Nationals Bludgeon Cardinals 9-1 as Cavalli Dominates, -105 Dog Cashes Easy

The Nationals steamrolled St. Louis 9-1 on Friday night, turning our -105 underdog play into one of those beautiful "why wasn't this line worse?" winners. Cade Cavalli did exactly what the projection promised—he carved up Cardinals hitters with that elite strikeout arsenal, keeping the home side off-balance all evening while his offense did the heavy lifting. The 0.21 ERA advantage we cited wasn't just a number on paper; it was the difference between a pitcher in command and Kyle Leaoh getting shelled.

Washington's lineup, led by the James Wood and CJ Abrams duo we highlighted, didn't just show up—they feasted. Nine runs is a statement, especially for a squad that came in winless in six straight road games. That 0-6 away split? Toss it in the trash. Sometimes the matchup matters more than recent form, and this was exhibit A. The Cardinals' punchless offense—Gorman, Winn, the usual suspects—managed one measly run against a pitcher who had their number from pitch one.

We took the slight dog price banking on Cavalli's arm and Washington's superior bats. Both delivered in spades. When the starting pitching edge is real and the lineup has juice, funny things happen to bad recent splits. Cash it.