First Pitch: 9:35 AM PT / 12:35 PM ET
Venue: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Weather Outlook
Temperature: ~74–82°F throughout the game window
Wind: ~12 mph SSW
Conditions: Warm, hitter‑friendly spring weather with no precipitation concerns
Team Records & Recent Form
Washington Nationals (8–10)
Last 5: L 2–0, W 5–4, L 16–5, W 8–6, W 3–1
Offense: .263 AVG, 99 R, 20 HR, .337 OBP
Pitching: 5.89 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, .258 OBA
Pittsburgh Pirates (11–7)
Last 5: W 2–0, L 5–4, W 16–5, L 7–6, W 4–3
Offense: .244 AVG, 88 R, 20 HR, .337 OBP
Pitching: 3.25 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, .219 OBA
Form Edge: Pittsburgh — stronger pitching, better recent run differential, and home‑field advantage.
Injury Report
Nationals
Joan Adon (RP) — OUT (Apr 16)
Cole Henry (RP) — 15‑day IL (Apr 28)
Josiah Gray (SP) — 60‑day IL (May 29)
Ken Waldichuk (RP) — 15‑day IL (Jun 1)
Trevor Williams (SP) — 60‑day IL (Jun 1)
Pirates
Anthony Solometo (SP) — 7‑day IL (Apr 17)
Mike Clevinger (RP) — 7‑day IL (Apr 22)
Jared Triolo (SS) — 10‑day IL (May 1)
Jared Jones (SP) — 60‑day IL (May 25)
Oddanier Mosqueda (RP) — 60‑day IL (Jun 1)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Washington — LHP Foster Griffin (2–0, 1.76 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)
15.1 IP, 11 H, 12 K, 6 BB, 2 HR allowed
Soft‑contact lefty with strong early‑season command
Pittsburgh — RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1–1, 2.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP)
17 IP, 12 H, 20 K, 5 BB, 0 HR allowed
Excellent swing‑and‑miss profile; elite HR suppression
Pitching Edge: Slightly Pittsburgh — Ashcraft’s strikeout rate and zero HR allowed give him a matchup advantage.
Key Player Matchups
Nationals Hitters
CJ Abrams: .367 AVG, 6 HR, 19 RBI — elite early‑season production
James Wood: .250 AVG, 5 HR vs. Ashcraft historically
Ryan O’Hearn: .333 AVG, .413 OBP
Pirates Hitters
Oneil Cruz: .310 AVG, 5 HR, 16 RBI — power/speed threat
Brandon Lowe: 7 HR, 15 RBI — team HR leader
Joey Bart: 1 HR vs. Griffin historically
Series History & Context
Pirates lead the current series 2–1, including a 2–0 shutout on April 15.
Pittsburgh won 16–5 on April 13, showcasing their offensive ceiling.
Betting Trends
Nationals: 5.89 team ERA (29th in MLB) — pitching vulnerability
Pirates: 3.25 team ERA — strong rotation and bullpen
Nationals are 7–5 on the road; Pirates are 6–3 at home
Game Odds
Washington Nationals 8.5
Pittsburgh Pirates – 163
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, April 15, 2026
