and also on 132 occasions with runners on. Chicago relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 30.7% out of their 202 inherited base runners. Sitting with 135 save situations, the Cubs have amassed 75 holds in addition to 25 blown saves.

The Chicago Cubs have gotten 83 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (8th in baseball). The Cubs have racked up 1,242 assists, 74 errors and have 4,030 putouts so far this year. In their 12,090 innings on the field, the Cubs hold a efficiency on defense of 70.5% (12th in MLB).

So far in his pro baseball career, Hendricks has allowed 1,490 hits while tallying 1,255 strikeouts in 1,567 innings. He has given up a total of 643 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.181 and a FIP of 3.6. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.48 and he has gone up against 6,468 batters in his career. Hendricks (97-80 career mark) holds a 3.69 ERA while allowing 8.6 hits per nine innings.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Washington

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