The Washington Nationals finally got the kind of finish that can flip a clubhouse mood in a heartbeat.
After coughing up their 39th blown save of the season, the Nats turned the tables on the Angels and walked it off, pulling out a 69th win that came after they trailed 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth. It was the second straight game in this series in which Washington forced the pressure back onto Los Angeles late, and it came with a bit of history attached: the Nats were 1-70 this season when trailing in the ninth inning.
Andrew Alvarez gave Washington a foundation it badly needed. The left-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a single finally broke it up, then kept rolling all the way through 7.0 shutout innings. He struck out eight on 97 pitches and lowered his ERA to 3.35.
After the game, manager Blake Butera didn’t hide where he thought the work still has to be done.
“Winning should always feel good - but we have to find ways to protect 4-run leads late in the game. That starts with me. I have to do a better job of finding ways to make sure we win those games.”
“Yeah, look, I spent some time trying to figure that out. At the end of the day, I felt good about the [relievers] going into the game.
They didn’t throw the ball well. I got to figure it out whether that’s on me not putting them in spots to succeed or whatever the case might be.
… I’m going to look internally and try to figure out what I can do better to help us get through these games a little bit cleaner.”
Those comments came after another rough bullpen sequence. Brad Lord handled the eighth and gave up three runs, then Will Dion opened the ninth, surrendered the lead, and exited with Washington down 5-4. Jack Sinclair finished that inning and then worked a scoreless 10th to pick up his first MLB win.
The rally itself had a little bit of everything. CJ Abrams stole third and scored when Harry Ford hit a grounder to shortstop that wasn’t handled cleanly. Andres Chaparro then delivered the blown save with an RBI single as a pinch-hitter, and Jose Tena helped spark it with a walk, a steal, and an advance to third before scoring on Chaparro’s hit.
Washington also benefited from a pivotal replay decision in the second inning. With two outs, Keibert Ruiz was originally ruled out at home on a Jacob Young single, but the call was overturned after a lengthy challenge.
That opened the door for a three-run inning. Ruiz scored on Young’s hit, and the Nationals added two more runs with two outs to take a 4-0 lead.
Ruiz finished with three hits, while Abimelec Ortiz went 2-for-2 to get off the schneid. Every player in the starting lineup chipped in.
The Nats didn’t score again until the bottom of the ninth, but that was enough to make the night matter. With 12 games left, Washington sits at 69-81, and this one gave them a little late-season jolt.
In Other News...
Nationals Depth Arms Are Creating A Late-Season Question
Late in the season, the Nationals lower-level pitching inventory is still offering small reminders that the organization has more than one arm worth tracking. At Rochester, DJ Herz turned in another solid outing, working 4 innings and limiting the damage to one run as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre came away with a 5-3 win. In the same game, Rochester also got a look at Cayden Wallaces power, with his 11th homer of the year providing one of the more notable swings of the day.
The more interesting tension for Washington is how those depth arms are stacking up in the system at once. New Hampshire fell 2-1 in 10 innings after a walk-off two-run homer, but the game had been shaped earlier by scoreless work from Yoel Tejada Jr. and Alex Clemmey before Thomas Schultz entered late and the inning unraveled. For a club watching closely for rotation help beyond the obvious names, those mixed results only sharpen the question of who is pushing closest to the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Lottery Odds Could Shape Their Next Big Roster Break
The MLB draft lottery has already changed how the Nationals think about finishing at the bottom of the standings. Instead of the old worst-record-first setup, the three worst teams now share equal odds at the top pick, and Washington has already lived through the volatility of that system, going second in 2023 before landing the first pick in 2025. For a franchise trying to rebuild through the draft, the difference between a favorable bounce and a modest slide can shape the next wave of talent.
Looking ahead to 2027, the lottery picture is already starting to take shape, with some clubs removed from the pool because of market size or recent top selections. The Nationals are part of that conversation again, and the broader appeal is obvious: one draw can alter the course of an entire roster plan, especially when the next class is still coming into focus and the early pecking order remains fluid. [Read more 🡒]
Nats Push For Series Win As Pitching Plans Suddenly Get Interesting
A win in the previous game left Washington with a chance to take the series, and the pitching picture around it has changed quickly. Andrew Alvarez is set to start as the left-hander gets the ball, while the clubs offense has continued to do enough to keep the Nationals in a good spot, with a positive run differential and a top-three ranking in MLB in runs scored this season.
The roster churn has been part of the story, too, with the Nationals making several moves as they try to keep the staff moving in the right direction. Harry Ford is dealing with an injury concern but avoided an injured-list stint, and the clubs latest mix of arms now gives the next game a little more intrigue than it had a day ago. [Read more 🡒]