San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals Prediction, 7/18/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals

Date: Sunday, July 18, 2021

Location: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

TV: MASN/MASN2

Odds/Point Spread: San Diego (-111) Washington (-111)

Nationals Park is the site where Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals (42-48, 4th in NL East) will play the San Diego Padres (54-40, 3rd in NL West) on Sunday. The Nationals open this game at -111 while the Padres are coming in at -111. The O/U is set at 8. The expected starting pitchers will be Joe Musgrove and Max Scherzer.

San Diego has a slugging rate of .411 and have struck out 779 times, while drawing a walk on 364 occasions. They have accrued 430 RBI's and 762 base knocks on the year, and their batting average comes in at .245. The Padres have hit 145 two-baggers as a team and have hit 115 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 452 runs scored while having a team OBP of .328. As a team, the San Diego Padres are earning 4.8 runs per game, which is 10th in MLB.

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Padres pitchers have conceded 106 home runs in addition to 361 runs in total (8th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 296 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 3.92 as a unit this year. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.03 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.20. The Padres have a team ERA of 3.46 for the year (5th in the league), and the staff has struck out 898 hitters.

The Padres relievers have recorded a save rate of 66.0% and has stepped onto the mound in 109 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 79 runners so far this year with 22.8% of those runners earned a run for their team. Padres relief pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 57 times in addition to having 89 appearances in high leverage situations. The Padres have sent 351 relievers to the hill this year. The relief pitchers have 60 holds on the year (4th in MLB). They have 31 saves for the season and have blown 16 of 47 save chances.

The San Diego Padres have earned 2,506 putouts so far this season, as well as 826 assists and 61 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .982 which has them ranked 26th in professional baseball, and they have twisted 649 double plays. The Padres have transformed 70.1% of balls in play into outs in their 7,518 innings on the field, which has them sitting 12th in pro baseball.

Musgrove has thrown 595 innings and has accumulated 581 strikeouts during his MLB career. His earned run average is 4.10 (271 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.185. He has given up 558 base knocks (8.4 hits per nine innings) and has 147 free passes. Musgrove (34-45 career record) has a FIP of 3.82 while he has faced 2,486 opposing batters in the majors.

Washington has accounted for 100 home runs so far this year as well as 363 RBIs. They have 137 doubles, while taking a walk 277 times as well as recording 380 runs. The Washington Nationals hold a team OBP of .326 in addition to a team batting average of .254 on the season. The Nationals have a slugging percentage of .410 and they earn 4.22 runs per game (18th in MLB). They have been rung up on 748 occasions (24th in baseball) and have accounted for 749 hits.

The Washington pitching staff have allowed 411 runs on the year while having an ERA of 4.32 (370 earned runs conceded). They have relinquished 120 long balls and they yield 4.80 runs per 9 innings (19th in MLB). The Nationals are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.289 in addition to having a FIP of 4.49 as a pitching staff on the season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 2.63 (764 strikeouts against 290 free passes). They are currently ranked 14th in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 704.

Washington bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 38.1% out of their 118 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 81 times in high leverage situations and on 77 occasions with runners on. With 78 save situations, the Nationals have compiled 45 holds in addition to 11 blown saves. They are ranked 11th in the league with a save rate of 65.6%, and they have sent 307 bullpen pitchers to the mound for the year. Washington has called on relief pitchers to take the mound in 32 save chances and they have earned 21 saves.

In 6,939 innings played, the Nationals have earned a efficiency on defense of 70.3% (9th in baseball). The Washington Nationals have twisted 60 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .983 (18th in MLB). The Nationals have accrued 749 assists, 52 errors and have 2,313 putouts for the season.

So far in his pro baseball career, Scherzer has given up 2,017 base knocks while accumulating 2,918 K's in 2,455 innings. Scherzer (182-97 win-loss mark in his career) has a 3.19 ERA and has conceded 7.4 hits per 9 innings. He has given up 870 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.092 and having a FIP of 3.2. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.40 and he has faced 9,950 opposing batters during his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take San Diego (-111)

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