Cade Cavalli is giving the Nationals exactly what they spent a first-round pick on in 2020: bat-missing stuff, real results, and a stretch that looks nothing like a pitcher easing his way back.
Over his last six starts, the right-hander has gone 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA, piling up 45 strikeouts in 33.1 innings. That works out to more than 12 strikeouts per nine innings, the kind of number that jumps off the page and tells you hitters are having a hard time getting comfortable against him.
The run has been even sharper over a longer window. Since May 10, Cavalli has struck out 79 batters and walked only 15 across 70 innings. His latest outing came against the Colorado Rockies, where he worked six scoreless innings, gave up four hits and two walks, and punched out eight.
His most dominant start of the season came June 30 against the Boston Red Sox. Cavalli went seven innings, struck out a career-high 13, allowed just one hit, and helped power an 8-1 win.
That kind of production has been a long time coming after he missed nearly two full seasons because of Tommy John surgery in 2023. Now he’s back in the majors and showing the arsenal that once made him one of the organization’s top prospects.
Tuesday’s outing in Colorado carried a little extra weight, too. Cavalli’s six scoreless innings made him only the third pitcher in Nationals history to hold court at Coors Field. MLB.com noted that the other two were Tony Armas on Aug. 13, 2005, and Pedro Martinez on July 29, 1997.
Afterward, Cavalli said the game plan came together despite the conditions.
“Coming in, I knew that the shapes on pitches were going to be a little bit different because of the air,” Cavalli said. “But we needed a big win today, and our defense played great. Bats came alive, as always, and I was just glad that I was able to keep us in the game.”
With the trade deadline closing in, the Nationals are feeling the pressure that comes with an uncertain stretch. This win gave them a needed boost, and Cavalli kept doing what he’s been doing lately: giving Washington a reason to believe.
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