The Washington Nationals close out the first half with a weekend set against the New York Yankees, and there’s a little bit of history hanging over these three games. Washington needs at least one win to lock in a winning record before the All-Star break, something the club hasn’t done since 2019.
The pitching situation has been busy, too. Miles Mikolas still hasn’t heard back on his appeal of the suspension tied to last week’s fracas in Boston, while Cade Cavalli will finish serving his suspension after Saturday’s game.
On top of that, the Nationals made another round of roster moves with their staff: left-hander Tom Cosgrove was promoted, Jake Irvin was moved to the 60-day Injured List, and right-hander Brad Lord landed on the 15-Day Injured List, retroactive to July 6, with left side tightness. Irvin threw to live batters on Wednesday and is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week.
Washington’s lineup should look a little more balanced against a left-handed starter tonight, and the opponent is not the same Yankees group the Nats saw in 2024. That version came with Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton as the headliners. This one comes in with a different feel, while the Nationals plan to open with left-hander Carson Palmquist before turning the bulk of the work over to Zack Littell.
Offensively, the Nationals have been rolling. They lead MLB with 508 runs scored, a clip of 5.40 runs per game. Blake Butera was quick to point to the work behind that production, saying:
❝It’s awesome stuff [on the offense]. It’s just a testament again to the way they prepare, the way they go about their business, the job our coaches do.
They put a lot of time, work and effort into getting ready to go for these games, and being dialed into the game plan and what they’re expecting to see is a large part of that. And when they get the pitches they’re looking for, they’re doing damage.
Couldn’t be happier for CJ and Luis for those career highs.❞
The numbers tell the rest of the story. Washington’s pitching staff is allowing 4.76 earned runs per game, and the club’s edge in run differential is being shaped by the unearned runs that have piled up because of errors. Even so, the Nationals sit at plus-13 overall.
The sample sizes are getting big enough now to start reading the broader picture, with FanGraphs WAR beginning to stabilize and the OAA defensive numbers offering a clearer look at what this team has - and what it doesn’t.
In Other News...
Nationals Top Prospect Just Delivered A Rochester Night Worth Watching
Rochester finally got a night that looked a lot more like the version the Nationals have been waiting for, and Brady House was right in the middle of it. The top prospect turned in one of those games that can change the temperature around a lineup, helping Rochester beat Worcester 10-4 while the club snapped a four-game losing streak and got a needed lift from a roster that has been searching for one.
Luke Young also fit into the picture after coming over from Harrisburg and picking up his fifth hold for Rochester, a small but useful sign of how the organization is shuffling arms to steady the Triple-A club. With House giving Rochester a jolt and the pitching staff piecing together enough clean innings to finish the job, the bigger question is whether this was a one-off burst or the start of something more sustainable for a team that could use a few more nights like it. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Have Every Reason To Question This Bullpen Approach
The Nationals bullpen plan was under the microscope again after a late-inning matchup decision backfired in New York. Washington leaned on a left-handed reliever in the ninth against a Yankees lineup that tilted heavily to the left side, sticking with its platoon-advantage approach even as the relief corps has been shaky in the biggest spots this season.
Blake Butera didnt hide the fact that the choice invited questions after the loss, but he also signaled that the organization still believes in the broader strategy. For a team trying to sort out how to survive the final three outs, the issue is no longer just whether the matchup theory makes sense, but whether the current bullpen can keep paying the price when it doesnt work. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Face A Huge First-Place Test With Momentum Building
The Harrisburg Senators kept building momentum in Erie after backing up Riley Maddoxs first Double-A win with another productive night at the plate, including home runs from Ethan Petry and Devin Ortiz. That pushed the club into position to chase a third straight series victory, a useful marker in a tight stretch where every game against the division leader carries extra weight.
Jared Simpson got the ball for Harrisburg in a short-opening role, expected to cover roughly an inning before handing things over to the next arm, while the SeaWolves countered with Jake Miller in his first appearance of the season for Erie after being called up from High-A West Michigan. With the Senators already assured of at least a split, the matchup had the feel of a first-place test that could say plenty about how real this recent run is. [Read more 🡒]