San Francisco Giants vs Washington Nationals Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 8/9/25, 12:06 PM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 8/17/25 at 2:43 PM in MLB Picks

The Giants had a very poor end to July, suffering two consecutive sweeps at Oracle Park, first against the Mets and then against the Pirates. But August smiled on them, right away, with a 2-1 series win against the Mets at Citi Field and a 2-1 series win against the Pirates at PNC Park. The Giants' chances of recovery are clear, especially in their next series against the Nationals, who sit last in their division with a 45-69 record.

Statistics show the Nationals' bullpen is the worst in MLB. They have a 5.92 ERA, higher than the Rockies' bullpen, and have allowed 58 home runs this season. But the Nationals' starting pitching has also been far from reliable, and the Nats' -148 run differential is the second-worst in MLB.

If there's anyone on the Nats' pitching staff who can buck the trend, it might be Brad Lord, who will start the Nationals' Game 2 against San Francisco. Although used as a reliever initially, Lord is now trusted to play long games, and he's put together three strong outings in his last three, racking up 14 innings of work with 5 ER.