Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction: Expect a tough opener

Nationals Park will host the opener of a four-game series between the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals. Let's predict this encounter and make a pick. 

The Washington Nationals are coming off a series against the New York Mets, and they secured a split win in a four-game series. In that series, Washington Nationals started with consecutive defeats, losing 7-9 and 2-7, but then stepped up in the last two games with an incredible 1-0 win in the finale. However, prior to their previous series, the Washington Nationals have struggled with just one win in seven matches. Heading into this series, the Washington Nationals have a 41-46 record and are seated 12th in the National League.

The St. Louis Cardinals will look to secure another series win following a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. St. Louis Cardinals scored 14 runs in that series, with wins of 4-7 and 2-3 in the opener and finale while losing game 2 in a 5-4 encounter. However, the St. Louis Cardinals have won their prior series, the one against the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants. 

This should be an offensive encounter, looking at the two teams' run of games and prior meetings. At the moment, the Nationals are struggling, but the majority of their series have ended with high runs. While the St. Louis Cardinals have a good performance into this, I expect them to step up here, too, and win.