For the second half of a short, two-game slate, the Baltimore Orioles will play host to their geographical rivals, the Washington Nationals, on Wednesday night. The guests took the first contest of this set of regional MLB matchups by a 3-0 final. The Orioles only moved one runner into scoring position in that loss.
The Nationals (25-46) have only strung together three wins in a row once during this campaign. They could do so again with a win in this one.
To this date, Washington rests in last place in the National League East. They’re further behind the leaders in their division (21.5) than any other team in the MLB standings.
Baltimore (30-39) has won three of its last five, including a series win over Tampa Bay. The Orioles, coincidentally, sit the second-furthest behind the top crew in their grouping. They’re 20.5 contests away from the New York Yankees in the American League East.
The Orioles identify with the worst hitting teams in the AL. They have a .230 team average at the plate, which is better than only Detroit and Oakland.
Right fielder Trey Mancini paces the order with a .283 batting average, along with a .363 on-base percentage. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle and right fielder Anthony Santander have a dozen home runs, while left fielder Austin Hays has a team-high 37 RBIs. Mountcastle and Santander have collaborated to drive in 71 runs.
Nationals vs. Orioles Odds
MLB odds lean toward the hosts in this matchup. Bal timore is -1.5 on the run line at +138, while the Nats are -166 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Orioles are -146 and Washington a +124 underdog. The total has been set at 9.5 runs, with the over being -104 and the under -118 at the time of this writing.
MLB betting trends surprisingly show that the Nationals are one of the better teams in the bater’s box in the NL. Only the New York Mets and Colorado have had more success in terms of average, as Washington has a .254 mark.
Over the last week, shortstop Luis Garcia has been a big contributor, having notched ten hits in 28 plate appearances. Away from the nation’s capital, third baseman Maikel Franco is hitting .336 in 125 at-bats. He has 18 RBIs, which are the third-most of any Washington Nationals player on the road in 2022.
First baseman Josh Bell and designated hitter Nelson Cruz have been the cornerstones of the lineup during this schedule.
Matchup Information
Nationals vs. Orioles Betting Preview
Southpaw Patrick Corbin will make his 15th start this season for the Nats. He has a 3-9 mark and a 6.59 ERA to this point.
His last outing was among his worst this season – he could only last 3.1 innings and allowed Philadelphia nine runs during that time. He couldn’t get much help from the defense behind him, as only two of them were earned.
The Phillies tagged him with eight hits, thrusting Corbin back into the loss column after he’d won his previous pair of outings.
Tyler Wells, Baltimore’s 27-year-old righty, will take the mound as his competition. So far, he’s 4-4 and has a 3.62 ERA. The Baltimore Orioles have won five of his last six starts and the last four overall.
Thus far in June, he’s turned in 16 frames of work, allowing a dozen knocks and six earned runs. In a trip to Toronto last Thursday, he gave up only one hit in six innings. He brought home his second straight decision.
Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles Picks and Predictions
This game carries a lot of rooting interest in the clubs’ area, but this might not be among the best MLB matchups.
In making your MLB picks today, go with Baltimore to cover and split this pair. Corbin has among the most defeats of any hurler in baseball, and the Orioles will do a solid job in hooking another on him.
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