The Nationals finally shook off the September slog by the time the calendar flipped to the 11th, and the timing could not have been better. After grabbing just their second win of the month, they turned around and swept the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game set, with every game decided by a single run. That kind of edge-of-your-seat finish does not just pad the record - it gives a club a little life heading into the final stretch of the 2026 season.
Now comes a much stiffer test.
Washington heads into a midweek two-game series against the Phillies, a team trying to keep itself afloat in a tight playoff race. Philadelphia sits 4.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and is only 1.0 game ahead of the San Diego Padres for the second Wild Card spot. September has not been smooth for the Phillies, either, but they did steady themselves by taking Game 3 against Atlanta in their most recent series.
For the Nationals, the challenge is obvious: two games, two elite arms, and a Philly team with plenty on the line over the next two weeks. The Wild Card picture is still shifting, and this stretch will help determine who gets in and who gets to host in October.
Tuesday’s opener at 6:45 PM ET sends left-hander Jackson Kent to the mound for Washington. Kent is 1-4 with a 6.59 ERA, while Philadelphia counters with Cristopher Sanchez, who is 17-5 with a 2.79 ERA.
Sanchez just picked up his 17th win in his last outing and is on track to finish in the Top 5 of National League Cy Young voting. Still, there may be a small opening for the Nats: none of the Phillies hitters have faced Kent before, and the source material notes that Philadelphia’s lineup notoriously struggles against new matchups.
Wednesday’s game at 6:45 PM ET features a much tighter statistical battle. Washington will turn to right-hander Cade Cavalli, who is 12-5 with a 3.12 ERA, while Zack Wheeler takes the ball for Philadelphia at 12-5 with a 3.14 ERA.
The numbers are nearly identical, and Cavalli’s rise has drawn comparisons to Wheeler’s path as a top prospect in the New York Mets’ system. For Cavalli, the matchup offers a chance to put the finishing touches on a phenomenal 2026 season, and beating a veteran of Wheeler’s caliber would be a fitting way to do it.
In Other News...
Nationals Are Getting Closer To The Juan Soto Trade Payoff
The Nationals are heading into a two-game set against the Phillies with Jackson Kent and Cade Cavalli lined up to start, but the more interesting development for the organization may be happening a level below. Jarlin Susana has been promoted to Triple-A Rochester after a strong run in the minors this season, a move that puts one of Washingtons top young arms within striking distance of the big leagues.
Susana, ranked as the third-best prospect in the system, has emerged as one of the key pieces in the clubs long rebuild. His rise only adds to the sense that the organization is finally getting closer to seeing some return from the Juan Soto deal, even if the final step still has to come before anyone can say the payoff has fully arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Still Have One Meaningful Fight Left Against The Mets
With playoff hopes gone, the final stretch has taken on a different kind of meaning for the Nationals. They are officially out of contention with 11 games left, but there is still something to play for in the NL East, where every result now matters in the race to stay out of the division cellar and finish the year on a more respectable note.
The Mets remain right there in the standings, which keeps the September calendar from feeling like pure formality. Washington has a chance to close the season with some momentum and improve on recent years by locking up fourth place, and the matchup ahead should give this team one more chance to define its finish on its own terms. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Just Handed Jarlin Susana A Big Fall Test
Jarlin Susana is getting a meaningful fall assignment after a season interrupted by lat surgery and capped with a move to Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals top prospect will be part of the 2026 Arizona Fall League, where his stuff and health will be under a bright spotlight, and where the organization is sending a sizable contingent to Salt River to keep the development pipeline moving.
Susana arrives there ranked among the AFLs better prospects, which only raises the attention around what he shows over those weeks in the desert. Washington also has five more players headed to the same roster, a reminder that this trip is about more than one arm and more than one level - it is a chance for the Nationals to get a deeper read on a group they hope can matter soon. [Read more 🡒]