San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals Picks and Prediction for Sunday, May 31, 2026
The San Diego Padres visit the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Sunday at 1:35 PM ET on MLB.TV. San Diego is 32-24 and sits second in the NL West, while Washington is 29-29 and third in the NL East. The Padres opened this series with a 7-5 victory Friday night and have won four of their last five road games. Washington has dropped two straight contests after winning three of its previous four games. Look here for more free MLB picks before first pitch.
Padres Looking to Keep Pace in NL West
San Diego continued its strong road play with Friday's 7-5 win in the series opener. The Padres have won two of their last three games after a difficult series against Philadelphia and remain within striking distance of the division-leading Dodgers. San Diego has also been one of the better daytime teams in baseball with a 14-8 record in day games this season.
The Padres are hitting just .219 as a team, but continue finding ways to score enough runs to stay competitive. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the club with a .268 average and 55 hits, while Manny Machado has nine home runs and 28 RBI. Gavin Sheets has added nine home runs with a .494 slugging percentage, and Xander Bogaerts has contributed seven home runs and 25 RBI. Ty France is batting .286 with six home runs, helping provide additional production in the middle of the lineup.
Pitching has carried San Diego this season. The Padres own a 3.85 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while holding opponents to a .233 batting average. The staff has recorded 474 strikeouts through 56 games and continues receiving solid bullpen work in close contests.
Injuries: Luis Campusano, 10-Day IL, Blake Hunt, 7-Day IL, Jake Cronenworth, 7-Day IL, Matt Waldron, 15-Day IL, Jhony Brito, 60-Day IL
Deposit $20 get $50 via Code: WINNERS
$10 Bonus
100% up to $250
Nationals Trying to Turn Things Around
Washington has cooled off after winning three of four games before this series. The Nationals lost Friday's opener 7-5 despite collecting nine hits and continue searching for more consistency at home, where they are just 10-17 this season.
The Nationals are hitting .246 with a .325 on-base percentage and .420 slugging percentage while producing 311 runs, one of the highest totals in the National League. CJ Abrams is batting .291 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI, while James Wood has 15 home runs, 37 RBI, and a .414 OBP. Daylen Lile has contributed 59 hits, and Luis Garcia Jr. is batting .262 with 27 RBI. Washington has totaled 74 home runs and 491 hits through 58 games.
Washington's pitching staff has been less reliable. The Nationals have a 4.65 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while allowing opponents to hit .255 against them. The staff has recorded 457 strikeouts and surrendered 74 home runs this season, creating problems in several close losses.
Injuries: Josiah Gray, 60-Day IL, Trevor Williams, 60-Day IL, Ken Waldichuk, 60-Day IL, Tyler Baum, 60-Day IL, Jake Irvin, 15-Day IL
Pitching Matchup
San Diego Padres – Griffin Canning
Canning is 0-3 with a 7.54 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across 22.2 innings this season. The right-hander has allowed 22 hits, 13 walks, and four home runs while striking out 24 batters. Canning is coming off a solid outing against Philadelphia, where he allowed three runs over 6.2 innings.
Washington Nationals – Zack Littell
Littell is 4-4 with a 5.23 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 53.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 57 hits and 15 home runs while recording 30 strikeouts. Littell has pitched much better recently, allowing just six earned runs across his last 24.2 innings.
San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals Pick
Washington has the offensive advantage entering this matchup and will take advantage of Canning's struggles. The Nationals rank well ahead of San Diego in batting average, runs scored, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Littell has also been much sharper during May, while Washington continues producing consistent offense from Abrams and Wood. The Nationals will win at home.
San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals Over/Under Pick
This matchup will cash over because both starting pitchers enter with ERAs above 5.00 and have allowed plenty of baserunners this season. Washington averages more than five runs per game and has already hit 74 home runs, while San Diego's lineup showed signs of life with seven runs in Friday's opener. With both bullpens potentially seeing significant work, this game has the ingredients for another high-scoring contest.
Never Tried Winners and Whiners? Now Is Your Chance
- Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code DOLLAR
- If the pick loses, we credit your account with 3 Flex Picks
- If the pick wins, we still give you 1 Flex Pick on the house
- Win or lose, you walk away ahead. One dollar. No catch.
- Check out more MLB predictions
Get Free Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
