Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Pick & Prediction APRIL 17th 2025

Preview and Prediction

Henry Davis, the catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, is once again enjoying himself after a rocky start to his career in the major leagues.

Davis is expected to be in the lineup for the Pirates as they finish their four-game series against the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon.

Pittsburgh has come out on top in two of the first three games of the series, including a 6-1 win on Wednesday. The Nationals were limited to just three hits and suffered their fourth loss in five games.

In the latest victory for Pittsburgh, Davis played a crucial role as the team scored five runs in the seventh inning. The 25-year-old is looking to turn over a new leaf after struggling against major league pitching in the past two seasons.

In the five games since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Davis has impressed Pirates manager Derek Shelton. He hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie on Wednesday, and also threw out James Wood attempting to steal second base in the first inning.

"He hit a big home run to get us started," said Shelton. "In every game that he's caught so far, he's done an outstanding job with his pitch-calling. Overall, it was an outstanding game by Henry."

Davis has been under pressure since being selected as the first overall pick in the 2021 draft. However, he has adopted a different mindset this season after batting just .144 with 45 strikeouts in 104 at-bats with the Pirates last year.

"I trust that I am a very talented player, and I don't have to force or make things happen," Davis said. "I want to show that I can be a valuable member of the team, help us win, and just let things happen and have fun. I've never really had fun while playing poorly."

In the series finale, the Pirates will have left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-1, 3.00 ERA) on the mound, while the Nationals will have right-hander Trevor Williams (1-1, 7.36 ERA) starting.

Heaney is still searching for his first win this season after allowing a total of six runs and striking out 18 in his first three starts, covering 18 innings.

The 33-year-old veteran gave up four runs in six innings and struck out six in a 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Amed Rosario is 2-for-13 (.154) and Josh Bell is 2-for-12 (.167) against Heaney, who has a record of 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in five career games (four starts) against Washington.

Williams has given up 23 hits in 14 2/3 innings in his first three starts this season. In a 7-6 loss to the Miami Marlins on Saturday, he allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.

"It is frustrating, believe me, seeing how many hits I give up," Williams said. "You look at the box score and you're like, 'Man, I feel like I didn't give up eight hits today.' But it's just one of those things. They put together some great at-bats."

Williams, who is 32 years old, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Pirates. He has a record of 2-1 with a 4.82 ERA in four career starts against them.

Washington's bullpen remains a concern after Eduardo Salazar gave up Oneil Cruz's first career grand slam in Wednesday's loss. The 26-year-old right-hander has allowed a total of six runs in his last four appearances, covering 2 1/3 innings.

"He just needs to be more aggressive," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "He has really good stuff. We saw it in spring training and earlier in the season. He needs to be more aggressive and use his fastball to get ahead. I think he's throwing too many breaking pitches."

PREDICTION

Washington Nationals

4

5

Pittsburgh Pirates

Washington Nationals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Recap SEP 8TH 2024