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Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals Series Preview (5/26-5/29)

By Ricky Keeler

May 25, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday (7) hits a three-run home run off of Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adam Warren (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday (7) hits a three-run home run off of Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adam Warren (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Nationals
May 24, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) pitches during the second inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael Wacha (2-5, 5.04) vs. Stephen Strasburg (8-0, 2.79) – 1:35 p.m, MASN/WUSA9

Last season, Michael Wacha was 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 30 starts. However, the 24-year-old right-hander is off to a bad start in 2016. Wacha has only gone four innings in each of his last three starts. Against the Cubs on Tuesday, Wacha went four innings, gave up eight runs on eight hits, struck out four, and walked four in a loss.

Wacha hasn’ t won a game since April 23 against the Padres, which is a span of six starts. He has walked three or more batters in three of his last five starts and his 22 walks are the most on the team.

In three starts against the Nats, Wacha is 2-1 with a 0.79 ERA. Daniel Murphy is 3-for-11 (.273) against him with a home run and two RBI’s.

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On Tuesday night, Strasburg continued his undefeated season with another strong outing against the Mets. He went 6.2 innings, gave up two runs on four hits, struck out 11, and walked two on 108 pitches in the win to improve his record to 8-0. Plus, the Nats have won 14 straight games that he’s pitched, dating back to last season.

Strasburg, who has given up six combined runs in his last three starts, has had three double-digit strikeout games in his last four outings. This month, he does have a 3.41 ERA, but his 46 K’s are third in the National League behind Scherzer and Kershaw.

Next: Recap: Nats Shut Out By Mets In Series Finale

The Nats’ right-hander is 1-2 with a 2.76 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals. On April 29, Strasburg went seven innings, gave up two runs on eight hits, struck out nine, and walked one in a win. Matt Holliday is 6-for-12 with two doubles and a RBI against him.

Prediction: Despite Wacha’s bad numbers lately, his career numbers against Washington do give him a chance in this game. However, I like the Washington Nationals’ chances to pick up another win for Strasburg.

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