WASHINGTON -- The Nationals had spent much of the week scraping for offense, so when they trailed the Rockies 2-0 and came to bat in the fifth inning Monday night, there wasn’t much room for style. They just needed a spark.
They found one the hard way, piecing together a five-run inning with a little bit of everything: an infield single, a bloop single, a sac bunt, a two-base throwing error, two doubles, two stolen bases and another error. By the time the frame was over, Washington had turned a quiet night into a 13-3 win.
CJ Abrams, back in the lineup after missing four games with a sprained ankle, delivered the big swing in that rally. He lined a double down the right-field line with none out in the fifth to drive in the go-ahead run. Abrams went 1-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases, two runs scored and his team-leading 92nd RBI.
His return gave a lift to a Nationals offense that has looked far different in August than it did for much of the season. Washington entered the game having scored just six runs over its previous four contests and was no-hit through four innings in the series opener.
The bats kept rolling after the fifth. The Nationals added three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single from Daylen Lile.
Jorbit Vivas then added a two-run single in the seventh, part of a three-hit stretch across three innings. Lile put the finishing touch on the night in the eighth with a three-run homer, capping a 3-for-5 performance.
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Marlins Still Finished The Sweep After One Play Stole The Spotlight
For one moment in Miami, Jacob Young made the kind of play that can change the mood of an entire game. The Nationals center fielder went up and brought back a drive that had looked headed for the seats, drawing praise afterward from pitcher Jackson Kent, manager Blake Butera and even Marlins manager Clayton McCullough.
It was the sort of highlight Washington could point to and still not feel much better about the final result. The Nationals still left town with a sweep hanging over them, and at 61-71, the bigger picture remains the same: the flashes are there, but too often they are buried under losses. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Just Opened A Real Door For Seaver King
CJ Abrams has given the Nationals plenty at the plate in 2026, but his glove has remained a problem, and the numbers have kept him near the bottom of the defensive leaderboard at shortstop. For a club still sorting out its long-term infield picture, that kind of split production matters, especially when the defense behind the pitching staff cant afford many more shaky nights.
Seaver King is suddenly closer to the conversation than he was a few weeks ago. The 2024 draftee has taken a step forward in the minors this season, and Washington now has a cleaner path to evaluate what he can do at the position that has been unsettled all year. If the progress keeps coming, the Nationals may not have to wait long before deciding whether King is part of the everyday answer on the left side of the infield. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Young Is Forcing A Nationals Outfield Rethink
Jacob Young has spent this season doing more than just holding down center field for the Nationals. The 27-year-old has long been valued for his elite defense, but he has also taken a real step forward at the plate, giving Washington a more complete player than the one it thought it had a year ago. His .703 OPS and 95 wRC+ are still not superstar numbers, but they represent meaningful progress for a player whose glove was always the carrying tool.
The bigger issue for the Nationals is what that growth means for the rest of their outfield picture. Young has outplayed higher-profile young names like Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell, and he credits a revamped hitting approach developed at Driveline for the turnaround. With Young now looking like a legitimate everyday piece instead of just a defensive specialist, Washington has to reassess how much of its outfield future is actually settled and how much is still up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]