Dylan Crews delivered the kind of moment Washington had been waiting for, and the Nationals finally walked off with their first win of the 2026 season.
With the score tied at four in the bottom of the 10th, Crews came to the plate and finished the job for the Nationals, notching his first major league walk-off hit. It was a big swing for a player who, when Washington took him No. 2 overall in the 2023 draft, once had the fanbase imagining him as the hitter they’d want most in that spot.
That expectation hasn’t matched the production so far in his pro career, but Saturday gave Crews a chance to flip the script.
Washington had built an early cushion behind Cade Cavalli, who opened the game by striking out the side in the first inning. The Nationals’ offense followed by putting up four runs in the third, giving the home side control before the game turned.
Cavalli’s outing ended after the fourth when he was hit by a comebacker, and he left with a no-hitter intact. He had piled up eight strikeouts and three walks before exiting.
From there, things got messy. The bullpen allowed the Marlins back in, and a Miami homer in the top of the seventh tied the game at four. Washington’s bats also went quiet after that third-inning burst, going 0-for-21 the rest of the way before extra innings.
Even with the game hanging in the balance, the Nationals didn’t blink in the 10th. Orlando Ribalta worked a scoreless inning, striking out two to keep it tied. Then came the bottom half, where Jose Tena and Daylen Lile drew back-to-back walks with two outs to load the bases.
That set the stage for Crews, who came through in the biggest moment of his major league career.
For Washington, the hope is that this is more than one good swing. Crews is still looking for consistency at the plate, and whether that fully arrives remains to be seen. But a first big league walk-off hit is the kind of moment that can carry real weight, and the Nationals will be hoping it gives him the boost to become the impact player they envisioned.
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Nationals Waste Another Strong Start In A Brutal Ninth-Inning Meltdown
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The damage came with the usual blend of walks, miscues and hard contact that has made these late-inning crashes so hard to shake. Max Kranick and Tom Cosgrove were both caught in the storm, with defensive mistakes from Jorbit Vivas and Andrew Pinckney helping the Marlins extend the inning before Cosgrove was hit for a two-run homer, leaving Washington with its 35th blown save of the season and another sharp reminder that a good start has not been enough lately. [Read more 🡒]