The Detroit Tigers start a six-game road trip with a matchup against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at Nationals Park. First pitch is set for 6:45 PM ET. Detroit enters at 53-32, tied with the Dodgers for the best record in the league. Washington sits at 35-49 and near the bottom of the NL East.
These teams met last month in Detroit, where the Tigers won two of three. In the last game, Detroit won 7-2 behind six innings from Casey Mize. Jack Flaherty will start this one for Detroit, and Trevor Williams goes for Washington. Flaherty is 4-1 lifetime against the Nationals, while Williams is 2-0 against the Tigers in his career.
DET Preview – Tigers Look to Stay on Top of the AL
Detroit has won three of its last four games and just took a series from the Twins. In the series finale, Tarik Skubal allowed one hit over seven innings and struck out 13. Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter each hit home runs in the 3-0 win. Carpenter left with a hamstring issue and is questionable for this game.
Jack Flaherty will make his 17th start of the season. He is 5-9 with a 4.80 ERA but has pitched better against Washington in the past. In six career starts versus the Nationals, he has a 3.78 ERA. He allowed three runs over six innings in his last outing against Oakland and struck out seven.
The Tigers’ offense averages nearly five runs per game and has hit the team total over in 50 of 85 games. The bullpen has been strong, with a 3.32 ERA and a WHIP of 1.22 across 298 innings. Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle have been reliable late in games, while Chase Lee and Brant Hurter have added depth. Detroit is 23-18 on the road and 42-38 against the over.
WAS Preview – Nationals Try to Keep Momentum After Extra-Inning Win
The Nationals ended a nine-game road trip with a 7-4 win over the Angels in 11 innings. Washington finished 4-5 on the trip, including a stretch where they scored 24 runs over three games in Anaheim. Before that, the offense had been quiet most of June. They had lost seven straight series before Sunday’s win.
Trevor Williams gets the ball with a 3-9 record and 5.65 ERA over 15 starts. He allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings against the Padres in his last outing. In June, he went 0-4 and never pitched past the fifth. Despite this, he has had some success against the Tigers with a 4.15 ERA over five career starts.
Washington allows over five runs per game and the bullpen has a 5.32 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. Kyle Finnegan pitched three scoreless innings in the extra-inning win on Sunday and is the team’s most dependable reliever. James Wood was walked intentionally four times, showing how dangerous he’s become at the plate. The Nationals are just 16-24 at home this year.
Betting Prediction
Detroit is a -160 favorite on the moneyline, while Washington is a +135 underdog. The total is set at 9.5 runs. Detroit has hit the game total over in 19 of its last 29 road games and has also been strong on the first five inning moneyline. Washington has gone under the total in 15 of its last 20 home games.
Flaherty has better recent form than Williams and a better track record against the Nationals. Detroit also has the stronger bullpen and lineup. Washington has shown some life lately, but their pitching still gives up too many runs. Look for the Tigers to control this game and win by more than a run.
Pick: Tigers -1.5
