Nationals And Astros Will Feast On Pitching Matchup

Nationals vs. Astros, 8:10 ET

We are now officially two days away from the trade deadline which is something I'm excited about, but I was laughing a bit because the deadline doesn't exactly mean you can't have a player switch teams. Sure, it is easier to find a deal that can be completed prior to the deadline, and there are a lot more deals happening. Still, after Thursday's deadline, we can see teams put virtually everyone on waivers and see what they can get for their players. I'm assuming both of these teams will be active the remainder of the year in deals as the Nationals take on the Astros.  

The Nationals a really struggling this season. They have been one of the worst teams in baseball, in a year they assumed they were going to be competitive. In a division with the Braves, Phillies, and Mets, I think they assumed a little too much. That isn't to say they couldn't have made it work - the Braves are having a bad year, for example. It just means whatever they thought was going to happen in terms of the development of their team is not going to happen. While there have been bright spots both with hitters and pitchers, there haven't been enough. They also haven't been fully sustainable for much of the season. Today they send out Michael Soroka to the hill. He is 3-8 with a 4.85 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP. Overall, he has thrown just 78 innings for the year, and has issued 24 walks which is probably my bigger concern with him. His WHIP is actually surprisingly good and typically better than someone with that ERA would indicate. He has been worse on the road than he has been at home, but the Astros hitters don't have a ton of luck or experience against him, getting just four hits in 17 at-bats. 

Apr 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals hats and gloves in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Astros are a team that somehow finds ways to win. They've lost player after player, pitcher after pitcher, and figured out ways to get to the postseason. Before you say it is because they are cheating, I'm just going to mention that I think there is a lot more cheating and gamesmanship happening than we expect. Also, there is probably a lot more sports betting drama or things happening than you'd expect. Eventually, things get caught, and people, leagues, teams, and sportsbooks make adjustments. Through anything though, the Astros have found ways to field a winning team, no matter who is on their roster. The Astros are losing quite a bit right now though, having dropped five straight and only holding a three game lead over Seattle, four over Texas, and just eight over the Angels. This division is still up for grabs. Today they send out Jason Alexander to the mound in hopes of changing their fortune. Not the guy from Seinfeld, by the way. Alexander is 1-1 for the season with a 8.14 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP over 21 innings. He has issued 12 walks in his innings. After coming over from the Athletics, he has faced them twice in three outings with Houston. His last one he was hit to the tune of 11 hits and five earned runs. The good news is that the Nationals have a total of three at-bats against him, so they should be somewhat guessing while they're up there.

The bad news is that the first time through a lineup, Alexander is giving up a .271 batting average and it gets worse the second time through. I think the Nationals are live dogs in this one but I'm not rushing to the window with Soroka on the hill. Instead, I'm going to back the over for the game. I think both teams get to the starters and probably some on the relievers. Back the over. 

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