The Washington Nationals are not back by any stretch of the imagination.
The team is one loss away from a fifth straight losing season and they were eliminated from wild-card contention over the weekend. But while they might be out of the playoffs again, they’re also officially out of last place in the NL East thanks to three straight wins over Miami. And after back-to-back-to-back-to-back finishes in the cellar, that stands as progress.
The 2025 team will continue to take shape over these final two weeks as the current roster boasts 12 players under the age of 25.
Digesting the Division: Philadelphia (90-59) now has a magic number of five and is slated to get Alec Bohm (league-high 44 doubles) off the injured list. Atlanta and the New York Mets are both 81-68. And while the two teams meet next week in Georgia, the Braves have the easier slate with a pair of series against losing clubs Miami and Cincinnati (Mets play 10 of their final 13 games against teams with winning records). Washington (68-81) is enjoying the new furniture of being in the fourth-place room, while Miami (55-95) is trying to avoid its first 100-loss campaign since 2019.
O’s Woes: Sunday’s 4-2 loss in Detroit dropped the Orioles (84-66) three games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, the furthest back they’ve been since June 14. They’ve also lost three straight series. On the bright side, the magic number to clinch a wild-card spot is now six and they’re getting outfielder Heston Kjerstad and pitcher Jacob Webb off the injured list. This week they close the home portion of their schedule with a series against sub-.500 San Francisco and contender Detroit.
Diamonds Direct Diamond King: José Tena hit .348 with four runs and three RBI. Since coming to D.C. as part of the trade for Lane Thomas, the infielder has played 27 of his 28 games at third base. Will the 23-year-old be the one who finally fixes what has been a revolving door since Anthony Rendon left after the 2019 season?
Last Week’s Heroes: James Wood hit a pair of homers while CJ Abrams went .300 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI. Patrick Corbin and Jake Irvin each allowed one run over six innings while DJ Herz and MacKenzie Gore posted strong outings over the weekend. Kyle Finnegan tossed three scoreless innings over three outings while posting a pair of saves.
Last Week’s Humbled: Joe La Sorsa allowed three runs over two innings of relief. Andrés Chaparro hit .111 while Joey Gallo went 1-15 (the second-straight week he’s homered in his only hit) at the plate.
Game to Watch: On Friday, the Nationals visit the Chicago Cubs, and for those who are familiar, that means a 2:20 p.m. (1:20 local time) matinee at Wrigley Field. While we want to see if MacKenzie Gore can record his 10th win of the season, we also want to see the summer shadows one final time.
Game to Miss: They begin their series with the Cubs Thursday night as Patrick Corbin pitches. Even though the left-hander has won four of his last five starts, I can skip what will likely be his penultimate outing in a Nationals uniform.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
