MLB Betting Picks: New York Yankees at Washington Nationals
Added on Jun 15, 2012 by Jack Thurman in
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Two of the hottest teams in baseball will meet in Washington, DC on Friday as the hometown Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees. The Nationals are currently leading the NL East with a 4.5 game advantage over the second place New York Mets. The Yankees are in a tough battle in the hotly competitive AL East but hold a half game edge over the Baltimore Orioles.
New York Yankees at Washington Nationals
June 15, 2012 4:05 PM Pacific
Another weekend of Interleague play is upon us with one of the marquee matchups a three game set between one of the sport’s most storied franchises–the New York Yankees–and one of the youngest–the expansion Washington Nationals. Both teams are red hot at the moment–the Yankees have won 10 of their last 12 games, the Nationals 9 of 11. The Yankees will start veteran Phil Hughes with the Nationals countering with lefthander Gio Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is in much better form than Hughes and has been a significant contributor to the Nationals’ success all season long. He has a 2.35 ERA overall with the Nationals winning 10 of his 12 assignments. At home, he’s been even better with a 1.93 ERA and Washington winning 4 of his 5 home starts. Hughes’ stats are workmanlike at best with a 4.76 ERA overall and the Yankees having split his 12 assignments this year going 6-6. On the road, New York has lost 4 of his 6 outings with Hughes compiling a 5.08 ERA.
The Yankees have their own edge in the matchup–their offense has been significantly more potent than the Nationals in terms of run production and especially against left handed pitchers. The Yankees are averaging 4.7 runs per game overall, 4.9 runs per game on the road and a whopping 5.6 runs per game against lefthanded pitching. Washington, meanwhile, has averaged just under 4 runs per game in all settings–4.9 overall, 4.8 at home and 4.9 runs per game in their last 10 assignments.
Another advantage to the Yankees that is a bit more ‘under the radar’–they’re very familiar with Gio Gonzalez from his days with the AL Oakland A’s. More significantly, the Yankees hit Gonzalez hard while he was in the American League–he has a 1-4 record against the ‘Bronx Bombers’ and an ERA of 7.27 runs per game. The W/L record may have something to do with his teammates but it sure doesn’t suggest a scenario in which Gonzalez will baffle Yankees’ hitters.
Ultimately, we’ve got a matchup between two hot teams and in theory the underdog seems to be the way to play it. Furthermore, given the Yankees offensive advantage and familiarity with Gonzalez they’re in a much stronger position than an initial analysis of the statistics would suggest.
Bet New York Yankees (Hughes) +115 over Washington Nationals (Gonzalez)
