Free Pick | MLB | Wednesday | Aug. 12

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#959/960 UNDER 9.5 Chicago Cubs (Peterson) at Washington Nationals (Kent) 5:45 PM CT

Playing an ‘under’ in a pairing of the two highest scoring teams in baseball feels counterintuitive but conditions in Washington could favor pitching tonight with a wind pushing in from left field, cooling temperatures, and a chance of rain. Both teams have also been hitting below their season splits lately against left-handed pitching. A change of scenery seems to be what David Peterson needed as he has been on a great five-start run featuring a 1.57 ERA. For Washington this will be the MLB debut of Jackson Kent, who posted a solid line in 13 AAA starts and Kent was a 4th round pick in 2024 with significant upside. There were 14 runs in yesterday’s game, but a lot of scoring came on six home runs and in Wednesday’s conditions home runs will be less likely. Both teams were off Monday as the significant bullpen usage on both sides yesterday shouldn’t be overly impactful in the second game of this series. A rookie pitcher can provide some unpredictability, but Kent could be a difficult matchup to keep Chicago’s lineup off balance and Washington’s lineup has cooled in recent weeks, particularly vs. left-handers. Peterson’s last start in Washington while pitching for the Mets was also a strong effort for a win in May.