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Today · 7:15 PM ETLineup pendingNL East / NL Central

Washington Nationals   vs   St. Louis Cardinals Preview

September 19, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Busch Stadium.

7:15 PM ET · Busch StadiumStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score50
Washington Nationals
71–82 · 4th NL East · T-Score 50
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First pitch 7:15 PM ET
St. Louis Cardinals
75–78 · 4th NL Central · T-Score 42
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T-Score42
First pitch 7:15 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherNationalsThe starters are close overall, but Alvarez owns the better strikeout and control profile.
Offense vs handEvenThe handedness splits are nearly even, with less than a .026 difference in OPS.
WeatherLow impact82°F, wind 2 mph, no precipitation expected at first pitch.

Starting pitchers

WSH
Andrew Alvarez LHP
Andrew Alvarez
Washington Nationals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.35
41st
WHIP
1.27
95th
K/9
8.74
76th
BB/9
4.15
180th
P-Score59i
FIP
3.32
HR/9
0.44
6th
OPS/R
0.626
IP
102.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.41
Road ERA3.27
Last 5 starts
STL
Michael McGreevy RHP
Michael McGreevy
St. Louis Cardinals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.83
85th
WHIP
1.24
85th
K/9
6.30
194th
BB/9
2.53
52nd
P-Score53i
FIP
4.25
HR/9
1.13
95th
OPS/R
0.675
IP
160.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.86
Road ERA3.80
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Alvarez strikes out 2.4 more batters per nine innings.
·Alvarez allows the lower home-run rate: 0.44 vs 1.13 per nine.
·McGreevy walks 1.6 fewer batters per nine innings.
·Alvarez owns the lower FIP, 3.32 to 4.25.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricAlvarezMcGreevyNote
ERA−8495Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.324.25
WAR2.11.7Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Alvarez arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Curveball31%82.9
Four-seam28%92.3
Slider21%84.2
Sinker14%91.8
Changeup5%86.3
McGreevy arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam24%91.9
Changeup20%86.9
Sinker17%90.8
Curveball12%78.5
Cutter11%87.6
Sweeper11%81.8
Slider4%83.5

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Nationals vs RHP (Michael McGreevy)
10th
in MLB
0.737OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Cardinals vs LHP (Andrew Alvarez)
13th
in MLB
0.711OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsWSHWSH·STLSTL
+2975th
Run differential
+20418th
71–82 Record75–78
Last 10 games
Washington Nationals (0–0)
St. Louis Cardinals (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Nationals?+
Andrew Alvarez is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Cardinals?+
Michael McGreevy is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
7:15 PM ET at Busch Stadium.
Where is the game being played?+
Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Andrew Alvarez is at 59; Michael McGreevy is at 53. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.