Just when you thought you might be able to trust Miami starter Sandy Alcantara again, you can't. Not only is Alcantara's strikeout ability diminished - just 36 in 51.1 innings - but he got hammered in his last start giving up seven earned runs in 4.1 innings against the Orioles this past Tuesday. Alcantara's last good season was 2022. Washington has the superior offense ranking second in runs. Miami is 18th in runs and has smacked 12 fewer homers than Washington. Cade Cavalli might be the Nationals' top pitcher and he gets the start today. He has a 4.15 ERA, but some of his metrics tell a better story. Cavalli's fielding independent points (FIP) is 3.10 because he is averaging 10.4 strikeouts and 0.3 home runs per nine innings allowed. Take the Nationals.
