Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish came within one out of a no-hitter against the Royals yesterday before Jac Caglianone broke it up with a single to open the seventh inning. Bradish still walked away with the win after turning in a dominant line: one earned run, two hits allowed, and 6 2/3 innings on the mound.
Baltimore’s 6-1 victory moved the club to 45-51 with one game remaining before the All-Star break. The Orioles are still stuck in last place in the AL East, but they’re also only two games back in the Wild Card chase and just one and a half games behind the third-place Red Sox.
Logan Gilbert had a milestone night of his own, even if the Mariners didn’t come away with the result they wanted against the Rays. The right-hander picked up his 1,000th career strikeout by getting Jonny DeLuca to tip a slider into Cal Raleigh’s glove to begin the second inning.
Gilbert became the fifth starter in Mariners history to reach 1,000 strikeouts, and the second right-hander to do it after Félix Hernández. He also got there faster than the others, reaching the mark in 944 innings.
Randy Johnson needed 957 1/3 innings, according to MLB.com’s Brian Murphy.
James Wood wasted no time making his presence felt against the Yankees. He led off yesterday’s game with a home run on Cam Schlittler’s first pitch, giving him 27 homers on the season and a tie with Alfonso Soriano for the Nationals’ single-season record with nine leadoff home runs.
With 65 games left after the All-Star break, Wood has a chance to keep climbing. Washington’s offense has been one of the better groups in the league, carrying a 108 wRC+ that ranks fourth, and Wood has been the clear centerpiece as the Nationals try to push toward a Wild Card spot.
Esmerlyn Valdez had the kind of day that can swing a doubleheader all by himself. In the Pirates’ sweep of the division-leading Brewers, he went deep three times and drove in eight runs.
He started with a solo homer in the third inning of game one, then delivered the biggest blow of the day with a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to put Pittsburgh ahead 7-6 in a game it would finish off by that same score. Valdez capped the performance with a two-run homer in the fourth inning of game two.
In Other News...
Nationals Add Four Draft Picks Led By Potomac Bat Chris Hacopian
The Nationals came away from the first day of the 2026 MLB First-Year Player Draft with four new names for the pipeline, headlined by a local bat who has been on the organizations radar for a while. Washington added second baseman Chris Hacopian from Texas A&M, outfielder Chase Brunson from Texas Christian, prep shortstop Luke Williams from Franklin Senior Regional High School and right-hander Cooper Harris from Flower Mound High School, with the picks announced by president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and assistant general manager Justin Horowitz.
Hacopian gives the club a polished college infielder with Washington-area roots, while the rest of the group adds a mix of college experience and high-school upside across the diamond. Williams brings another prep shortstop into the system, and Harris gives the Nationals a young arm to develop, leaving the early shape of the class clear even if the full draft-day strategy is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Future Just Took Center Stage At The Futures Game
The Nationals will have plenty of eyes on their future when the 2026 All-Star Futures Game rolls around, with Eli Willits and Miguel Sime Jr. both earning invitations. Willits, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, has already moved quickly enough to put himself in the spotlight, and his selection gives Washington a pair of prospects on one of the games biggest stages.
Willits is set to start at second base and lead off for the National League, a sign of how highly he is already regarded, while Sime Jr. brings a different kind of intrigue as a right-handed arm with real swing-and-miss ability. For a Nationals organization trying to build its next core, having two young players featured in the same showcase is another reminder that the pipeline is getting attention well beyond Washington. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Nearly Made A Franchise Decision That Would Haunt This Season
James Wood and CJ Abrams have become central reasons the Nationals have stayed in the mix this summer, giving the lineup the kind of young, impact talent that can change the tone of a season. Wood has brought power and on-base ability, while Abrams has supplied a steady all-around presence, and together they have helped keep Washington around .500 and hanging in the postseason conversation despite the bullpen issues that continue to complicate things.
That makes the offseason even more interesting in hindsight, because the Nationals were reportedly willing to listen on both players before deciding to keep them in the organization. For a club trying to build something lasting, the choice to hold onto two of its most important young bats now looks less like routine roster management and more like a decision that may have helped preserve the season they are still trying to extend. [Read more 🡒]