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[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals Suddenly Hot Bats Head to San Diego

WTOP

Fresh off almost stealing a series from the juggernaut Dodgers before the bullpen imploded, the Nats’ hot bats take on the Padres

The Nationals were 12 outs away from beating the Dodgers and securing their first series win since May, but the Dodgers' lineup did what the Dodgers' lineup does and scored a whole lot of runs, putting 11 on the board in the 6th and 7th innings combined. Michael Soroka continued his streak of dominating for 5 innings and then falling off a cliff, finishing the afternoon with 5 1⁄3 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, and 3 runs allowed. Nathaniel Lowe also stayed hot with his 3rd home run in 2 days, raising his OPS over the last 15 games to .918.

The Nats continue their west coast road trip with a 3-game set in San Diego against the Padres, who are coming off a series win against the Royals. Sitting at 42-35 on the year, they trail the Dodgers for first place in the NL West by 5 games and the Giants by 1.5, so every game is of vital importance to them right now to make sure they keep up in the divisional race.

Underperforming Lineup, Crippled Pitching Staff​

The Padres' lineup is filled with star names such as Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill, as well as nice redemption stories such as Gavin Sheets having a nice turnaround year. Despite this, the Padres' offense has been one of the weaker ones in baseball this year, with their .695 team OPS ranking 22nd in baseball. Still, they’re not an offense you want to mess around and give free runs to, as the top 3 of their order all have a wRC+ over 130, as well as multiple other hitters down the lineup that are above league average.

The Padres' rotation has been absolutely devastated with injuries in 2025, with Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove all on the IL currently missing time. Thanks in part to minor leaguers coming up and doing their job as well as their fantastic bullpen, they’ve still managed to put up a 3.58 team ERA, 8th in baseball. The key for the Padres is getting to the bullpen with a lead, as after that, it is usually smooth sailing against that formidable group. The Nationals bats will need to do damage early in games to maximize their chances of winning.

Team Stats

Team OPS: .695 (12th in NL, 22nd in MLB)

Team OPS Leader: Manny Machado (.865)

Team HR Leader: Fernando Tatis Jr. (14)

Team ERA: 3.58 (3rd in NL, 8th in MLB)

Team ERA Leader: Randy Vasquez (3.60)

Game One - Monday 9:40 EDT​

WSH: Mitchell Parker (4-8) - 80.1 IP, 4.59 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

We finally saw some shades of April Mitchell Parker again in his last start vs the Rockies, where he went 6 innings, allowed just 1 run, and struck out 8 hitters. This came after maybe his worst start of the year vs the Marlins, where he gave up 6 runs and couldn’t escape the 4th inning. So, which version of Parker will we get tonight? Let’s hope it’s the Rockies one, and I have faith it will be.

SD: Stephen Kolek (3-2) - 52.2 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Kolek joined the Padres rotation in May to help out after all their starters' arms fell off, and he’s done his job admirably. In his last start versus the Dodgers, he went 6 1⁄3 innings, allowing 3 runs versus a very strong Dodgers lineup. Kolek has shown the ability to take over a game and dominate this season, pitching a complete game shutout versus the Rockies in his 2nd career start.

Game Two - Tuesday 9:40 EDT​

WSH: Trevor Williams (3-8) - 74.2 IP, 5.54 ERA, 1.45 WHIP

While still not pitching great, Williams has at least kept the team in the ballgame in his last three starts, going around 5 innings and allowing 2 runs in all of them. His last start versus the Rockies was his best one since his 6 scoreless in Seattle, going 5 1⁄3 innings, allowing 2 runs, and striking out 6. The Nationals may need even more than that versus the Padres, as the fewer innings the Nats bullpen pitches, the better.

SD: TBD

As is the case usually with teams with strong bullpens and lots of hurt starters, the Padres will be going with a bullpen game on Tuesday, with Ryan Bergert being the listed probable starter according to Fangraphs. Bergert started the year as a reliever for the Padres before transitioning to a short starter role for the Padres, tasked with giving them 5 innings and turning it over to the bullpen. He’s done this job well, such as how he went 4 2⁄3 scoreless against the Dodgers in his last start.

Game Three - Wednesday 4:10 EDT​

WSH: MacKenzie Gore (3-7) - 93 IP, 3.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

The Padres will get their first look at the new and improved version of MacKenzie Gore, who is having the best year of his 4 year career in 2025. He struggled in his last, going 5 2⁄3 innings and allowing 5 runs (although his fielders didn’t exactly help him), but has still pitched excellently lately, with a 2.68 ERA in his last 7 starts. Hopefully, he’s pitching this game to either secure a sweep or a series win for the Nats.

SD: TBD

While the Padres have not announced it yet, this game will likely be started by Nick Pivetta, their free agent acquisition, who is having a solid season to the tune of a 3.64 ERA. He struggled in his last start versus the Royals, going 4 2⁄3 innings and allowing 4 runs, and he’ll look to turn around his fortunes against a Nats lineup that was extremely cold on the month but is suddenly heating up.

Will The Nats Fortune Finally Turn?

The last series win for the Nationals came in Arizona versus the Diamondbacks on May 31st. Since then, it’s been as bumpy a road as the team has traveled in franchise history. Playing against a team better than them in record and talent again in the San Diego Padres, they need to show some grit and finally steal a series to show there is still some life in this club.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...on-nationals-suddenly-hot-bats-head-san-diego

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs San Diego Padres Game Thread

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Follow along as the Nationals continue their west coast trip in San Diego

Last night was a comprehensive victory for the Nationals. Despite a bullpen scare late, the Nats were comfortable 10-6 winners. Now they look to take the series in San Diego. It would be their first series win of the month. They need to make up for lost time and get going.

The lineup tonight only has one change from the one that put up double digits a night ago. It is a forced change, as Riley Adams will start for the injured Keibert Ruiz, who is on the IL after being hit by a foul ball yesterday. Trevor Williams will take the mound for the Nats.

eighty. pic.twitter.com/TqD2ABREpm

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 24, 2025​

The Padres will make a couple alterations to the bottom of their lineup. Xander Bogaerts will get off his feet playing DH tonight. Sure handed veteran Jose Iglesias will take his place at shortstop. Martin Maldonado will get the catching duties. Ryan Bergert will start, but it should be a bullpen game.

Tuesday night at the ballpark. pic.twitter.com/yXtDJ8jtpK

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 24, 2025​

Game Info:

Stadium: PETCO Park

Time: 9:40 PM EST

TV: MASN 2 and MLB Network (out of market)

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

The Nats have been playing better baseball on this west coast trip. Now it is time to reap the rewards and get a series win. They will have an opportunity to do that tonight against the Padres. Comment down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...ton-nationals-vs-san-diego-padres-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals vs San Diego Padres Game Thread

David Frerker-Imagn Images

Follow along as the Nats look to win their first series of the month in San Diego

After losing last night, the Nationals are now 5-17 in June. They are playing better recently, but the results still are not good enough. Getting a series win today would be a huge step in the right direction. They have not won a series in June, so getting one here would be big.

With the series on the line, the Nats will have their ace MacKenzie Gore on the mound. He had a rough start last time out, so Gore will be looking to bounce back against his old club. The only change to the lineup will be the inclusion of Alex Call. He will play left field while James Wood DH’s. Despite having a day game after a night game, Riley Adams will start again at catcher.

eighty one. pic.twitter.com/cny50JeMB3

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2025​

With Xander Bogaerts being a late scratch, there is some movement in the Padres lineup. Jose Iglesias will play shortstop again. Tyler Wade will play second base while Gavin Sheets will get the start at DH. Bryce Johnson will replace Sheets in left field. Former Nationals draft pick Nick Pivetta will get the start for the Padres.

Xander Bogaerts has been scratched from today’s lineup with left shoulder soreness. Here's our updated lineup: https://t.co/agUBNhphEr pic.twitter.com/6zUwBpPnUA

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 25, 2025​

Game Info:

Stadium: PETCO Park

Time: 4:10 PM EST

TV: MASN 2

Radio: 106.7 The Fan and DC 87.7

This game marks the halfway point of the MLB season. It has been a disappointing one for the Nats so far despite great performances from Wood, Abrams and Gore. Hopefully today can be a jumping off point and the second half will be better than the first. Comment down below and let’s go Nats!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...ton-nationals-vs-san-diego-padres-game-thread

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals MacKenzie Gore is the best 3-8 pitcher in baseball

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

MacKenzie Gore has pitched like an ace for the Washington Nationals, but the team is not winning much when he pitches

After years of anticipation, MacKenzie Gore has finally turned into the ace Nationals fans knew he had the talent to become. He is second in baseball in strikeouts, top 10 in innings pitched and has a sparkling 3.09 ERA in 17 starts. However, Gore’s dominance is not translating into wins for the Nationals.

While win/loss record is a highly outdated statistic. Nowadays, most baseball fans realize this. Guys like Jacob Degrom putting up dominant stats while not winning many games shows why the stat is not very useful. However, the fact that MacKenzie Gore is 3-8 on the season is eyebrow raising.

Despite pitcher wins being an outdated metric, this number is actually quite useful when evaluating the Nationals. It shows how awful the teams offense has been when Gore starts. The Nats have scored either zero or one run in five of Gore’s 17 starts this season. Gore can be totally dominant and be stuck with a no decision or loss when that happens.

This is exactly what happened yesterday. Gore had a fabulous start where he gave up one run in six innings. The one run he gave up was also in part due to Riley Adams being unable to block a pitch he had a chance at keeping in front of him.

However, Nick Pivetta was just a little bit better than Gore yesterday. He went 7 scoreless with 10 strikeouts. The Padres bullpen also did their job, which gave Gore the loss. This has been a pattern all year, especially lately.

In his last 7 starts, MacKenzie Gore is 1-4 with a 2.32 ERA. That is just ridiculous misfortune. Only once in those seven starts did Gore really deserve to lose, his Dodgers start where he gave up five earned runs. In his other three losses, Gore allowed a combined four runs in 18 innings.

The only people you can blame for Gore’s win loss record are the players on the Nationals offense. They have not done enough to support their ace. Yes, there are excuses you can point to. Based on where he lines up in the rotation, Gore faces off against a disproportionate number of good pitchers.

Since most aces start on Opening Day, a lot of them are on similar schedules and pitch on the same day a decent amount. Yesterday was one of those days. Paul Skenes, Gore, Logan Webb, Zack Wheeler, Max Fried and Yoshinobu Yamamoto all pitched yesterday.

June 25th MLB Schedule pic.twitter.com/ntdgiMDuIT

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) June 25, 2025​

However, the fact Gore is 3-8 is still a massive indictment on the Nats offense. He is giving the team every chance to win these games, but they are not coming through. While pitchers these days are not as focused on win/loss record, it still has to be frustrating for Gore. He is a competitive guy who wants to win games. Gore is holding up his end of the bargain, but his teammates are not.

While we are harping on the win/loss record here, I want to make sure to let everyone know how good Gore has really been. His ERA sits at a very good 3.09, but there are some signs it could even be a little bit better.

His FIP sits at 2.91 and his xFIP is at 2.95. He ranks 8th in WAR among pitchers due to his strikeout artistry and his ability to go fairly deep in games. Gore’s strikeouts are at a career high and his walks are at a career low.

One thing I have been particularly encouraged by is the fact he has continued to dominate into June. In the past, Gore tended to hit a wall around Memorial Day. Last year Gore hit a second wind at the end of the year, but that only just got his ERA under 4.

However, he has been strong in June this year. In his five June starts, Gore has a 2.93 ERA. While the strikeouts are slightly down this month, he is allowing less hard contact and walking fewer guys.

Despite the fact he is 3-8, MacKenzie Gore has established himself as an ace. He is getting the job done start after start, rarely having an off night. Gore has had a couple less than stellar starts, but he has always found a way to follow them up with a strong one, something he struggled to do in the past.

It is very cool to see a young pitcher find himself and slowly develop into an ace over the years. Sometimes pitchers either come into the league dominating or just suddenly break out. Gore did neither of those things. Instead, he has steadily gotten better every single year. He is always finding a way to bring something new to the table. Last year he had increased velocity, this year he added a slider to get lefties out.

Who knows what he will bring to the table in the future. Maybe it is the ability to convince his hitters to give him more run support. While we know win/loss record is outdated, it is refreshing for everyone to acknowledge that MacKenzie Gore is a fantastic pitcher despite being 3-8. Even a decade ago, saying something like that could cause a stir. However, we know it is not Gore’s fault the Nats offense can’t hit when he starts. He is doing everything in his power to win games, but his teammates are letting him down.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/2025/6/26/24456545/mackenzie-gore-the-best-3-8-pitcher-in-baseball

 

[Washington Nationals]

Halfway Through 2025, What Are the Washington Nationals Telling Us?

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) and left fielder James Wood (29) celebrate a victory after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 15-9 at Angel Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

From brutal lows to flashes of promise, here’s what the first half of the Nationals’ season has revealed and what it means for the road ahead.

2025 has been a disappointing season for the Washington Nationals. The rebuild is still going through trials and errors as the Washington Nationals try to determine the future of the team. Fans and media are losing faith in manager Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo in creating a competitive team. However, Washington has shown flashes of becoming a special team in the future, with players turning into stars right before our eyes.

In this article, I want to dive into statements that we have learned about the Washington Nationals this year and what they could do to turn these things around.

WHEN IT’S BAD, IT’S BRUTAL​

After a decent start to the season and sitting around .500, an eleven-game losing streak has derailed any momentum Washington had. The lineup and the rotation have shown through stretches, the talent they truly have, but for most of the season, both have shown how far away Washington is from being competitive for 162. Outside of CJ Abrams and James Wood, the offense has been disappointing, below average in almost every offensive category.

Luis Garcia Jr. has been solid as of late, making up for his horrendous start to the season and defensive regression. Nathaniel Lowe, Keibert Ruiz, and Josh Bell were expected to make big contributions, and they all have sub-.700 OPS.

The pitching staff has been brutal this season. From horrendous starts to the bullpen-blowing close games, fans should be concerned about how far away this rotation is from being great. Washington has yet to spend money on the rotation, and 2026 could be the time to do it.

MacKenzie Gore has dominated this season with a career-high 3.09 ERA; however, the next-best starters in the rotation are Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker, who have ERAs higher than 4.50. Brad Lord, Cole Henry, and Kyle Finnegan have been solid out of the bullpen this season, and the rest of the bullpen has been pitiful. With higher expectations than past seasons, the lows have felt like an all-time low.

THE YOUTH MOVEMENT HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN​

Abrams and Gore have been on the big league squad since being traded to Washington in 2022. James Wood and Dylan Crews made their big league debuts last season. James Wood has taken a leap into one of the best players in baseball, and with Dylan Crews sidelined with injury, Washington has been forced to let the young guns play.

Daylen Lile is currently up with the big league team and has shown flashes of being a solid outfielder. Robert Hassell was given twenty-one games but was sent back down because of his offensive struggles.

Brady House made his debut this season, and it was a long-awaited debut. With the third base position wide open in Washington, fans were begging for the call-up of Brady House. While only playing eleven games, it is too early to give an opinion on House’s play thus far, but Washington is hoping for long-term success from House at third base.

With all of these young, athletic rookies showing flashes of their potential, Washington is still not winning games. This could be a long second half for Washington, but if these young players keep showing their worth, Nationals baseball could be exciting.

WASHINGTON NEEDS TO SPEND IN 2026​

A significant concern for Washington has been the hesitance to spend money during the free agent period. With a struggling rotation, bullpen, and lineup, Washington had an opportunity to fix these issues and hesitated during the off-season. The acquisitions of Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell were “fine” additions and filled a position of need, but they have not turned out well in 2025. Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin were given an opportunity this season to prove their long-term ability, and they have made Washington question the future of their rotation.

Prospects Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora have shown great promise, but it is too early to tell when they will be in the majors and when they can truly contribute.

The clock is ticking for Mike Rizzo to make moves and create a competitive team. With questions all around the roster, next season could be make or break for a majority of the team.

There are many different reasons why Washington is in the spot they are right now. I enjoy getting to see the growth of the young stars and seeing prospects contribute in different ways, but there comes a time when you need to improve the roster through different avenues to become great. Just six years removed from winning the World Series, it feels like Washington’s path is a long one back to the glory days.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...2025-what-are-washington-nationals-telling-us

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals bullpen is a disaster again

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After showing some signs of competence, the Washington Nationals have the worst bullpen in baseball again

In April and early May, the Washington Nationals bullpen was a well documented disaster. Night after night, the likes of Lucas Sims and Colin Poche were blowing games. However, once we got deeper into May, the Nats bullpen was looking alright. Not good, but fine. However, the radioactive meltdowns are back for this Nationals bullpen.

Last night, the Nationals bullpen was looking like it did in April. They managed to allow seven runs in just two innings, turning a 2-1 lead into an 8-2 loss. It was a disaster where many parties have to hold some blame.

After losing the title for a while, the Nationals are officially the worst bullpen in baseball again. Their bullpen ERA now sits at an MLB worst 5.93. The Nats have a couple reliable options, but there are way too many black holes in this bullpen.

For some reason, Davey Martinez decided to use all of his worst relievers in the 7th inning of a close game. Regular high leverage options Jose A. Ferrer and Cole Henry should have been available. Both threw only 13 pitches the night before and both had two days off before that.

It’s legitimately a nightmare every single night Davey Martinez pulls the starting pitcher and decides which arm to pull out of the bullpen

Costs the Nat a win more than half the time

Up 2-1 in the 7th, need every win we can get and Davey puts in Brzykcy and Salazar…

2-6 now pic.twitter.com/8aDOpliTIk

— (@Krabs_Bets) June 29, 2025​

Yes, Henry hasn’t been as sharp lately and you never know what you will get out of Ferrer, but those guys were clearly the best options. Brad Lord was unavailable, so those two guys should have been used as the bridge to Kyle Finnegan.

Instead Davey Martinez turned to Zach Brzykcy and Eduardo Salazar. Both have struggled all season and last night was no different. Despite having some impressive movement on his fastball, the pitch has not been effective for Brzycky. He has now allowed six homers on the heater after Mike Trout took him yard on one last night.

Salazar almost escaped the inning with the game tied. With guys on first and third, he got his first two hitters out before imploding. He allowed an RBI single to Christian Moore before the light hitting Kevin Newman took him yard. After him, Ryan Loutos came into the game and he struggled because he is not an MLB caliber pitcher.

In the bottom of the 8th, with the game out of reach, Jackson Rutledge came in and continued his recent struggles. Rutledge showed some promise early in the season, but has really been roughed up lately. His season ERA now sits at 6.03 and is at 9.00 in his last 15 outings.

A bullpen with this many liabilities is a recipe for disaster. You can have a weak link or two, but you can’t afford to have four guys you can’t trust. It leads to meltdowns like this and overuse of top guys.

A lot of people have been hoping the return of Derek Law could help this unit out. However, I am pessimistic about him right now. He has been rocked in his rehab starts and his velocity is way down. It also looks like he had a recent setback. After a massive work load last season, he might never be the same again.

His velocity from Rochester the other day vs. where he was at last year...

Cutter: 87.9 (last year: 91.5)
4SFB: 91.8 (last year: 95.1)
Slider: 83.9 (last year: 87.3)

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) June 28, 2025​

We are back at the point where the Nationals need to do some experimentation to fill out the bullpen. Most of the guys in Rochester have not performed well, but one guy who has is lefty Konnor Pilkington. It might be time to give him a shot. Loutos would be an easy 40 man casualty who’s exit would give him a spot.

The options are not great and there will be more meltdowns like last night, but it is clear the Nats bullpen needs change. Relying on guys like Brzykcy and Salazar in tight games is a recipe for failure. With all the other problems the Nats have, they can’t afford to have the April bullpen come back.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/2025/6/29/24458287/washington-nationals-bullpen-disaster-again

 

[Washington Nationals]

James Wood got the Barry Bonds treatment from the Los Angeles Angels

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Despite not being an All-Star finalist, Washington Nationals star James Wood got shown the ultimate sign of respect

The Washington Nationals won a wild 7-4 11 inning affair to get their first series win of the month. There were a lot of crazy storylines, from Drew Millas’ big day to Kyle Finnegan’s heroic 3 inning outing. However, the story of the afternoon was how the Angels did not pitch to superstar James Wood.

After hitting a single in the first and grounding out in the fourth, the Angels decided they had seen enough of James Wood. They would not give him any chances to do any damage. In a wild move, the intentionally walked Wood four straight times. He is the first player to be intentionally walked four times since Barry Bonds.

James Wood’s last 4 plate appearances:

Intentional Walk
Intentional Walk
Intentional Walk
Intentional Walk

First player with 4 IBB in a game since Barry Bonds. pic.twitter.com/IPSEL4tdPW

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) June 29, 2025​

Wood joined an exclusive club of players who have been intentionally walked four times. The players in that club are Bonds, Roger Maris, Andre Dawson, Manny Ramirez and Gary Templeton. Now Wood is in that great group.

players intentionally walked FOUR times in a game:
andre dawson, barry bonds, roger maris, manny ramirez, gary templeton

+ JAMES WOOD pic.twitter.com/0btkJPd2RD

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 29, 2025​

The crazy thing about this gambit from the Angels is that it worked. They accomplished their intended goal. Of course they did not win the game, but Wood did not score a run. The guys behind him did not make the Angels pay for putting Wood on base.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if other teams try this. Wood does not have a whole lot of protection behind him. One way of getting him more protection would be to put leadoff man CJ Abrams behind him. However, that could throw off the dynamic of the lineup.

The one incident like this in Nationals history came back in 2016. In a series against the Cubs, Joe Maddon wanted nothing to do with Bryce Harper. He kept walking over and over again. Cubs pitchers did not want to mess with Bryce.

Seven years ago today Bryce Harper tied an MLB record with six walks in one game. He became the first known player to reach base seven times without recording an at-bat

Bryce looked at 27 pitches without swinging once pic.twitter.com/n33ZNAJrZ4

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 8, 2023​

This episode is a cautionary tale for Wood. Famously, this series ruined Bryce Harper’s 2016 season. After an MVP year in 2015 and a red hot start in 2016, Bryce was thrown off by not being pitched to. His OPS fell from 1.109 to .814 and his average dropped from .330 to .243.

Bryce was thrown off by this craziness by Joe Maddon. Wood needs to avoid letting this happen to him. It seems less likely to happen to him because he is such an even keeled player while Bryce was such an emotional guy on the field.

However, he needs to learn his lesson from those that have gone through this in the past. This should also be a wake up call for Mike Rizzo. The Nats need a big bat in the middle of the lineup to protect Wood. Nathaniel Lowe was brought in to help out with that, but in reality, he is more of a 5 or 6 hitter rather than a 3 or 4 man.

Hopefully teams do not replicate what the Angels did because we want to see Wood hit. Fans are not coming to see him jog to first base. They want to see those tape measure shots. However, it is understandable that opposing managers do not want that to happen. Today, the Angels decided the best course of action was to just walk him.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...barry-bonds-treatment-from-los-angeles-angels

 

[Washington Nationals]

The anatomy of the Washington Nationals epic June swoon

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Nationals had a brutal month of June. I broke down how things went off the rails for Davey Martinez and company

When the month of June started, there was a lot of optimism surrounding the Washington Nationals. They had gone 15-12 in May and were coming off a west coast trip where they won series against the Mariners and Diamondbacks, both quality opponents. Things were looking up for the 28-30 Nationals.

The Optimism is Gone:

Instead of building off this momentum, the Nats had one of their worst months in team history. The optimism in the fanbase has quickly turned into a variety of emotions. There was anger, confusion, but more than anything, there was a realization that the plan was not working.

For me, the defining moment came following the Nationals loss to the Marlins on June 14th. Davey Martinez snapped in his press conference, going on an impassioned rant, where he said the Nationals problems are never on coaching.

So for anyone who missed it, this is what Davey Martinez had to say following the Nationals’ 7th consecutive loss.

Interpret this how you will… #Natitude pic.twitter.com/UZPjqUDARx

— Bennett Lehmann (@DCBerk) June 14, 2025​

This felt like a real turning point and a moment that put a lot of heat on the organization. In the midst of what would become an 11 game losing streak, it felt like every day there was a new national columnist coming out to opine on the state of the Nationals rebuild. Of those pieces, one that really summed up the Nationals struggles well was a June 16th piece by Chelsea Janes.

In that moment where Davey Martinez threw his players under the bus after a seventh straight loss, a lot of people realized that everything is not ok with the Washington Nationals.

The Epic Losing Streak:

While the losing streak started against the Rangers and Mets, the humiliation did not really start until the Nats came home to play the Marlins and Rockies. Sure, the Nats bats were quiet in those first five losses, scoring nine runs in five games. However, they were facing some high level pitching and a Mets team that was the best in baseball at the time.

They were coming home to face the Marlins and Rockies. Surely, the Nats were going to get going and right the ship. They were 30-38 heading into the Marlins series, but hey they were facing two of the worst teams in baseball at home. If they could go 5-2 against this weaker opposition, they would be sitting at 35-40. That would be right in line with what fans would have expected heading into the season.

However, the Nats did not go 5-2, they ended up going 1-6, sending their season into a tailspin. It felt like the Nationals would find new ways to lose every night. Sometimes the offense would get going and score nine runs. However, when the offense performed, the pitching always found a way to blow it. When the good performances from the likes of MacKenzie Gore, the bats would go cold. Then there were nights where the bullpen caused the teams demise.

It was a vicious cycle the Nationals could not break out of. They ended up losing 11 games in a row, the second most franchise history. It was an ugly stretch that made the fanbase as angry as I can ever remember. The Nationals fanbase is a forgiving one compared to others, but it became a hornets nest of anger during that losing streak.

Fans have mostly been patient and understanding throughout this rebuild. A recent World Series title will help soften the blow of all the losses. However, fans expected progress this season. They did not expect a championship or even a playoff berth, they just expected progress. Instead we are seeing signs of regression, which is scary for a rebuild that is 4.5 seasons deep now.

Breaking Down the Numbers:

With such a terrible month, it is important to break down why it happened. There is no better way of doing that than looking at the stats. The stats do not paint a pretty picture for the Nats in June.

Offensively, they struggled, especially early in the month. In their first 10 games of the month, the Nationals only managed 18 runs. That is an ugly number which made winning games nearly impossible unless the starting pitcher was masterful.

Overall, the Nats scored 3.92 runs per game in June. A couple big performances late in the month against the Padres and Angels helped bring that number up. The team OPS in June was .685, well below the .733 mark they produced in May.

It seemed like a return to their 2024 ways. They walked and slugged less, but also did not strike out as much. The Nats seem to have abandoned the sell out for power approach we saw earlier in the season. While guys like James Wood and CJ Abrams remained excellent, the Nats did not get enough out of their supporting cast offensively.

The pitching was also a struggle for the Nationals this month. Their team ERA of 4.93 was quite high. However, that number is lower than the 5.27 mark they pitched to in April and not that far off their May ERA of 4.79. Pitching has been a pretty consistent problem for the Nats all season long. The Nats allowed 5.19 runs per game in June.

After showing signs of life, especially in late May, the Nats bullpen struggled again in June. They pitched to a 5.42 ERA on the month. Guys like Cole Henry and Jackson Rutledge hit a bit of a wall this month, especially Rutledge. Brad Lord and Kyle Finnegan were both excellent, pitching to sub-3 ERA’s. Lord was especially good, with a 1.04 ERA in 13 outings this month.

A lot of the trends from months past have continued on the pitching side of things. The rotation lacks a real number 2 starter behind MacKenzie Gore and the bullpen is a bit of a mess. One positive thing about this month was Michael Soroka. While he is not the two starter of the future, he showed he could either be a future mid rotation guy for the Nats or a big time trade piece. He pitched to a 3.49 ERA with impressive underlying numbers in June.

Signs of Hope:

Overall, this has been a pretty pessimistic article. They went 7-19, so there is only so much optimism you can deliver. However, the Nats did show some signs of life in their last west coast trip. After finally snapping their 11 game losing streak thanks to an extra inning walk off homer by James Wood, the Nats showed some life.

JAMES WOOD
GAME OVER
WALK-OFF HOMER pic.twitter.com/wb5SDPFQB3

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2025​

A 4-5 road trip does not sound amazing, but the Nats played well against high quality opponents. They dropped 2⁄3 to the Dodgers and Padres before winning their first series of the month against the Angels.

They had a couple off nights during that trip, but they played a much better brand of baseball. The scrappiness that had been missing for a while returned. They were running the bases better and having solid at bats most nights. It looked more like the team we saw in April and May. Not an amazing team, but a respectable squad.

This month probably destroyed any chance the Nats had of being .500, but there is still plenty to play for. Hopefully, the Nats can get hot and get to around 75 wins, which is what I predicted them to have heading into the season.

They are on pace to win fewer games than the past two years where they won 71 games. However, it looks like the worst stretch of the season is now behind them and they are back to playing decent ball. They need to keep it up because regressing in the win column would be simply unacceptable and a major indictment on the Nationals hierarchy.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/2025/6/30/24459197/anatomy-of-washington-nationals-epic-june-swoon

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals Head Home After Solid West Coast Trip To Take On Tigers

MLive.com

After their first series win in almost a month, the Nats look to keep the momentum going against the best team in baseball, the Detroit Tigers

It certainly didn’t come easy, but the Nationals finally ended their consecutive series losses streak of 7 with a 7-4 victory in Anaheim on Sunday. It looked like their bleak streak was going to continue into the month of July, as they trailed 4-3 entering the 9th, but hope was renewed after Daylen Lile doubled and was brought in to tie the game on a Jacob Young single. The bats then came alive in the 11th, with a Drew Millas double and a CJ Abrams triple giving the Nats a 3-run lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Drew Millas showed out in his first start of the year for the big league club, going 1-3 with the go-ahead double, a walk, a game-saving block on an errant pitch, and catching a runner stealing in the 9th. He deserves more playing time than he has gotten since his callup, and hopefully earned more with his impressive performance Sunday.

Gritty Tigs

The Nats head home after a long west coast trip to take on the best team in the AL and tied with the Dodgers for the best in baseball, the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers were the best underdog story in baseball last year, hanging out around .500 for a few months before exploding down the stretch and making the playoffs before losing in the ALDS to their division rivals, the Cleveland Guardians. This year, they’re juggernauts, with a record of 53-32 and being up 11.5 games in their division in July, reminiscent of a lot of mid-2010s Nationals clubs who ran through middling NL Easts.

The Nationals will thankfully avoid facing Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, as he obliterated the Twins' lineup Sunday night, finishing with a line of 7 innings, 13 strikeouts, 0 runs, and 1 hit allowed. The Nats’ arms will have to go up against the strong Tigers lineup, which is likely to have 3, maybe even 4 representatives at the All-Star Game in Atlanta. They’re led by the 24-year-old Riley Greene, who leads the club in OPS and home runs, but they get contributions from almost every spot in their lineup, from the newcomer Gleyber Torres at second base to the resurging Javier Baez in center field.

Team Stats:

Team OPS: .753 (2nd in AL, 5th in MLB)

Team OPS Leader: Riley Greene (.887)

Team HR Leader: Riley Greene (19)

Team ERA: 3.44 (2nd in AL, 3rd in MLB)

Team ERA Leader: Tarik Skubal (2.15)

Game One - Tuesday 6:45pm EDT​

DET: Jack Flaherty (5-9) - 84.1 IP, 4.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP

Flaherty’s 2nd stint with the Tigers isn’t going quite as smoothly as the first one did, as his ERA scrapes 5 and isn’t improving, with a 5.26 ERA in his last 7 starts. He had a disaster start against the Rays in his 2nd-to-last start, giving up 8 runs in 2 1⁄3 innings, but bounced back nicely against the Athletics in his last start with 6 innings of 3-run ball. He’ll now match up with a Nats lineup that has been very hot and cold in the last 10 or so games.

WSH: Trevor Williams (3-9) - 79.2 IP, 5.65 ERA, 1.47 WHIP

Death, taxes, and Trevor Williams giving the Nationals 5 innings of mediocre results every 5 days. It was the same story for him in his last start versus the Padres, going 5 innings and allowing 4 runs in a loss. He’s likely gonna need to prove he’s worth more than that if he doesn’t want to get bounced from the rotation when Cade Cavalli arrives later this month.

Game Two - Wednesday 6:45pm EDT​

DET: TBD

While no starter is announced yet, it is likely to be Reese Olson for the Tigers, who will be making his first start since he went on the IL in mid-May. If it turns out Olson isn’t ready, it’ll likely be a bullpen game for the Tigers.

WSH: MacKenzie Gore (3-8) - 99 IP, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

Gore bounced back from a rough outing in LA with a stellar performance in San Diego, going 6 innings of 1 run ball, still earning the loss somehow because the Nats' bats don’t know they’re still allowed to score when he’s pitching. He now gets a chance against a top 5 offense in the league, in one of his last chances to solidify himself as a 2025 all star.

Game Three - Thursday 6:45pm EDT​

DET: Dietrich Enns (1-0) - 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP

The 34-year-old Enns made his first big league appearance in 4 years against the Athletics and showed out, going 5 scoreless innings and allowing just 1 run for the Tigers. Now he gets a chance against the Nationals lineup that has had its struggles against left-handed pitching this season.

WSH: Jake Irvin (6-3) - 99 IP, 4.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

It was a rough showing for Irvin in his last start versus the Angels, giving up 8 runs over 4 1⁄3 innings. His ERA over his last 7 starts is 6.05, heavily ballooned by that start in Anaheim, but still a disgustingly bad number. Irvin has flashed dominance in a few starts this season, and hopefully, he can do it again against a top 5 offense in the league in the Tigers.

New Chapter, Or Same Old Story?

The month of June was not kind to the Nationals, but they were able to end it on a positive note and now have a chance to flip the script with some victories against a top-tier contender like the Tigers. If they can, maybe they can start stringing wins together over a few weeks and at least escape the cellar of the NL East.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/202...ead-home-after-west-coast-trip-take-on-tigers