Max Scherzer/Brandon Woodruff Named Starters for NL Wild Card Game

The MLB Playoffs are here!

Tuesday night, the race towards the World Series title begins as the National League Wild Card game is set to be played. It will be the Washington Nationals taking on the Milwaukee Brewers. The winner of this one-game-series will then take on the team with the best record from the NL – the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Both teams are going with their studs to secure a win. The Brewers will be sending Brandon Woodruff to the mound, while the home-team Nationals will have Max Scherzer on the bump.

※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 30th, 8:00 p.m. (EST)

Online bookmaker BetOnline has the Nationals at -171 to win the NL Wild Card.

Looking at the Brewers, Woodruff is 11-3 this season with a 3.62 ERA. While Woodruff is expected to carry the pitching load, many believe that the Brewers will go to the bullpen early in this contest, regardless of how Woodruff is doing on the mound.

Scherzer is a pitcher that can go 9 innings (or more). He is 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA this season. Scherzer has pitched in four postseason games under the Nats. He has gone 0-2 with a 3.72 ERA during that span.

Injuries could also play a huge factor. The Brewers are already without Christian Yelich, but Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun are on the verge of missing this game as well.

Cain is nursing an ankle injury and it is unknown if he will suit up. Braun has a mild left calf strain and his status is unknown as well. If both those players cannot go, the team will be missing two key players.

The Nats look to be at full power, so it could be a war of attrition in this game, which would favor Washington.

At home, can the Nationals secure a spot in the NLDS, or will the Brewers punch their ticket on the road?