Nationals fans have taken more than their fair share of lumps this season as well as this decade.
While 2025 will almost certainly be a sixth straight losing year, they didn’t necessarily have legitimate playoff expectations. But their next opponent, the New York Mets, certainly had high hopes this season not just to win their first division title in a decade (the 2015 club advanced all the way to the World Series) but contend for the franchise’s first championship since 1986.
And while they’ve not faded completely, the Mets are in the middle of a funk where they have dropped 14 of 18 to slide from first in the division to the final Wild Card spot.
Blame a pitching staff that ranks 25th in team ERA (5.24) this month. Add to the anxiety is the team’s inability to close out tough games, with seven of their last 14 losses coming by one run. New York comes to Washington this week for a three-game series. Meet the mess?
Digesting the Division: Philadelphia (71-53) saw its NL East lead expand to a season-high six games Friday before splitting their games in Washington over the weekend. The pitching staff that ranks seventh in team ERA takes a hit with Zack Wheeler going on the Injured List with a blood clot in his throwing arm. The New York Mets (65-58) took two of three from Seattle over the weekend, including the Little League Classic Sunday night in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Miami (59-65) since reaching the .500 mark on Aug. 3 has lost 10 of 14 to slip back from the fringe of playoff contention while Atlanta (56-68) has won five straight and eight of nine to provide fans with a late-season surge, albeit one that’s too little and too late.
But the Braves have been awful in stretches as well, and Washington (50-74) needs another seven-game losing streak by Atlanta (they already have a pair) to foster hopes of leaving last place.
O’s Woes: Baltimore (57-67) won consecutive series against Seattle and Houston, and Sunday’s 12-0 shutout of the Astros saw Jordan Westburg drive in a career-high five runs. After missing the entire month of June, it appears as though the third baseman has found his groove, hitting .313 with a team-high 24 runs scored since the All-Star Break.
Diamond King: Paul DeJong hit .316, scoring a team-high six runs while belting three homers with seven RBI. With the release of Nathaniel Lowe and recent lack of production by Josh Bell, it’s nice to have a veteran bat in the everyday lineup producing during the current youth movement.
Last Week’s Heroes: Riley Adams also hit .316 last week while Daylen Lile batted .296 with five RBI. Cade Cavalli went 1-0 with eight strikeouts over 12 innings in his two starts while MacKenzie Gore struck out seven over six innings of two-run ball.
Last Week’s Humbled: Jake Irvin allowed six runs over four innings while Mitchell Parker was tagged for 10 runs over seven frames in his two starts. Konnor Pilkington coughed up six runs over three innings of relief. Josh Bell hit .167 while James Young batted .111 while competing for playing time in an outfield overflowing with young prospects. But at least Young’s still with the club — Lowe was designated for assignment despite hitting his first career grand slam. Lowe’s now expected to sign with Boston who currently leads the Wild Card race in the AL, so maybe his week wasn’t so woeful after all.
Game to Watch: Friday the Nats begin a series in Philadelphia with Cavalli hoping to repeat his performance from last Saturday (five strikeouts over seven scoreless innings while tossing a season-high 90 pitches). His counterpart, Taijuan Walker, is enjoying a bounce-back season of his own as his 3.34 ERA is less than half of what he posted in 2024 (7.10). But he’s twice been a hard-luck loser to the Nats, despite allowing three runs over 12.1 innings. Will the third time be the charm?
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