Can Washington Nationals Steal Series From World Series Contenders on Wednesday

The Washington Nationals could shock a lot of people by winning a series against a World Series contender on Wednesday.

Aug 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez (4) walks to the mound to talk the his infield against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals are hosting the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in the finale of their three-game set at Nationals Park.

Based on the matchups coming into the series, it was fair to say that the Yankees held a massive edge. After taking Game 1, they were sending Gerrit Cole to the mound to face off against Patrick Corbin.

Nationals fans know first-hand how much he has struggled. For the fourth straight season, he is in line to lead the Major Leagues in loss. Corbin has also given up the most hits and earned runs in 2024.

But, on Tuesday night, he was able to put together a gem against New York. He fired six scoreless innings, striking out six while allowing only two hits and two walks in a 4-2 victory.

It was a great evening overall in Washington. Not only did Corbin find his form against a formidable opponent, top prospect Dylan Crews recorded the first two hits of his Major League career.

Heading into Wednesday night’s matchup, the Nationals now have a chance to send their fans home happy with a series victory.

Taking the mound for the home team is MacKenzie Gore. Gore had a great start to the season but has fallen on tough times recently, failing to live up to the lofty expectations he carried as a top prospect.

Tonight will be his 27th start of the season, as he has gone 7-11 with a 4.51 ERA in 131.2 innings. He will be opposed by one of the winningest pitchers in baseball this season, Carlos Rodon.

The veteran left-hander is 14-8 on the season with a 4.16 ERA through 26 starts and 140.2 innings pitched. He is one game behind Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal for the most wins in the league.

Once again, oddsmakers believe this is a sizable mismatch. Washington is listed as a +171 underdog, while the Yankees are -207 favorites. The over/under for runs scored has been set at nine.

Will the Nationals be able to pull off the upset again? This is a role they are used to being in and have gone 7-10 when listed as underdogs of at least this size.

They could have a better chance of winning than the odds would suggest. When lined as this big of a favorite, New York has gone only 13-10, compared to 58-44 overall as favorites.