The set-up: Stephen Strasburg made it look easy on the mound and the Washington Nationals did the same with the bats (19 hits) as the Nats crushed the D'backs 14-1 on Monday night. Strasburg allowed a run and three hits in six innings, moving to 15-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 0.98 WHIP while opponents are hitting just .194 against him on the season (Nats are 18-2 in his starts, giving him MLB's 2nd-best moneyline mark at plus-$1442). The Nationals' win (now 62-44) increased their lead in the NL East to five games over the Marlins and 7 1/2 over the defending NL champion Mets. As for 43-63 Arizona, the D'backs have now lost 15 of their last 20 games.

The pitching matchup: Tanner Roark (10-6, 2.96 ERA) gets the nod for Washington and Robbie Ray (5-10, 4.70 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona. Roark is one of three 10-game winners on the Nationals (Strasburg and Scherzer beings the others) and after making just 12 starts (40 appearances) in 2015, has a chance to approach or surpass his fine 2014 season when he went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 31 starts (Nats were 18-13). Ray will be facing the Nationals for the first time in his career and hardly enters with a feeling of confidence. He's 1-5 over his last seven starts (D'backs are 1-6), posting a 5.18 ERA.

The pick: Arizona is a woeful is 17-36 at home, giving them MLB's worst home moneyline mark at minus-$2513. In contrast, Washington has 31 road victories, tied with St. Louis for the most in MLB. Roark has been solid all season while Ray owns a 5.17 home ERA and overall, has seen the D'backs go 6-15 in his 21 starts for a moneyline mark of minus-$1049 (3rd-worst of ANY starter). The Washington Nationals are a 9* play.