Los Angeles Angels vs Washington Nationals Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 13, 2026

The Los Angeles Angels visit the Washington Nationals on Sunday at Nationals Park, with the opening pitch scheduled for 1:35 PM ET and televised on MLB.TV. Los Angeles is 56-91, fifth in the AL West and 18.5 games behind Houston, with the Angels eliminated from playoff contention. Washington is 68-81, fifth in the NL East and 19.5 games behind Atlanta. The Nationals won Friday’s series opener 4-3, while the Angels had won consecutive games before that loss. Check out our free MLB picks.

Los Angeles Angels Trying to Answer a Close Loss

Los Angeles is batting .235 with a .309 on-base percentage and .372 slugging percentage, scoring 594 runs with 142 home runs. Zach Neto leads the Angels with 25 homers, 72 RBI and 137 hits while adding 19 stolen bases. Mike Trout is batting .244 with a .376 on-base percentage, 21 home runs and 52 RBI.

The Angels scored three runs Friday after producing 12 across consecutive wins over Boston. Nolan Schanuel is batting .276 with a .351 on-base percentage, while Wade Meckler owns a .294 average and .369 on-base percentage. Los Angeles has a 4.20 team ERA and 1.34 WHIP, allowing opponents to bat .235.

Injuries: Nolan Schanuel and Gustavo Campero are on the 10-day IL. Sam Bachman and George Klassen are on the 15-day IL. Yoan Moncada is on the 60-day IL.

Washington Nationals Trying to Build on Friday’s Win

Washington snapped a seven-game losing streak with Friday’s 4-3 victory. The Nationals have much stronger offensive numbers than Los Angeles, batting .247 with a .323 on-base percentage and .426 slugging percentage. CJ Abrams has 30 home runs, 95 RBI, 139 hits and 28 stolen bases. James Wood is batting .266 with a .393 on-base percentage, 30 homers and 75 RBI.

Daylen Lile adds a .248 average, 20 home runs and 81 RBI, while Keibert Ruiz is batting .283 with 10 homers and 47 RBI. Washington has scored 760 runs and hit 198 home runs, but pitching has been a major weakness. The Nationals own a 4.74 team ERA, 1.39 WHIP and .256 opponent batting average.

Injuries: Harry Ford is day-to-day. Richard Lovelady, DJ Herz and PJ Poulin are on the 60-day IL. Nasim Nunez is on the bereavement list.

Pitching Matchup

Los Angeles Angels - Grayson Rodriguez

Grayson Rodriguez is 4-7 with a 6.28 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 81.2 innings. The right-hander has allowed 91 hits, 37 walks and 14 home runs while striking out 75. Rodriguez’s ERA and WHIP are both high, with 128 combined hits and walks across fewer than 82 innings.

Washington Nationals - Jake Irvin

Jake Irvin is 2-9 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.42 WHIP through 91.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 88 hits, 42 walks and 15 home runs while recording 90 strikeouts. Irvin’s strikeout total is solid, but 130 combined hits and walks have made it difficult for him to limit baserunners.

Los Angeles Angels vs Washington Nationals Game Pick

• Washington Nationals

Washington is the pick after ending its losing streak Friday and posting the stronger offensive profile this season. The Nationals have scored 760 runs with 198 home runs, compared with 594 runs and 142 homers for Los Angeles. Abrams and Wood each have 30 home runs, adding two major threats in the middle of Washington’s lineup. Rodriguez’s 6.28 ERA and 1.57 WHIP are also difficult numbers to overlook. Washington’s own pitching remains vulnerable, but its lineup has the stronger numbers for this matchup.

Los Angeles Angels vs Washington Nationals Over/Under Pick

• Over

The play is Over with neither starting pitcher showing strong season-long numbers. Rodriguez has a 6.28 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, while Irvin has a 5.52 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Washington also owns a 4.74 team ERA, leaving plenty of room for Los Angeles to produce more than Friday’s three runs. The Nationals have 198 home runs and a .426 slugging percentage, with Abrams and Wood combining for 60 homers. Those pitching numbers and Washington’s power point toward the total cashing over Sunday.