The Nationals came into their nine-game homestand trying to steady themselves after that brutal series against the Phillies, and for a while it looked like they had done exactly that. Washington had followed the collapse against Philadelphia by taking series from the Orioles and Red Sox, only to run into a Pirates team that left the Nationals with more questions after a 2-1 series loss.
One of the biggest bright spots over the weekend was Luis Garcia Jr., who keeps forcing his way into the conversation with the hottest bats in the sport. The slugging first baseman launched two homers in the opener to push his season total to 18, then added a two-run shot in the finale to build on a career-high and move within reach of 20 home runs for the first time since reaching the majors. Since June began, Garcia has been on a tear, and he’s continued that surge into July while giving Washington another dangerous presence behind its All-Star names.
The pitching side of the weekend told a much rougher story. Cade Cavalli was initially expected to miss this matchup after Major League Baseball handed him a seven-game suspension for his role in the benches-clearing brawl between the Nationals and Red Sox, but his appeal kept him eligible to make the start.
It didn’t go the way Washington needed. He was lifted in the third inning after allowing three earned runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts, a sharp drop from his outing against Boston and one that forced extra work on a bullpen that has already logged more innings than any other relief group in the first half.
Brad Lord, who had been Washington’s steadiest reliever for much of the year, also had a rough Sunday. The right-hander was hit hard for five earned runs in the finale and took the loss, marking the second time in his last four appearances that things have unraveled.
His season ERA now sits at 3.88, a noticeable rise from 2.29 four outings ago before manager Blake Butera turned to him to secure a save against the Phillies. That outing went sideways too, with Lord charged with six earned runs on five hits.
The series loss also cost the Nationals ground in the race for the final National League wild card spot. Washington entered the day at 46-44, three games out of a playoff position, but the defeat dropped them to 46-45. The Pirates are now tied with the Nationals in record and sit ahead of them thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker.
There’s still plenty of season left, but games like this carry real weight when the opponent is chasing the same postseason lane.
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