Prepare for a showdown in Busch Stadium, folks. The Washington Nationals will try to hold the fort against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s the arena that's got more lean towards the pitchers than batters, and let's be frank, that might impact the game.
Setting the tone on the mound for the Nationals is Mike Soroka with his whopping 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings this season. Opposing him for the Cardinals, we’ve got Miles Mikolas holding a slightly higher ERA but less punch-out.
Now, you can't ignore the bat swingers. Over at the Nationals, keep an eye out for CJ Abrams with his smooth .336 average, not to mention James Wood who's been putting on a show lately, strongly supported in the power department by Nathaniel Lowe - though he could really benefit from a few more dashing runs.
For the Cardinals, it's a similar story. We've got Yohel Pozo leading the way with his .310 average followed by Alec Burleson, and Nolan Gorman, all performing admirably this season.
Looking back at the history books, you might remember the Cardinals' smashing victory over the Nationals, 10-0 back in May 2025. But let's not forget, the Nationals just recently put one over the Cardinals 8-2. It's anything but a consistent narrative between these two.
The regular season record puts the Cardinals at a decent advantage with 49-44, while the Nationals lag behind with 38-54. Recent performance, however, tells a slightly different story. It seems the skate's on the other foot with the Nationals trumping the Cardinals in their latest meeting.
So what's it going to be, you ask? Let's see, factoring in all the amusing numbers and throw in my two cents, I think the St. Louis Cardinals might just edge past the Washington Nationals but with a close call.
Albert’s Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals by 2