Mariners vs. Nationals: Picks, predictions, how to watch Tuesday’s game

The Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals square off on Tuesday with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Chris Flexen is set to start for the Mariners, while Josiah Gray gets the nod for the Nationals.

Over the past week, the Mariners have been one of the best teams in baseball. Young star Julio Rodriguez has been a big reason for the Mariners' success. Every night he’s doing something different to help the team win. They have a fun, young team that could make some noise in the playoffs if they keep it up. On the mound, Chris Flexen has been up and down this season. He’s 5-8 with a 4.00 ERA.

The Nationals have had major struggles this season, and that was expected. There were some speculations earlier in this season that Juan Soto could potentially be dealt at the trade deadline, but his agent quickly denied the possibility of that happening. Josh Bell has been the Nationals' best hitter this season and he’s been great over the past month. On the season, Bell is hitting .304 with 12 home runs and 47 runs batted in. On the mound, Josiah Gray has shown some good signs, but has had his struggles as well. This season, he is 7-5 with a 4.14 ERA.

Mariners vs. Nationals

Pitchers: Chris Flexen vs. Josiah Gray
First pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET
Mariners local broadcast: ROOT Sports Northwest
Nationals local broadcast: MASN
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Mariners -1.5
Run total: 9
Moneyline odds: Mariners -110, Nationals -110

Moneyline pick: Mariners -110

The Mariners have been too hot to bet against them. Gray has pitched very well of late, so he could have another quality outing. However, the Mariners are making a legitimate playoff push and I don't see the Nationals stopping that. I expect the Mariners to have a big win to start the series.

Player prop pick: Josh Bell over 1.5 total bases (+105)

In his last 15 games, Bell is hitting .310 with a home run and nine extra-base hits. Bell has hit right-handed pitchers better than left-handed pitchers this season, so it is a good matchup for him. Although he's never faced Flexen, I expect an extra-base hit from Bell in this one.

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