Nationals vs Giants MLB | Washington’s First Visit To San Francisco

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The Nationals and Giants split four games in Washington, D.C., earlier this season, and they wrap up their season series starting Friday night as the Nats make their first visit to San Francisco in two years. The Giants are favored on the MLB odds.

How to Bet Nationals at Giants MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 9:45 PM ET
Where: Oracle Park
Probable pitchers (away/home): Paolo Espino/Logan Webb
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: TBA (Giants will be favored)

Why Bet on Washington?

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Josh Bell, who usually plays first base, has been taking flies in left field and could see time at the position. That would allow the Nationals to get Ryan Zimmerman into the lineup more frequently. Bell hasn’t played the outfield since 2016 and was not good then. Zimmerman, 36, has slowed some at the plate after a hot start to his 16th major league season. He’s batting well under .200 since June 15.

Young slugger Juan Soto is competing in next Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby. Soto’s offensive numbers are disappointing after he led the National League in average, OBP and slugging in 2020. Even with the pandemic-shortened 2020 and a couple of injuries, Soto is the 18th player in AL or NL history to hit at least 80 home runs by the end of his age-22 season. If Soto can hit 10 more after the break, he will be just the 11th to reach 90 by that point. His 28 career opposite-field homers — more than one-third of his total — are tied for fourth most of any player since 2018.

It’s Paolo Espino (2-2) on the mound here. Espino allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings last Saturday against the Dodgers. He was one out into the top of the fifth inning before there was a rain delay at Nationals Park. After walking just four batters in 35 2/3 innings coming into Saturday, he issued three walks (one intentional) in the fourth inning. The first two opened the door for a three-run frame for Los Angeles. Espino has a 2.48 ERA over four starts and 15 relief appearances.

On June 11 vs. the Giants, Espino was called upon to replace the injured Max Scherzer just one batter into the game and struck out five over 3 1/3 innings of one-run baseball. Espino surrendered a solo homer to Buster Posey in the fourth inning allowed just three hits in total. The right-hander threw 50 pitches in the game — 35 of them for strikes.

Why Bet on San Francisco?

During this 10-game stretch where San Francisco has gone 4-6, the Giants have hit .175 with runners in scoring position as a team. For the season, the Giants are hitting .247 with RISP. The Giants have hit 126 homers, second-most in the majors behind Toronto. The Giants are in contention to lead MLB in home runs at the All-Star break for just the third time since moving to San Francisco in 1958. The only other times were in 1989 (80 home runs) and 1958 (95 home runs).

Monitor the status of Giants outfielder/first baseman LaMonte Wade, who exited Wednesday’s game with a left hand strain and is day-to-day. He has been playing essentially every day at first with Brandon Belt on the injured list.

The Giants avoided a home sweep to the Cardinals on Wednesday with a 5-2 win and Jake McGee allowed one hit and struck out a batter in a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 17th save of the season. He allowed a double to Paul DeJong for the only baserunner in the inning and ended the game with a strikeout to Andrew Knizner. The 34-year-old has not given up an earned run over his last 12 appearances and has recorded two wins and five saves since his last loss June 9. The left-hander owns a 2.88 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 39:6 K:BB over 34.1 innings this season. The Giants bullpen has posted a 2.23 ERA since June 1, the best ERA in the majors in that time.

It’s Logan Webb (4-3, 3.86) on the mound here. Webb has been out since early June with a right shoulder strain. The right-hander will need to be officially reinstated from the injured list prior to making the start Friday. He made one rehab appearance with Triple-A Sacramento, allowing one run on a hit and a walk with one strikeout in two innings.

Webb likely won’t be out there long and should be immediately relieved by Tyler Beede. He hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since Sept. 26, 2019, due to Tommy John surgery but has been activated. Beede began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on May 6, but he struggled to regain his control and posted a 6.56 ERA with 32 walks and 40 strikeouts over 35 2/3 innings in 12 starts.

“It’s really exciting because I think [Beede] has a chance to impact us in a number of different ways,” Manager Gabe Kapler said. “He’s stretched out to give us as much length as we need.”