Washington Nationals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Prediction for Thursday April 16 2026
Sign Up Get $30 Premium Picks Credit + Exclusive Offers
Subscribe Now
Nationals Preview
The Thursday MLB schedule will get underway with a matinee between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates from PNC Park. Be ready for the baseball season with all of our MLB predictions. The Nationals (8-10) are two games above .500 on the road and have finished in the NL East Division cellar in five of the previous six years. Last night, Washington batters went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base during a 2-0 road loss against Pittsburgh.
Thirty year old left-hander Foster Griffin (2-0 1.76 ERA) will make his third career major league start for the Nationals. Last time out, Griffin fired five plus shutout innings and allowed just one hit during a 3-1 road victory against Milwaukee.
Pirates Preview
The Pittsburgh Pirates have won six of their first nine home games and are looking to capture their first division title since 1992. During Wednesday’s home victory, OF Ryan O’Hearn collected three hits and scored a run to spark the Pittsburgh offense. Carmen Mlodzinski (1-0) fanned five batters in six innings to earn the win for the Pirates (11-7), who are tied with Cincinnati for first place in the NL Central Division.
The Pirates will counter with twenty-six year old righty Braxton Ashcraft (1-1 2.12 ERA) in the series finale. In his last start, Ashcraft (5 IP) limited Chicago to one run and retired nine batters by strikes during a 4-3 road victory. 
Nationals vs Pirates Pick
Pittsburgh SP Jared Jones (elbow) was able to use all of his pitches in a recent bullpen session and is expected to make his season debut in late May. Through 18 games, Washington ranks 4th in OPS and 3rd in runs scored. For the season, Pittsburgh ranks 5th in OPS and 8th in runs scored. Take the Nationals to win on the road. Final Score Prediction, Washington Nationals win 5-4.
Never Tried Picks and Parlays? Now Is Your Chance
- Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code BUCK
- If the pick loses, we credit your account with 3 Flex Picks
- If the pick wins, we still give you 1 Flex Pick on the house
- Win or lose, you walk away ahead. One dollar. No catch.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $150 If Your Bet Wins!
New DraftKings Customers: Bet $5+ Get $100 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
Related posts
