2019 MLB – St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals Preview & Pick
THE FACTS
When is St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals taking place? Wednesday 16th October, 2019 – 01:06 (UK)
Where is St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals taking place? Nationals Park
What is the expected weather for St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals? Clear, 19c
What television channel is St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals on? BT Sport 1 in the UK / TBS, TBS-INT in the US
Where can I stream St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals? BT Sport subscribers can stream the match live via the BT Sport website or app in the UK / MLB.tv in the US
Where can I get tickets for St. Louis Cardinals @ Washington Nationals? https://www.mlb.com/tickets/season-tickets
What was the outcome in the last meeting? St. Louis Cardinals 1 – 8 Washington Nationals
THE TEAM NEWS
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
- Who would have thought the Cardinals would look so outmatched during the NLCS against the Nationals? They were close to an NLDS exit against the Braves, but somehow managed to win the series when they were down 1-2, securing statement wins in the final two games of the series. The picture seems far more complicated here as another heart-breaking loss means St. Louis are 0-3 in the NLCS. What’s more, they are yet to score more than a single run in an NLCS game, producing just two runs in 27 innings of action.
- Michael Wacha has not been included on the NLCS roster due to a shoulder injury but he was the team’s lone fitness concern ahead of this contest. Manager Mike Shildt might make some adjustments in the lineup, however, as the offense needs to wake up. The Cardinals have mustered just 11 hits in three games, but seven of those came in Game 3 alone.
- Dakota Hudson will get the start for the Cardinals in Game 4 but he was pedestrian in his last playoff outing, allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings. He was much better down the stretch in the regular season, however, where he posted a 1.86 ERA in his final nine starts. He ended 2019 with a 3.35 ERA and a 16-7 record.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
- The Nationals are unstoppable right now and must be the hottest team in MLB. They came from behind to beat the Brewers in the Wild Card Game, surprised the Dodgers in the NLDS and now they are 3-0 up in the NLCS against the Cardinals. They only need one win in the next four games to book the franchise’s first World Series trip. Aside from the fact the Nats posted a 50-31 mark at home during the regular season, they are also 11-2 in their last 13 outings and have averaged 4.3 runs on 9.3 hits per game during the NLCS thus far.
- Outfielder Victor Robles crushed a home run in his return to the lineup and as a result, the Nationals remain injury free during the NLCS – he was dealing with a hamstring issue, but the injury wasn’t as severe as expected so he was still included in the roster. Howie Kendrick has been Washington’s unsung hero so far in the NLCS. The veteran second baseman went 3-for-4 with three RBI in Game 3, and he is now hitting .417 with a 1.212 OPS and four RBI in the past three games against St. Louis.
- Patrick Corbin will get the start for the Nationals in Game 4 of the NLCS. He worked as a reliever twice in the NLDS, but also registered a start against the Dodgers where he allowed just two runs over six innings of work. Corbin was 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA and 238 strikeouts in the regular season, but he has posted a 0-2 mark with a 7.56 ERA in four playoff appearances in 2019.
THE PREDICTION
The Nationals have been scorching hot during the current postseason run, but that has been even more noticeable against the Cardinals. They have allowed just two runs while scoring 13 in the first three games of the series. The Nationals carry the momentum, the hot bats and will have another dominant pitcher on the mound for Game 4 on Tuesday. Even though the Cardinals are primed for a bounce-back performance, expect Washington to close things out and complete the sweep with another solid win here.
