Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Odds, Spread, and Total
Following a 13-2 drubbing at the hands of the Nationals, the Phillies now hand the ball to highly touted rookie Andrew Painter on Tuesday night to right the ship. First…
Following a 13-2 drubbing at the hands of the Nationals, the Phillies now hand the ball to highly touted rookie Andrew Painter on Tuesday night to right the ship. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. EST at Citizens Bank Park, with the divisional matchup airing on MLB.TV, MLB Network, and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Philadelphia (1-3) is desperate for a spark after the blowout loss on Monday night. The Phillies' pitching staff was torched for 17 hits, ballooning the team ERA to 6.57.
Philadelphia is batting just .189 collectively and has scored only 14 runs through four games. Outfielder Brandon Marsh has been the lone bright spot at the plate, slashing .417/.500/.583.
Painter, the organization's prized 6-foot-7 right-hander, makes his first big-league start after being a first-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft and working his way back from 2023 Tommy John surgery.
Washington (3-1) continues to bring a relentless offensive attack, having ambushed the Phillies with a four-run first inning on Monday. Eight of the nine starters scored, with seven hitters knocking multiple hits. Outfielder Joey Wiemer went 2-for-4 to continue his blistering start, boasting an .800 batting average alongside two home runs and four RBIs.
The Nationals will counter with PJ Poulin on the mound. The left-hander has thrown 1.2 innings of scoreless relief this season and holds a 3.42 ERA over 26.1 career innings.
Nationals vs Phillies Betting Trends
- The Nationals are 3-1 against the spread when playing on the road.
- The Phillies have lost five of their last six games at home.
- The Nationals have won three of the four times they've played as underdogs.
- The Phillies are 1-3 when playing as the favorites.
- The over has hit in three of the four games this season for both teams.
- The Phillies have won 12 of the last 16 matchups against the Nationals in Philadelphia.
Nationals vs Phillies Injury Reports
Nationals
- Paxton Schultz, RP — 15-day IL (elbow).
- DJ Herz, SP — 60-day IL (elbow).
- Trevor Williams, SP — 60-day IL (elbow).
Phillies
- Daniel Robert, RP — Day to day (cardiac event).
- Keaton Anthony, 1B — Day to day (toe).
- Orion Kerkering, RP — 15-day IL (hamstring).
- Zack Wheeler, SP — 15-day IL (shoulder).
- Max Lazar, RP — 15-day IL (oblique).
Nationals vs Phillies Predictions and Picks
"Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter makes his MLB debut after struggling to a 5.65 ERA with 1.5 home runs per nine innings at the Triple-A level last season, but he looked much better in spring training with a 2.31 ERA while competing for a spot in the rotation. The Nationals were initially expected to start Zack Littell, who posted a 3.81 ERA last season with the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays ... but the Nationals will lean heavily on a bullpen that ranked last in ERA last season at 5.59." — Greg Peterson, VSiN
Best Bet: Over
The Nationals are currently swinging the hottest bats in baseball, hitting .299 as a team with 31 runs scored over their first four games. Phillies rookie Painter brings electric stuff — and the nerves and volatility of making his major league debut. On the other side, Washington is starting inexperienced left-hander PJ Poulin against a Philadelphia team desperate to get going on offense. The Phillies have to start hitting at some point, and facing a Nats bullpen seems like a good place to start.
