Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 4/13/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Monday, April 13, 2026

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Odds/Point Spread: Washington (+150) Pittsburgh (-182)

PNC Park is the location where the Pittsburgh Pirates (8-5) will attempt to beat the Washington Nationals (5-8) on Monday. The odds on this game have Washington at +150 while Pittsburgh is sitting at -182. The total comes in at 8. The starting pitchers are Cade Cavalli and Paul Skenes.

As a unit, the Washington Nationals are notching 6.0 runs per outing, which ranks them 3rd in MLB. They have a total of 78 runs while having a team on-base percentage of .342. The Nationals have hit 22 two-baggers as a unit and have knocked 16 baseballs out of the park. They have recorded 73 RBI's in addition to 124 hits over the course of the season, and their team batting average is sitting at .270. Washington has a slugging rate of .431 and have struck out 105 times, while taking a walk on 46 occasions.

Get all of our MLB Expert Picks

Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.52 and their pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.60. Nationals pitchers have conceded 25 home runs and also 81 runs (29th in the league). Washington has surrendered 121 base knocks (9.4 per 9 innings) and 75 earned runs. The Nationals hold a team earned run average of 5.82 for the season (29th in the league), and their staff has rung up 99 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 65 opposing batters and their FIP is 6.10 as a team so far this year.

Nationals relief pitchers have entered the game with players on base 12 times in addition to having 9 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have notched 6 holds for the year (25th in MLB). The Nationals bullpen have earned a save rate of 20.0% and have come into the game in 14 save situations. They have tallied 1 save so far this season and have missed out on 4 of 5 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 20 runners this season with 45.0% of them ended up crossing the plate. The Nationals have sent 46 relief pitchers to the hill for the year.

The Washington Nationals have earned a total of 348 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 119 assists and 13 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .973 which has them sitting 29th in professional baseball, and they have turned 10 double plays. The Nationals have turned 69.1% of balls in play into outs out of their 1,044 innings on the field, ranking them 21st in baseball.

Cavalli (3-2 record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.49 and he has gone up against 304 hitters in the major leagues. He has surrendered 75 hits (10.1 hits per nine innings) with 26 free passes. His ERA is 4.56 (34 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.505. Cavalli has taken the mound for 67 innings and has 57 punch outs during his MLB career.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have an on-base percentage of .325 in addition to a team batting average of .235 on the season. They have been called out on strikes on 112 occasions (18th in baseball) and have recorded 102 hits. Pittsburgh has a total of 13 home runs on the year as well as 55 RBIs. The Pirates hold a slugging % of .369 and they tally 4.31 runs per contest (13th in baseball). They have put up 19 doubles, while walking 54 times as well as scoring 56 runs.

The Pittsburgh pitching staff have given up 48 runs this season while holding a team ERA of 3.08 (40 earned runs relinquished). They have yielded 9 long balls and they allow 3.69 runs per 9 innings (7th in MLB). The Pirates have a team WHIP of 1.308 and have a FIP of 3.61 as a staff on the year. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 9.70 (126 strikeouts against 59 free passes). They have a ranking of 7th in baseball as a staff in total hits surrendered with 94.

With 15 save situations, the Pirates have accrued 11 holds in addition to 1 blown save. Pittsburgh has had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 4 save opportunities and they have come away with 3 saves. Pittsburgh bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 11.8% out of their 17 inherited runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 20 times in high leverage situations and on 12 occasions with base runners. They are currently ranked 10th in the league holding a save percentage of 75.0%, and they have dispatched 47 bullpen pitchers onto the field so far this season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have turned 11 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .987 (13th in baseball). The Pirates have racked up 96 assists, 6 errors and have amassed 351 putouts over the course of the season. In their 1,053 innings on the field, the Pirates are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 70.3% (13th in pro baseball).

Skenes (23-14 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 2.09 ERA while allowing 6.5 hits per 9 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 4.98 and he has gone up against 1,299 opposing hitters so far in his pro baseball career. He has given up a total of 77 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 0.960 and a FIP of 2.1. So far in his MLB career, Skenes has given up 239 hits while earning 398 K's in 332 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Washington (+150)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get MLB picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.