Miami Marlins
The Marlins enter this one at a very poor 53-100, unsurprisingly last in their division. They’ve gone 29-49 at home, with only 2 wins in their last 10 games. Castro and Anderson have both been respectable offensively, each reaching 20 home runs so far. Elieser Hernandez will pitch in this one, going 3-5 with a 5.03 through 82.
Washington Nationals
The Nats look poised for the playoffs, currently 2nd in the NL East at 84-68. They have a decent 41-37 road record, going .500 over their last 10. Rendon and Soto continue to provide an excellent offensive punch, combining for 68 homers and 225 RBI. Stephen Strasburg will pitch here, going 17-6 with a 3.49 ERA through 196.
Prediction: Nationals
Washington is comfortably the better of these two sides and they’ve got real playoff implications in this one. They’ve been a particularly solid road side of late and have one of the best pitchers in the majors here. I think their strong offence can get after Hernandez in a relatively comfortable road win.
San Diego Padres
The Padres are now 4th in the NL West at 69-85. They’ve gone 35-40 at home this season and slumped to 3 wins in their last 10. Hunter Renfroe leads the way with 32 home runs, while Eric Hosmer has a tidy 96 RBI. Cal Quantrill will pitch here, going 6-8 with a 5.33 ERA through 98 innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-Backs are still alive, now 79-75 and second in the NL West. They are .500 on the road this season, although a similar slump has them winning only 3 of their last 10. 3rd Baseman Eduardo Escobar is easily their offensive standout, totalling 35 home runs and 115 RBI on the season. Zac Gallen will pitch in this one, going 2-3 with a decent 2.89 ERA through 43 innings.
Prediction: Diamondbacks
As the 9-0 result last time out shows, I think San Diego has all but given up on this season. Arizona has a ton to play for in this one and have shown decent form on the road, while the Padres aren’t a great home side. Zac Gallen has certainly passed the eye test so far and I expect another solid performance from him en route to victory.