MLB Baseball
2026-08-08 - Cincinnati Reds at Washington Nationals
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Saturday 8th August 2026 - Scheduled 6:45pm EST
11:45pm (British Time)
Preview
The depth of the National League means there is going to be a real fight for teams to secure the Wild Card spots through the remaining weeks of the regular season. One of those three spots available is almost certainly going to a team in the National League Central, but the next two places look wide open.
That makes series like this one between the Cincinnati Reds (56-59) and the Washington Nationals (57-61) feel so very important.
The Nationals took the opener on Friday to move a little closer to the Reds, but both teams will know that they have a lot of work to do if they are going to get back into Wild Card contention. There are at least 5 games between these teams and those places, but both the Nationals and Reds will know an opportunity could come up if they can find some consistent performances over the next month.
In reality the decisions made at the trade deadline suggest these teams feel it is a long shot to move past a number of rivals to finish in the top three of the Wild Card standings.
However, that does not mean the towel should be thrown in as far as the 2026 season is concerned and Washington and Cincinnati will be sending a couple of sophomore Major League pitchers to the mound for the second game of this latest series.
The Nationals will hand the ball to Andrew Alvarez who has a 2-3 record and 3.94 ERA from sixteen appearances this season- half of those have come as a starter.
Last season in his rookie season, Andrew Alvarez produced five solid starts for the Nationals, but he has been a bit more up and down this season as more tape has been available to analyse. Andrew Alvarez did begin August by holding the Philadelphia Phillies to two runs into the 7th Inning, while he produced a really solid June when putting a 3.00 ERA on the board in five starts made that month.
With the likes of Foster Griffin traded away, the Nationals may choose to give Andrew Alvarez more experience in his second year at this level and he has shown he can offer a strong foundation for the team.
Washington will need all of that as they prepare to face Cincinnati's sophomore pitcher who has really impressed in his second season in the Major League.
Chase Burns made thirteen appearances in his rookie season and eight of those was as a starter as he finished 2025 with a 4.57 ERA. In 2026, Burns has a 13-1 record and a 2.35 ERA in twenty-one starts for the Cincinnati Reds and there is going to be a lot of excitement about what the future may hold for this pitcher.
The only decision loss came in the third start of the season when Chase Burns was knocked around for five runs by the Los Angeles Angels, but he has allowed more than two runs in any start just twice more since then. In his first start in August, Chase Burns held the Pittsburgh Pirates to a single run in completing 6 Innings, and he now has a 6-0 record and a 2.72 ERA in his last eight starts for the Reds.
This is going to be the first time Andrew Alvarez has faced the Cincinnati Reds, but Chase Burns has seen the Nationals once already this season when keeping them off the scoreboard in 6 Innings thrown at home in June.
Chase Burns earned the decision win that day, but did allow five runs deep into the 6th Inning in his sole start in this ballpark in his rookie campaign.
Washington have taken three of the four games played between these teams in 2026 after winning 5-3 on Friday.
Prediction
There is going to be real confidence in both dugouts with the sophomore pitcher heading to the mound for the respective teams, but the narrow edge may be with the Cincinnati Reds.
Chase Burns has been in fine form all season, while Andrew Alvarez is a touch more inconsistent.
Last season Burns was roughed up in this ballpark, but he has held the Washington Nationals down once this season and he can set the Cincinnati Reds up in a position to level this latest series.
The Pick :
Washington Nationals 3-4 Cincinnati Reds
