The set-up: In a contest which I see being decided late, or even in extra innings, my strongest play on this game is to lay the reasonable price for the extra 1.5 runs of insurance. Max Scherzer is 0-1 with a 2.37 ERA for the Nationals. He's given up just one run over 13 innings. Scherzer continues to get little run support.

The pick: Carlos Martinez is 0-3 with a 7.80 ERA this year for the Cards. Martinez is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in ten career games vs. the Nationals. Washington was already thin coming into this one though, and now its suffered another setback with an injury to Juan Soto. I think Martinez can get back on track here in this favorable matchup and match Scherzer inning for inning.

This is a 10* RUN-LINE DESTRUCTION on the Cardinals.