The Washington Nationals needed Sunday’s finale to finish off a series win over the Athletics, and they got exactly what they were looking for from the arm they trusted most.
Foster Griffin was brilliant again, working seven innings and allowing just one run in Washington’s 5-2 victory. The left-hander, fresh off his first-career All-Star appearance and a strong showing in the Midsummer Classic, kept rolling and gave the Nationals the kind of start that steadies everything around him.
That outing also put Griffin in franchise history. By allowing only one earned run on Sunday, he set the Nationals record for the 2005-present era with eight straight starts of one run allowed or fewer, according to the team. It’s a significant line to own in a franchise that has had pitchers like Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Gio Gonzalez take the mound.
Griffin’s name now sits alongside one of the greats from the Nationals/Expos lineage, too. He is tied with Pedro Martinez for the most consecutive starts in franchise history with one run allowed or fewer, matching the stretch Martinez put together from Sept. 19, 1996 - May 6, 1997.
The numbers only add to what has already been a remarkable comeback run for Griffin. After spending the previous three seasons in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball, he has returned to Major League Baseball and looked right at home. Through 20 starts, he owns a 2.68 ERA, which leaves him tied for No. 9 among big league starters.
Sunday also showed why manager Blake Butera’s rotation shuffle heading into the second half mattered so much. Washington won the series because Cade Cavalli and Griffin handled the Nos. 1 and 3 spots in the rotation during the set, giving the Nationals the kind of top-end work they needed.
Griffin’s excellence set the tone, but CJ Abrams supplied the swing that stretched the game open. In the fifth inning, with Washington ahead 2-1, Abrams launched a two-run homer for a needed cushion. It was his 21st home run of the season, the most he has ever hit in a single major league year.
Abrams has been part of the Nationals’ offense all season, and Sunday added another layer to that production. He now has the most home runs of his career and the most RBIs of his career, too.
In Other News...
Nationals Draft Signings Just Revealed Something About Toboni's First Class
The Nationals have moved quickly to lock in the middle of their draft class, signing second-rounder Chase Brunson, third-rounder Luke Williams and fourth-rounder Cooper Harris. For a front office trying to put its stamp on the organization early, the deals offer a first look at how Washington is valuing this group, with each player bringing a different background and a different kind of fit for the system.
What stands out is the shape of the money, which says as much about the clubs priorities as the names themselves. Luke Williams landed the biggest bonus of the three, while Brunson and Harris came in at lower figures, a spread that hints at how the Nationals balanced talent, leverage and long-term planning in this first class under Toboni. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Deadline Debate Just Took A Complicated Turn
With the trade deadline drawing closer, the Nationals front office is being pulled in a few different directions at once, and the pitching market is a big part of the conversation. Among the clubs linked to Washington are the Angels, Red Sox, Guardians and Cubs, with the Angels drawing particular attention because Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers are both expected to be available. For a Nationals club still sorting out its long-term direction, that kind of pitching inventory is hard to ignore.
Boston has also stayed in the mix as a possible partner if Washington decides to move Luis Garcia, which would open another lane for the Nationals to reshape the roster. In that scenario, names like Kyson Witherspoon and Rivera have come up as the sort of young arms Washington could seek back, while CJ Abrams has been mentioned as a fit for the Red Sox in the infield, more as an offseason idea than a deadline one. For now, the debate is less about one clean path than which direction the Nationals are most willing to commit to. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Bullpen Search Just Took A Sudden Trade Deadline Turn
The bullpen market got a little clearer for the Nationals with Colorado moving a young right-hander in a deal that brought back outfield prospect Landyn Vidourek and right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso. For Washington, which has been sorting through its own relief options with the trade deadline looming, the move offers a useful glimpse at what clubs are willing to part with for controllable bullpen help.
Seth Halvorsens profile is the kind front offices keep circling at this time of year: a reliever with major league experience, still under team control, and available in a market where late-inning arms are always in demand. Even with the deadline still ahead, the return attached to this deal gives the Nationals another data point as they gauge whether to add, stand pat, or wait for the market to shift again before Aug. 3. [Read more 🡒]