The Washington Nationals (31-45) are set to take on the LA Dodgers (47-30) in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium, starting at 10:10 p.m. ET. This matchup comes after the Dodgers secured a narrow victory in the series opener, winning 6-5 on Friday.
The Nationals have faced a tough stretch, having lost 12 of their last 13 games. In their last outing, they showed resilience by breaking an 11-game losing streak with a dramatic 11-inning 4-3 win against the Colorado Rockies, only to falter again against the Dodgers. During the Friday game, Nationals’ pitcher MacKenzie Gore (3-7) struggled, giving up six runs (five earned) over 5 2/3 innings. Notably, shortstop CJ Abrams, second baseman Amed Rosario, and catcher Riley Adams each contributed solo home runs in the recent loss.
On the other hand, the Dodgers have been in excellent form, winning six of their last seven games and nine of their last twelve. Clayton Kershaw secured his third consecutive win and improved to 3-0 this season, allowing only two solo homers across five innings pitched. Third baseman Miguel Rojas made a significant impact, hitting his third home run of the season and driving in two runs.
Looking ahead to their projected starters, the Nationals will send right-hander Jake Irvin (5-3, 4.23 ERA) to the mound. Irvin has faced challenges lately, having allowed three or more earned runs in his last four starts. Conversely, Dodgers’ right-hander Dustin May (4-4, 4.46 ERA) has shown improvement, winning four of his last five starts, suggesting a competitive edge for the Dodgers.
Regarding betting odds, the Nationals are underdogs at +225, while the Dodgers stand at -275. With the Dodgers’ consistent performance at home—currently having the best home record in MLB—analysts suggest a predicted score of Dodgers 7, Nationals 4. However, the -275 odds for the Dodgers may not offer much value, prompting a recommendation to consider betting on the run line at -1.5 (-130) instead.
With both teams having seen high-scoring games in their previous matchups, betting on the total over 9.5 (-115) also seems promising, given that all four meetings this season have surpassed ten runs.
This series presents an opportunity for the Nationals to regroup, and a strong performance against a dominant Dodgers team could serve as a springboard for better results in upcoming games.