The Nationals are back in Colorado with a chance to take the rubber game, and they’re handing the ball to Cade Cavalli on getaway day. With a day off waiting tomorrow, Washington should have every reliever available if needed, which gives manager Blake Butera some flexibility behind his starter.
Butera also stacked the lineup with more left-handed bats, leaving Dylan Crews as the lone righty in the group.
After the last one got away, Butera didn’t hide how it felt.
❝It stings. These losses aren’t fun by any means, no matter what our record is, where we’re at in the season. It was a game we felt like we could’ve won.❞
That frustration comes with a team that’s still putting up runs in bunches. Washington leads MLB with 559 runs scored this season, good for 5.48 per game.
The pitching staff, meanwhile, has allowed 4.84 earned runs per game, and the gap has been shaped by the unearned runs that have piled up because of errors. Even so, the Nationals carry a +18 run differential.
Butera’s bullpen chart is in place for the series finale, and the numbers are starting to settle into a more meaningful sample. FanGraphs WAR is now big enough to lean on for broader reads, while OAA is giving a clearer view of what this Nationals defense has and hasn’t been able to provide.
Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies
The Nationals posted the lineup for July 22, 2026, as they went after the series win in Colorado.
In Other News...
Jake Irvin And Ethan Petry Fuel Encouraging Week For Harrisburg
A three-game home set against New Hampshire gave Harrisburg exactly the kind of week it needed, with the Senators taking two of three and stopping a four-game slide in the process. The win also marked their second straight series victory, a small but meaningful sign that the group is settling in after a rough patch.
Jake Irvins rehab outing at FNB Field was a welcome sight for the Nationals organization, as he worked 4.2 scoreless innings and struck out five while showing the kind of sharpness Washington will be watching closely. Ethan Petry provided the loudest offensive jolt, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs in a breakout performance that included a three-run homer, giving Harrisburg a much-needed lift as the club keeps trying to build something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Still Have Work To Do With Their New Draft Class
The Nationals have moved quickly to get their 2026 first-year player draft class under contract, announcing a wave of signings that includes 18 players from the group they selected. The update from president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and assistant general manager Justin Horowitz also showed how much of the class has already been filled in with eight non-drafted free agents, giving Washington a broader look at the talent it is bringing into the system.
Even with that progress, the class is not fully buttoned up yet, and that leaves a little unfinished business for a front office that has been busy trying to shape the next wave of organizational depth. For a rebuilding club, getting the draft class settled is more than a paperwork exercise, since every signing helps clarify which players are ready to enter the pipeline and which parts of the class still need attention. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Turn To Unusual New Fix As Pitching Questions Grow
As the Nationals try to steady a pitching staff that has raised more questions than answers, they have turned to a less common in-game adjustment: calling some pitches from the dugout. The idea is simple enough. Coaches lean on data to suggest a pitch, the catcher relays it through the communication system, and the battery can spend less energy on the constant back-and-forth of pitch selection.
The move has been used only selectively so far, which makes it more of a trial than a full-scale change. Even so, it says a lot about where the Nationals are right now, looking for any edge that might help pitchers and catchers simplify the job in the middle of a season still searching for cleaner answers. [Read more 🡒]