Washington Nationals vs Cincinnati Reds Prediction: A competitive contest ahead

Tuesday's Major League Baseball action at Nationals Park features a matchup between the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds.

The Washington Nationals have won their last three games by a combined score of 11 runs, and they have won their last seven games by a score of 4 runs or more in six of those seven games. The Washington Nationals have a record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws in their last 8 games when scoring 4 runs or more. While Lane Thomas leads the Nationals in hits and runs batted in with 97 and 44, respectively, Joey Meneses and Luis Garcia have combined for 169 hits and 76 RBI between the two of them. This is Jake Irvin's turn to pitch, and so far he has a record of 1-4 with a 4.72 earned run average and 37 strikeouts. Irvin will face the Cincinnati Reds for the very first time in his professional baseball career. The Washington Nationals have a record of 12–43 in their previous 55 games played on Tuesdays and a record of 3–7 in their last 10 games played on Tuesday. In the Nationals previous five games prior to game 1 of a series, the over was 4-1.

The Cincinnati Reds have won their previous three games, tallying 16 runs, and have scored at least four runs in each of their last four games. When scoring four or more runs in a game, the Reds have won 11 of their previous 14 contests. While Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson have combined for a total of 154 hits and 80 RBI, Spencer Steer leads the Reds with 84 hits and 50 RBI to put the Reds in first place. The starting pitcher will be Luke Weaver, who has a record of 1-2 with a 6.96 ERA and 55 strikeouts so far this season. In his career versus the Nationals, Weaver has a record of 0-2 with a 4.26 earned run average and 9 strikeouts. The Cincinnati Reds have a record of 4-1 in their past 5 games played on Tuesday, while their record during game 1 of a series is 5-1 in their last 6 games overall. In the last nine games the Cincinnati Reds have played, the over is 7-2.

It is understandable to make a case for the Washington Nationals at home, particularly considering that Jake Irvin has pitched better than Luke Weaver so far this season. The Cincinnati Reds, on the other hand, have been a completely different squad over the course of the past month. Also, there is a sense of assurance surrounding this club, and the offense has been producing routinely. The Nationals probably won't be able to improve upon what was already a successful week for them. Therefore, I will back the Cincinnati Reds on the road here in what is expected to be a close one.