On Saturday, the St. Louis Cardinals will play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, and we have you ready to go with our Cardinals vs. Nationals prediction. First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. ET.
St. Louis and Washington met seven times last season. The Redbirds won four of the matchups and are 6-4 in their last ten meetings with the Nats. The over was 8-2 in those ten games. If you want the Cardinals vs. Nationals prediction, read on and check out our MLB Predictions to beat the sportsbooks!
*Article published before the conclusion of Friday night's game.
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Cardinals have struggled on the road
St. Louis (19-19 SU, 20-18 RL, and 21-16-1 O/U) swept Pittsburgh earlier this week. The Cardinals are 8-2 in their last ten games.
St. Louis will turn to right-hander Andre Pallante against Washington. In his last appearance, the 26-year-old allowed four runs on nine hits and four walks in 3.1 innings against New York (NL). He is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in seven starts (36.0 IP).
The Cardinals finished second in the NL Central last season, but they were pretty far behind Milwaukee and only finished four games over .500. They let Paul Goldschmidt sign with the Yankees, but the offseason was mostly quiet, leaving some to wonder if the club is competing or building for the future. While a youth movement is in the works, the pitching staff is experienced, with Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, and Erick Fedde. It certainly isn't a rebuild year, but it will be surprising if St. Louis competes for more than a Wild Card spot this season.
St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Injury Report: 3B Nolan Arenado (back) is day-to-day for Saturday's game against the Nationals.
Washington is a high-scoring team at home
Washington (17-21 SU, 19-19 RL, and 20-17-1 O/U) dropped two of three games to Cleveland in its previous series. The Nationals are 4-6 in their last ten games.
Washington will start righty Trevor Williams on Saturday against St. Louis. In his last outing, the 33-year-old surrendered four runs and nine hits in 5.1 innings versus Cincinnati. He is 2-3 with a 5.86 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in seven starts (35.1 IP).
The Nationals finished fourth in the NL East standings last year, compiling a 71-91 record. The club's core was acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego, as MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wood, and Robert Hassell III are young, promising talents. Former second-overall draft pick Dylan Crews is also part of that group. Washington didn't make much noise in the offseason, as the most significant trade brought Texas' Nathaniel Lowe to DC. The team also signed Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, Amed Rosario, and Michael Soroka for additional depth. While unlikely to make a deep run in the MLB postseason, the Nats are on the come-up.
Washington Nationals Baseball Injury Report: No injuries to report for tomorrow's game against the Cardinals.
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The Nationals average 4.9 runs per game at home and 4.9 runs in day games this season. They have been successful against Pallante in the past, and the Cardinals' bullpen is mediocre, ranking 19th in MLB in ERA (4.24). St. Louis has struggled on the mound away from home, pitching to a 5.44 ERA and .271 opponent BA.
The Cardinals will also have ample opportunities to score on Saturday. Williams is an average arm that won't wow anyone with his stuff. He'll limit barrels and won't walk many batters, but won't generate many swings and misses. He's backed up by the worst pen in baseball, too (7.22 ERA and 1.77 WHIP).
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