Nationals vs. Athletics: How to Watch Saturday Night's Game

The Washington Nationals and the Oakland Athletics will face off on Saturday night, July 18, at 10:05 p.m. ET. The game will be played at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California. The Athletics are on a 10-game losing streak against the Nationals and are desperate for a win. Fans can watch on NBCS-CA or Nationals.TV, or stream it live on Fubo.

The Nationals are having a balanced season so far, sitting at 49 wins and 49 losses, placing them fourth in the NL East. Zack Littell will start on the mound for Washington, carrying a 7-6 record and a 4.90 ERA this year. A pitcher's ERA, or earned run average, measures how many runs they give up per nine innings — the lower the number, the better.

The Athletics have had a tougher go of it, going 41-56 and sitting fourth in the AL West. J.T. Ginn is set to start for Oakland and brings a stronger ERA of 3.67 to the mound. If Ginn can keep the Nationals' powerful hitters in check, Oakland may have a real shot at snapping its losing streak against Washington.

James Wood of the Nationals has been one of the most exciting hitters in baseball this season. He has crushed 28 home runs, which ranks fifth in all of MLB, and has driven in 66 runs. Wood has also been a smart base runner, stealing 15 bases in 17 attempts, which is a very high success rate.

Washington teammate C.J. Abrams has been equally impressive at the plate. He is hitting .277 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs in 400 plate appearances. Abrams has also stolen 15 bases, proving he can hurt opposing teams in multiple ways.

For Oakland, catcher Shea Langeliers has powered the Athletics' offense with 22 home runs, ranking 10th in MLB. He has added 47 RBIs and scored 53 runs to go along with those home runs. Fellow hitter Tyler Soderstrom has contributed 15 home runs and 44 RBIs, giving Oakland a solid one-two punch in the middle of the lineup.

Both teams are dealing with significant injuries heading into the game. The Nationals have nine players on the injured list, many of them pitchers with elbow or shoulder problems. The Athletics have seven players out, including veteran pitcher Luis Severino and outfielder Brent Rooker, both facing long recoveries.

According to sportsbook odds, the Nationals are a slight favorite to win on Saturday. Washington's moneyline sits at -115, while Oakland's is -105 — meaning the two teams are considered nearly even. The run total is set at 11.5, suggesting oddsmakers think this could be a high-scoring game.