Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals meet Sunday at Busch Stadium, with the opening pitch scheduled for 2:15 PM ET and the game televised on MLB.TV. Washington is 72-82, fourth in the NL East and 18 games behind Atlanta, while St. Louis is 75-79, fourth in the NL Central and 21 games behind Milwaukee. Both clubs have eight games remaining and have been eliminated from playoff contention. Washington won the latest completed meeting 9-1 on Friday and has won four of its last five, while St. Louis has lost three straight. Cash in a winning ticket with our free MLB picks.

Washington Nationals Finding More Offense Late in the Season

Washington’s 9-1 win over St. Louis followed a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia, and the Nationals have scored at least six runs in four of their last five games. CJ Abrams is batting .264 with 30 home runs, 97 RBI, 89 runs, and 30 stolen bases. James Wood has also hit 30 homers while batting .266 with a .392 on-base percentage and .519 slugging percentage. Daylen Lile has added 21 home runs and 86 RBI, while Keibert Ruiz is batting .288 with 24 doubles, 10 homers and 47 RBI. Jacob Young has 18 stolen bases and 100 hits.

The Nationals rank 10th in MLB batting with a .247 average and have recorded 787 runs, 1,296 hits and 201 home runs. Washington also owns a .323 on-base percentage and .426 slugging percentage, creating a large statistical edge over St. Louis in total scoring and power. Pitching has been much less reliable, with Washington posting a 4.69 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a .253 opponent batting average. The Nationals rank 27th in MLB pitching and fielding, committing 98 errors with a .982 fielding percentage. Washington is 35-41 on the road.

Injuries: DJ Herz (out), PJ Poulin (out), Orlando Ribalta (out), Connelly Early (out), Matt Waldron (out).

St. Louis Cardinals Trying to End a Three-Game Slide

St. Louis has lost three straight after Friday’s 9-1 defeat, with the Cardinals also falling 6-5 and 10-3 to San Francisco in the previous two games. Alec Burleson is batting .283 with 23 home runs, 111 RBI and 164 hits. Jordan Walker has produced 28 home runs and 100 RBI while batting .279 with a .481 slugging percentage. Ivan Herrera has a .355 on-base percentage with 16 homers and 66 RBI. JJ Wetherholt has added 17 home runs, 48 RBI and 14 stolen bases, while Nathan Church is batting .252.

The Cardinals are batting .242 with 694 runs, 1,257 hits and 158 home runs, ranking 19th in MLB batting. St. Louis owns a .316 on-base percentage and .381 slugging percentage, with Washington holding sizable advantages in runs and home runs. The Cardinals have a 4.30 ERA and 1.36 WHIP while opponents are batting .254, placing the staff 21st in MLB pitching. Defense has been much cleaner, as St. Louis ranks fifth in fielding with 68 errors and a .988 fielding percentage. The Cardinals have gone 37-42 at Busch Stadium this season.

Injuries: Blaze Jordan (out), Everson Pereira (out), Joshua Baez (out), Hunter Dobbins (out), Max Rajcic (out).

Pitching Matchup

Washington Nationals - Jake Irvin

Jake Irvin is 2-9 with a 5.51 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 96.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 90 hits and 17 home runs while recording 96 strikeouts against 46 walks.

St. Louis Cardinals - Quinn Mathews

Quinn Mathews is 2-3 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 37.1 innings. The left-hander has allowed 36 hits, three home runs and 16 walks while striking out 36 batters.

Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Game Pick

• Washington Nationals

Washington is the pick after producing four wins in its last five games and displaying much more scoring power across the season. The Nationals have scored 787 runs with 201 home runs, compared with 694 runs and 158 homers for St. Louis. Mathews has the lower starting ERA, but his 1.39 WHIP is close to Irvin’s 1.41 mark. Washington also handled St. Louis 9-1 in Friday’s series opener. With Abrams and Wood each at 30 home runs, the Nationals have enough power to create another productive afternoon.

Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Over/Under Pick

• Over

The play is over with each pitching staff carrying numbers that leave room for scoring. Washington has a 4.69 team ERA and 1.39 WHIP, while St. Louis owns a 4.30 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. Irvin’s 5.51 ERA adds another reason to expect St. Louis to create scoring chances, and Washington has scored at least six runs in four of its last five games. The Nationals also have 201 home runs and a .426 slugging percentage. These numbers will produce another high-scoring game Sunday.