| MATCHUP | Washington Nationals | Pittsburgh Pirates |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 7-9 | 10-6 |
| Where | PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| When | Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:40 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
In this article, we will formulate a Nationals vs Pirates Prediction for this MLB matchup on Tuesday, April 14th in the second game of this series. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 10-6 record this season and are sitting in the first place of the NL Central. They have a 5-2 home record and are coming off a 16-5 home win against the Nationals. Their previous three games were a 6-7 road loss, and a 4-3 and a 2-0 road win against the Cubs.
The Pirates have a .250 batting average this season, .342 OBP and .392 Slugging percentage. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has a 3.34 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. Oneil Cruz is the team’s best hitter with a .355 batting average, also leading the team in RBI with 16. Brandon Lowe adds a team‑high 6 home runs.
Mitch Keller (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Pirates, and he has a 1-0 record, 1.00 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
Washington Nationals Preview
The Washington Nationals have a 7-9 record this season and are sitting in the fourth place of the NL East. They have a 6-4 away record and are coming off a 5-16 road loss against the Pirates. Their previous three games were an 8-6, a 3-1, and a 7-3 road win against the Brewers.
The Nationals have a .270 batting average this season, .340 OBP and .427 Slugging percentage. Washington’s pitching staff has a 6.21 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. CJ Abrams is the team’s best hitter with a .327 batting average, also leading the team in RBI with 17 and adding a team‑high 5 home runs.
Miles Mikolas (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Nationals, and he has a 0-3 record, 12.41 ERA and 2.35 WHIP.
Washington Nationals @ Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends: April 14, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Mitch Keller Record this season: 1-0 ERA: 1.00
- Home Record: 1-0
- Last 5 against Nationals: 1-2
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win
- The Pirates have won 10 of their last 11 home games against NL East opponents.
- The Nationals have lost seven of their last eight night games following a road loss.
- The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last five home games against NL East opponents.
- The Pirates have led after 3 innings in each of their last five home games against NL East opponents.
- The Pirates have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight night games against the Nationals.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Miles Mikolas Record this season: 0-3 ERA: 12.41
- Road Record: 0-1
- Last 5 against Pirates: 0-1
Why the Washington Nationals will win
- The Nationals have won seven of their last eight games as underdogs against NL Central opponents following a loss.
- The Pirates have lost four of their last five games as favorites against the Nationals following a win.
- The Nationals have covered the run line in each of their last seven road games following a loss.
- The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last five games against the Nationals following a win.
- The Pirates have lost the first inning in three of their last four games against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
- The Nationals have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight Tuesday games against the Pirates.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Pirates’ last five games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Six of the Nationals’ last seven night games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the Nationals’ last seven games at PNC Park.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the last seven night games between the Nationals and Pirates at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Brandon Lowe has hit a home run in four of his last five appearances against the Nationals.
- Mitch Keller has recorded five or more strikeouts in 12 of his last 16 home appearances against NL opponents that held a losing record.
- Brandon Lowe has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances against NL East opponents.
- Brandon Lowe ranks T2nd in the league in Home Runs (6) this season.
Washington Nationals Player Prop Facts
- CJ Abrams has hit a home run in each of his last two road appearances against the Pirates.
- Miles Mikolas has recorded four or more strikeouts in each of his last six road appearances against NL Central opponents.
- CJ Abrams has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 15 road appearances against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
- Nasim Nunez ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (7) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pirates rank 4th in the league for on-base percentage this season (.342).
- The Pirates rank 4th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.223).
- The Nationals rank 30th in the league for home runs allowed this season (32).
- The Nationals rank 29th in the league for ERA this season (6.21).
Nationals vs Pirates Prediction
Both teams are tied 4-4 in their last 8 meetings but the Pirates are 5-1 in their last 6 meetings in Pittsburgh.
In this Nationals vs Pirates Prediction, the Pirates are coming as -185 home favorites. The Pirates destroyed the Nats yesterday by 16-5 and have the pitching advantage today, as the red-hot Mitch Keller goes up against Miles Mikolas. Keller’s two of his three starts this season had been shutouts, while Mikolas has 19 earned runs in three starts so far. On top of that, the Nationals have the worst bullpen in baseball and have been slightly weaker against righties. Lay the juice and take the Pirates to win this one at home.