The Nationals picked up their 72nd win of the season on a night that kept piling on the milestones. With eight games left in 2026, that total already stands as the club’s best since the 2019 World Series season. Washington has also climbed nine-point-one percent over last year’s win total, and it has done it with a payroll that dropped by $17 million from a year ago.
Cade Cavalli made sure the evening had an exclamation point of its own. After signing a new contract extension, he took the ball and turned in five scoreless innings against the Cardinals, allowing four hits, walking none and striking out six. The sixth strikeout was the 200th of Cavalli’s season, a mark that puts him alongside Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Gio Gonzalez in Nationals pitching history.
That performance trimmed Cavalli’s season ERA to 3.02. Among qualified starting pitchers in MLB this year, that places him 13th. He has one more start left in 2026, giving him a shot to push that number under 2.99 if he finishes strong next week.
“I was watching him pitch and hoping he would get to 200 strikeouts. Pretty cool day [for Cade Cavalli ].”
Manager Blake Butera also pointed to another standout night, saying:
“[ CJ Abrams ] is unbelievable. He went 30-30-30. I think he’s the 53rd player in MLB history to do that and the second Nationals player.”
Abrams reached the 30-steal mark to complete that 30-30-30 season, joining Alfonso Soriano as the only player in that club. Soriano, of course, did it even bigger in 2006 with a 40-40-40 season.
Washington’s offense came out fast and kept building. The Nationals put up three runs in the first inning, their best single-inning output since August 7, then added four more by the third to reach seven.
They finished with nine runs, with the damage coming from across the lineup through hits, walks and a sacrifice fly. Dylan Crews helped set the tone early, opening with a single and then an opposite-field home run in his first two trips.
There was also a notable moment in the ninth inning, when Josiah Gray was called up and entered with Washington leading 9-1. He handled a scoreless frame in his first MLB appearance since April 4, 2024. Gray had been away from the big leagues for more than two years and five months because of a string of injuries, including Tommy John surgery.
The Nationals will turn to left-hander Andrew Alvarez on Wednesday against the Cardinals, with Alvarez looking to build on what has already been an impressive 2026 season.
In Other News...
Cade Cavalli Gives Nationals Fans One More Reason To Watch This Finish
The Nationals still have nine games left to sort through a season that has been defined by a strong offense and too many problems everywhere else. Washington ranks third in MLB in runs scored with 778 and sits at a modest plus-3 run differential, but pitching lapses and defensive mistakes have kept the club from turning that production into a better record. A closing stretch against the Cardinals, Detroit and then the Mets gives the team one last chance to make the final week feel meaningful.
Cade Cavallis next turn adds another layer to that finish, giving fans a reason to pay attention beyond the standings. For a team trying to salvage something from the last series of the year, each start matters more now, and Cavallis presence gives Washington at least one more angle to watch as the season winds down. The question is how much traction the Nationals can build in these final games, and whether the rotation can finally match the lineups output enough to change the tone of the ending. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face Pressure In A Playoff Race That Tightened
A rough night in Buffalo slowed the Rochester Red Wings just as the International League second-half playoff race is beginning to tighten. Rochester had won two straight before the Bisons sent it back with a lopsided loss, a reminder that the margin for error is shrinking with the standings updating around them.
Jarlin Susana never got comfortable early, and the Red Wings offense could not do much against Buffalos pitching. With the race in the rearview and the calendar moving on, Rochester now has to sort out how quickly it can turn the page and keep pace in a crowded chase. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Are Making A Quiet Front Office Push Fans Should Notice
The Nationals are making a subtle but meaningful move behind the scenes as president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and general manager Ani Kilambi prepare to expand the clubs analytics department. It is the kind of front-office investment that does not grab headlines the way a signing or trade does, but it speaks to where Washington wants to go, with the organization looking to sharpen everything from player projections and acquisitions to development and biomechanics.
The department already has 19 staffers, and the push is expected to widen its reach across baseball operations in a way that should touch both the majors and the pipeline underneath it. Washington is aiming for more efficiency and better support across the board, and the next step will be watching how many new roles get filled and where those hires fit within the clubs larger strategy. [Read more 🡒]