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This week has proven to be one of those moments where I feel like there are too many ugly losses to justify following my choices. I still put my nose to the nose and find the winners, but yesterday I took a wonder that was wiped out pretty quickly.
On Monday, I had a loser on the Minnesota Twins almost immediately. It can be difficult to publish these, but I remind myself that the next win is just around the corner and I have been more profitable than in debt to bet. Let’s try to get out of this little slump with a win between the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies.
The Nationals are the subject of a lot of trade scenarios at the moment. They are 51-51, which is significantly better than most expected them to be at this point in the season. There are only two problems – one, you can’t really expect them to win the division because all the teams (except the New York Mets) are good this season; and two, this team expected to be bad this year, so the original plan was to trade away pieces and build for the future.
Washington Nationals starter Cade Cavalli throws the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on June 30, 2026. (Jaiden Tripi-Imagn Photos)
The team has been really good away from home this season, which is surprising. They are 31-20 away from home. Cade Cavalli seeks to improve this brand. For the season, Cavalli has a 6-4 record with a 3.78 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. His ERA is slightly lower on the road, but nothing that remarkably different. He has a decent mix of outs from strikeouts, fly balls and ground balls. He has posted quality starts in four of his last five outings, but also has two starts of less than three innings in two of his last six. Only Troy Johnston has hit against Cavalli, and he’s 0-for-3.
The Rockies are about as bad as expected. Some predicted them to be the worst team in baseball, and that seems a bit far-fetched. The Mets and Angels may compete for that this season. Still, the Rockies have very little to be excited about this year. They are 41-62 for the season, but at least have success at home with a 24-28 record. They have some interesting pieces themselves, as Hunter Goodman and Jack McCarthy could be of interest for more playoff pushes. This Rockies team needs to build their farm system, so trading away some players makes sense.
Colorado Rockies pitcher Gabriel Hughes takes the mound for the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. (Christopher Hanewinckel/Imagn Images)
The bigger problem is that they will always need pitching. The team has never really had a reliable arm in the rotation. Sure, they signed Mike Hampton years ago, but it didn’t go well. It seems that even when they try to make a splash in free agency for hitters, it doesn’t work out (read: Kris Bryant). It’s way too early to say Gabriel Hughes will be reliable, but today’s starter looks good in his first few games for the Rockies. He has allowed just five earned runs over 14.1 innings (two starts and one in relief).
A New Era Washington Nationals baseball hat is seen during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 16, 2026. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
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I was able to win the Reds when they met Hughes the other day and I think we can get another one here. The Rockies are not a good hitting team, and despite being better at Coors Field, I don’t think they will fare well against Cavalli. One of the things I like about the Nationals is how Cavalli mixes up pitches and can get outs in a variety of ways. Pitching at Coors is always an issue, but I’ll take the Nationals to win this one.
For more information on sports betting and gambling, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
