Cooper Albers previews Sunday’s MLB series finale between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
National League contenders will square off in a Sunday afternoon rubber match, as the San Diego Padres visit the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
The Padres (32–25, 2nd NL West) took Friday’s series opener, 7–5, before the Nationals (30–29, 2nd NL East) rebounded with a 9–4 win on Saturday.
Looking at the pitching probables, we’ve got San Diego right-hander Griffin Canning (0–3, 7.54 ERA) taking on Washington righty Zack Littell (4–4, 5.23 ERA).
First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Padres enter as 1.5-run road favorites with -132 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Nationals are +109 underdogs, with the game total set at O/U nine runs.
The Padres’ season-long struggles appear to be following them into June. Saddled with one of MLB’s weakest offenses, San Diego has dropped seven of its last ten games — including five of its last six — and ranked 28th league-wide in wRC+ in May. But at least Fernando Tatis Jr. finally hit his first homer of the year, right?
Just as the Mason Miller-led bullpen has remained elite, San Diego’s strained rotation has continued to take its lumps. Exacerbating the issue, right-hander Griffin Canning has struggled to find his form since returning from a ruptured Achilles. The 30-year-old hurler has posted a paltry 7.54 ERA (4.57 xERA) through his first five starts (22.2 IP) of 2026, getting hit harder than just about any arm in the league.
But at least Fernando Tatis Jr. finally hit his first homer of the year, right?
Washington’s young core has fully blossomed. With James Wood and CJ Abrams leading the way, the Nationals rank fourth league-wide in wRC+ and wOBA, while pacing the majors in total runs scored. Their mighty offense has powered the club to seven wins in its last 11 games — including a statement series win over the MLB-best Braves in Atlanta.
However, Washington’s ceiling remains limited because of some brutal pitching. The Nats sit 26th in MLB in ERA, and their starting rotation has logged the fewest innings in the sport. Sunday’s starter, fifth-string Zack Littell, has seemingly turned a corner, posting a 2.19 ERA through five starts (24.2 IP) in May. But the 30-year-old righty needs to show more consistency to bring down his swollen 5.23 ERA and even more swollen 6.57 xERA.
There’s nothing like a Sunday afternoon: fresh-cut grass, hot dogs on the grill, and the home team pulling off an upset victory. While Littell has struggled this season, his impressive recent form should hold against San Diego’s dreadful lineup. On the other side, the fiery Nats’ bats should pounce on Canning early and force a Padres bullpen — that already covered 6.1 frames on Friday — into another long day. There’s strong value in a D.C. dub.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。