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Tim gives a quick reminder about the end of season Podcast Party on Friday night October 2nd at Walter's Sports Bar in Navy Yard.

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The Nats ended the season on a high note with a 6-4 win over the Mets on Sunday afternoon.  Mark & Al gather after the Nationals 77th victory of the year; 11 more than in 2025.

(04:00) Mark relays the vibe in the clubhouse after game #162.

(08:00) "The focus in 2027 is winning".

(12:00) How should ownership view the 1.839M attendance this season?

(19:00) Washington stunningly ended up scoring the 3rd most runs in the sports this year.

(21:00) Andres Chaparro slugged a pair of homers in Sunday's victory. Chaparro ends his season with an impressive .894.

(24:00) CJ Abrams had a RBI triple in the season finale and cpncludes his season with 106 RBIs.  Will he be traded this offseason? Anthony Rendon holds the Nationals franchise record with 126 RBIs in 2019.

(29:00) DJ Herz made his 2nd start of the week and allowed four runs in just three innings of work.  Herz is expected to fight for a spot in the back-end of the rotation.

(31:00) The bullpen combined for six shutout innings and Erik Tolman closed it out. Al notes the bullpen's season-long ERA barely dropped below 5.00 after the scoreless top of the 9th.

(35:00) A discussion about Blake Butera's 1st coaching staff.

(41:00) What to expect within the organization in the next few months. 

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The Nats lost 7-1 on Saturday afternoon to the visiting Mets, but it a was successful game in the larger picture. Mark & Al leadoff with the news that James Wood was voted Player of the Year by the local media ahead of CJ Abrams.  Wood has fewer homers than Abrams, but does have a higher OPS.

(07:00) This game began at 12:35pm as opposed to its original 4pm start time due to impending weather.  This worked out on Saturday and Sunday's game has been moved by two hours earlier and will begin at 1:05pm.

(10:00) Connelly Early made his Nationals debut on Saturday as he tossed three scoreless frames in just 34 pitches.  Early was injured when Washington acquired him from Boston in late July in exchange for Curtis Mead.  Early has already been slated for the 2027 starting rotation.

(16:00) Jake Irvin relieved and ate some innings, but ultimately gave up two homers and five runs. Irvin ends the season with a 5.48 ERA and it is possible that he will be non-tendered in the offseason.

(25:00) Al points a telling yet under-the-radar stat regarding the bullpen.

(29:00) James Wood had a pair of hits with exit velocities above 100 MPH. Wood has on game left to avoid not hitting a homer in the final two months of the season.

(31:00) DJ Herz will get the start in Sunday's season finale vs. the Mets. 

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Friday was busy one at Nationals Park as it began with a Cade Cavalli press conference and ended with a 7-6 win over the Mets.  Mark & Al begin with Josiah Gray, who earned his first career save by holding off New York in the top of the 9th.  It was the first time that Gray took the mound in Navy Yard since April 4th, 2024.

(10:00) Blake Butera feels that if Washington had an average bullpen this season, then they would be preparing for the postseason.

(16:00) Paul Toboni addressed the media prior to the game and seemed to indicate that Andrew Alvarez will have a spot in the rotation next season.  Alvarez did not pitch well on Friday night as he allowed five runs in just under five innings of work. Alvarez's outing ended on a sour note as he gave up a pair of Mets homers in the top of the 5th.

(20:00) James Wood didn't homer, but he did reach base four times out of the leadoff spot. Wood's OPS is at .895 with two games remaining.

(24:00) CJ Abrams crushed a ball to deep RF, but the wind knocked it down and Abrams' lack of hustle out of the batter's box was under the spotlight as he ended up with just a single.  This is similar to an instance from the season's opening series in Wrigley Field.

(29:30) Dylan Crews homered for the 13th time this season and stole two bases in the victory.  

(32:00) Connelly Early will make his Nationals debut on Saturday afternoon (12:35pm start now!).  He is expected to pitch a few innings before handing the ball off to Jake Irvin.

(36:00) A recap of Cavalli's press conference filled with plenty of emotion after signing his four-year extension.  All of Cavalli's teammates attended to show their support for the right-hander. 

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The Nats took the series with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon in Detroit.  Mark (From Comerica Park) & Al examine the team wrapping upits road campaign with a winning road trip in St. Louis & Detroit.  Washington finished the season with a 38-43 record on the road as they had a stretch where they lost 21 of 23 away games this summer.

(6:00) It was a victorious Bullpen game that opened with Richard Lovelady on the mound.  Brad Lord had the most usage of any of the six relievers as he lasted 3.1 IP. Lord struck out a trio of Tigers on 49 pitches in what seems like his best role.

(10:00) Yovanny Cruz notched the save as he recorded the final four outs.  Cruz entered in an 8th inning jam and struck out Spencer Torkelson to keep the 3-run lad intact.

(18:00) YoYo Morales' 2-run homer in the top of the 6th put the Nats up 3-0. Morales has a .930 OPS in 43 at-bats this month in the majors. This leads to a discussion about his defensive options moving forward.  

(23:00) CJ Abrams' RBI single put Washington the board and was his 103rd RBI of the season.  Abrams got the start at 2B for the 2nd straight day in Detroit.

(27:00) Nasim Nuñez stole 2nd base to set the Nationals record and moments later swiped his 49th bag.  Nuñez broke the mark set a few seasons ago by CJ Abrams.

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The Nats topped the Tigers 3-1 on Tuesday night behind a pair of homers by CJ Abrams.  Mark (From Detroit) & Al begin with four rookie pitchers combining to preserve the victory despite not throwing one clean inning all evening.

(06:00) Riley Cornelio served as the Opener behind handing the ball off to Jackson Kent in the bottom of the 3rd. Cornelio's ERA in September is an impressive 1.84 in six appearances.

(8:00) Erik Tolman notched his 4th save of the season while striking out the side.  Jack Sinclair preceded Tolman and retired all four Tigers that he faced.

(14:00) Cade Cavalli won't pitch the rest of the season after reaching the 200K mark on Friday last week. Cavalli ends the season with a 3.02 ERA in just under 170 innings pitched.

(18:00) Abrams clobbered his 32nd & 33rd homers of the season and surpassed 100 RBIs for the first time in his career.  Blake Butera referred to Abrams as a superstar after the win.

(23:00) Abrams or James Wood for Nationals Player of the Year?

(27:00) Dylan Crews went 2 for 4 and stole two bases on Tuesday night.  Crews' OPS is at .662 with four games remaining. 

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The Nats lost 9-2 in Detroit on Monday night as we are in the final week of the season.  Al & Tim begin with DJ Herz, who struggled in his first Big League start since September 2024. Herz lasted four innings and allowed four Tigers runs in the process.  

(06:00) Herz had Tommy John surgery in April of 2025 and originally came to the organization in 2023 in exchange for Jeimer Candelario.

(10:00) Luis Perales had a nightmare outing as he gave up five runs in just two innings of work.  Perales has only made six appearances for Washington, but his ERA is at an alarming 11.45.  Tim takes the opportunity to revisit the trade last December where Perales was acquired from Boston in exchange for lefty starter Jake Bennett.

(16:00) Cole Henry was released in order to make room for Herz on the roster.  Henry showed flashes of success, but has not pitched well since coming off thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.  Henry made 11 appearances this season with the Nationals, but with a 7.90 ERA.

(20:00) YoYo Morales' 2-run pinch-hit homer was the only source of offense for Washington on Monday.  Morales has a small sample size at the plate, but an OPS of .973 nonetheless.

(26:00) James Wood committed a 1st inning error in LF that put Detroit up 2-0.  Wood struck out 3 times in the loss and his OPS is at .900 with five games remaining.

(30:00) AAA-Rochester, led by veteran Manager Matt LeCroy, qualified for the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. 

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The Nats fumbled an 8th inning lead and lost 5-3 on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. Al & Tim cite the familiar bullpen refrain as they extended their MLB record for most blown saves in a season to 42 occurrences.

(05:00) Yovanny Cruz gave up the pivotal 2-run homer to Leo Bernal that gave the Cardinals the 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 8th.  Cruz's ERA is up to 5.27 in 15 appearances this season.

(10:00) What will Paul Toboni do differently when building next season's bullpen?

(16:00) Jake Irvin had a solid outing as he struck out eight Cardinals in just over five innings of work.  Irvin might have one more start left in his season before a winter of uncertainty awaits him.

(20:00) CJ Abrams slugged his 31st homer of the season on Sunday and he now leads the team in that category.  Abrams played 2B twice over the weekend series.

(23:00) James Wood struck out twice in the loss and he has not homered since July 26th.

(29:00) DJ Herz will start on Monday night in Detroit.  Herz has not made a major league start since September 2024 as he has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

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The Nats prevailed in St. Louis 8-5 on Saturday night in a four-hour affair that lasted 11 innings. Al & Mark convene after Washington grabbed their sixth win the past seven games.  The Nationals won their 73rd game of the season; guaranteeing that they will avoid 90 losses in 2026.

(06:00) Andrew Alvarez was fantastic as he tossed six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Alvarez's ERA is at 3.17 this season and it seems for almost certain that he will part of the 2027 rotation.

(12:00) The offense plated right runs off of dozen hits and a pair of Cardinals errors. Jorbit Vivas had a big night as he went 4 for 6 with a RBI single in extras. Vivas' OPS in his solid September is at .807.

(17:00) James Wood was removed from the game when Jacob Young took over for him in RF in the top of the 9th.

(20:00) Dylan Crews made an incredible catch against the wall and later had an outfield assist.

(25:00) Six relievers combined to allow five runs and blow the save twice along the way. Riley Cornelio took over in the 11th, but needed Will Dion to come in and notch the final out. The defense didn't help at all as four errors were committed on Saturday night.

(30:00) Returning to the conversation about James Wood's hustle as Blake Butera later admitted that he partially removed Wood for not running out an 9th inning grounder.  

(33:00) Dion is the 14th pitcher to earn a save this season for the Nationals. 

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Friday was a great day for the Nationals as it began with Cade Cavalli signing an extension and it ended with a 9-1 win in St. Louis.  Al & Mark  dive right into the deal with Cavalli that is worth $47M over 4 years; with a team option for 2031.

(08:00) What does this move say about ownership?

(14:00) What motivated Cavalli to sign this extension now? Cavalli is not a Scott Boras client.

(25:00) Just a few hours after the extension was announced, Cavalli took the mound in St. Louis. Cavalli struck out six Redbirds in five innings of work and reached 200 strikeouts in the process.  He is the first Washington pitcher to record 200 strikeouts in a season since 2019.

(32:00) Josiah Gray tossed a scoreless bottom of the 9th in his first major league appearance since April 4th, 2024. Gray was called up on the off-day after pitching this past week in AAA.  

(36:00) Will Gray be a starter or reliever next season? Or could he be non-tendered?

(41:00) CJ Abrams stole his 30th base of the season and Dylan Crews clubbed a 2-run HR to put the Nationals up 5-0 in the top of the 3rd.

(47:00) Tim recently caught up with reliever Richard Lovelady, who describes what an off-season at Driveline looks like in Arizona.

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The Nats four-game win streak was halted by the visiting Phillies on Wednesday night. Al & Mark recap the 3-0 loss; which was low lighted by the bullpen issuing a staggering 13 walks in the defeat.

(04:00) Jared Simpson opened the game, but only recorded one out while walking four Phillies. Simpson has combined to issue seven walks in his past two outings.

(12:00) Luis Perales had a wild boxscore as he tossed two scoreless innings, but in rather adventurous fashion.  Perales issued five walks, but did strike out a pair of Phillies.

(16:00) Zack Wheeler tossed seven shutout innings and Al notes how impressive he has been coming off of thoracic outlet surgery.  Wheeler's ERA is down to 2.29 and he has recorded 177 strikeouts this season.

(22:00) Andrew Pinckney was sent back to AAA after the game and presumably will be replaced on the roster by a pitcher.

(24:00) Will Connelly Early, DJ Herz, and/or Josiah Gray get called up to Washington before the year ends?

(27:00) An extended discussion about the franchise having seven consecutive losing seasons this decade.

(38:00) Josh Whetzel, the Voice of the Rochester Red Wings, gives an update from AAA.  The report begins with Connelly Early's rehab start on Tuesday night in Buffalo. 

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The Nats win streak extended to four-games with another comeback victory on Tuesday night. Mark & Al dig into the 6-3 victory over the visiting Phillies, who are now five and a half games behind Atlanta in the NL East standings.

(03:00) A quick message from Tim about supporting the podcast.

(06:00) Daylen Lile did not get the start, but changed the game with his pinch-hit opportunity in the bottom of the 7th.  Blake Butera loaded up a right-handed heavy lineup against Philadelphia ace Jonathan Sanchez, but then switched it up as the game continued.

(12:00) Why did Butera go with Lile over Wood in the 7th? Wood then hit Chaparro immediately after Lile's homer in the 7th.  Chaparro tied the game in the 5th with a solo homer.

(22:00) Jackson Kent allowed three runs in five innings of work, but he also issued three walks.

(27:00) Yovanny Cruz retired all five batters that he faced in his 2nd appearance since getting called back up last week. Erik Tolman took the mound in the top of the 9th and notched his 3rd save of the season.

(30:00) Cade Cavalli's next start was pushed to Friday in St. Louis and it will be a bullpen game on Wednesday vs. the Phillies. 

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The Nationals rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom 8th to prevail with a 6-5 win over the Angels on Sunday afternoon.  Mark & Al discuss Washington sweeping the worst team in the AL during the weekend series in Navy Yard.

(06:00) Daylen Lile began the four-run 8th with a RBI triple and it ended with a Dylan Crews RBI single for a 6-4 lead.

(11:30) James Wood did not run hard when thrown out at home in the 1st.  Ryan Zimmerman called him out on the broadcast and Wood apologized after the game.

(19:00) Riley Cornelio opened for Jake Irvin and they combined for seven innings of work. Cornelio struck out four in just two frames on the mound.

(24;20) CJ Abrams committed an error at shortstop and it is his 20th of the season. He trails Trea Turner by one error for the most in baseball.

(28:00) Washington is a percentage point ahead of the Mets for last place in the NL East.  New York hosts the Orioles on Monday while the Nats have the day off. 

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The Nats blew a late 4-run lead but ultimately emerged victorious on Saturday afternoon over the Angels.  Al & Tim examine the 6-5 walk-off victory after Harry Ford's comebacker was not fielded cleanly in the 10th and that brought across CJ Abrams for the winning run.

(07:00) Andrew Alvarez struck out eight Angels in seven innings of work; while allowing only one hit.  Alvarez seems to be on the path towards locking up a rotation spot for next season. Alvarez is an organizational success story as he was a 12th round pick in the 2021 Draft.

(11:30) Brad Lord gave up three runs in his 8th inning appearance and changed the dynamic of Washington's lead as it dwindled to 4-3.  Lord's struggles recently has reached the point that his ERA is back above .400.

(12:30) Will Dion could not close it out and in turn gave up a pair of Los Angeles runs; which put his team behind 6-5 in the top of the 9th.  

(20:00) Abimelec Ortiz's 2-run double gave Washington a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd. Andres Chaparro then pinch hit for Ortiz and tied the game with RBI single in the bottom of the 9th.  Is the organization all set for 1B in 2027?

(25:00) James Wood is up to 21 steals and CJ Abrams is now one stolen base away from a 30-30 season.

(30:00) Keibert Ruiz had a trio of hits and his OPS is up to.... .789!

(35:00) Frankie Vernouski, the voice of the Harrisburg Senators, gives an update on Eli Willits and the rest of the AA club.

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The Nats snapped their seven game losing streak on Friday night as they rallied past the Angels 4-3 in Navy Yard. Before Al & Mark dig into the dramatic bottom of the 8th, they address a significant shake up in the team's medical personnel.

(04:00) Mark reported prior to the game that the team parted ways with Harvey Sharman, the franchise's executive director of medical services.  Sharman has been with the organization since 2016 and he came over from Leeds United Football Club in Europe.

(12:00) Cade Cavalli struck out nine in six innings of work.  Cavalli is up to 194 Ks on the season as he likely has two starts remaining.

(21:00) Erik Tolman notched an adventurous save as he almost gave up a game-tying homer in the 9th to Christian Moore.  It ended up being a double and Tolman settled down to keep the lead intact.

(26:00) Clayton Beeter tossed a scoreless bottom of the 8th, but was sent to AAA following the victory.  

(29:00) The Nats trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the 8th, but the offense came through in the frame.  Andrew Pinckney's sacrifice fly tied the game and then Jorbit Vivas stepped in the batter's box.  Vivas doubled down the line to give Washington a 4-2 lead.

(32:00) Update on Harry Ford, who exited the game early due to hurting his left wrist.

(35:00) Will Seaver King get called up before the end of the season?

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The Nats were swept by the Padres on Wednesday for their 7th straight loss.  Mark (From San Diego) & Al jump right into the reality that is an 0-6 road trip in Southern California after falling 9-2 in the Petco Park matinee. Adding extra insult to injury, Maryland native Jackson Merrill drove in six runs in the midst of his two homer effort.

(05:30) Blake Butera was ejected in the bottom of the 3rd when the Padres took a 3-2 lead.

(11:00) Jackson Kent only lasted four innings as he allowed five runs off of eight hits.  Kent has made six starts since August, but only one of them has been impressive.

(19:00) The bullpen didn't blow a save, but all three relievers gave up at least one run.  Brad Lord ceded a pair of runs and his ERA currently sits at 3.76.

(23:30) Craig Stammen made a bullpen move that worked out in the 3rd, but did he make a rookie mistake along the way?

(26:00) Keibert Ruiz hit a solo homer and Dylan Crews continued his solid September with a RBI single to put Washington up 2-0.

(29:00) An extended discussion about CJ Abrams as he has struggled at the plate in the past month. Abrams' OPS was .898 prior to the announcement of the position switch and it now down to .827. He really struggled in August as his OPS for that month was at .519. 

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The Nats bullpen set a dubious MLB record in Tuesday night's 5-4 loss to the Padres.  Mark (From San Diego) & Al examine the bullpen implosion that occurred in the bottom of the 8th as Washington fumbled away their 3-run lead.  This was the 3rd blown save of the five game winless road trip in Southern California and their 38th of the season.  That sets a record for blown saves; surpassing the 37 blown saves committed by the 2024 White Sox (stat began in 1988**).

(08:00) Riley Cornelio threw three scoreless frames as he started the bullpen game.  This was Cornelio's first career start at the major league level.

(12:30) The game came apart for the Nats in the bottom of the 8th with a pair of recently called up rookies on the mound.  Jared Simpson walked the bases loaded and Erik Tolman could not escape the jam.

(19:00) Is this worst Nationals bullpen of all time?

(28:00) YoYo Morales and Andres Chaparro each homered in defeat. Chaparro's OPS is at .881 after getting called up for good in mid May.

(31:00) Eli WIllits is getting promoted to AA-Harrisburg after spending three months in Wilmington.  Willits went 0 for 4 with two walks in his debut with the Senators on Tuesday while hitting 2nd and playing SS.

(36:00) Mark gives an update on catcher Drew Millas who needs another surgery on his finger. Also hear some quick updates on Connelly Early and Josiah Gray's rehab efforts. 

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The Nats are now 0-4 on their West Coast road trip as they lost 3-2 on Labor Day afternoon in San Diego.  Mark (From Petco Park) & Al convene after Washington lost for the 19th time in the past 21 road games. The assignment was a tough one as first pitch was at 2pm PT on Monday afternoon despite not finishing their series in LA until 10pm PT on Sunday night.

(06:00) Dylan Crews hit his 11th homer of the season to cut the deficit to one run in the top of the 6th.  Crews also had an outfield assist that led to a double play in the bottom of the 8th.  Crews' OPS is at .661; slightly higher than last season's .632.

(12:30) What will the organization think of Crews heading into 2027?

(17:00) Jared Simpson and  Jack Sinclair combined to throw two plus scoreless innings of out of the bullpen.  Each of these two arms were called up this month and have limited experience.

(20:00) No word yet on the results from Orlando Ribalta's MRI.

(22:00) Jake Irvin took the loss as he allowed all three Padres runs in almost six innings of work. Irvin's ERA is at 5.52 this season in 19 starts. Will he be back next season?

(24:00) James Wood lost a fly ball in the sun and this leads to a discussion on his outfield defense at this stage of his career.

(28:00) Connelly Early will have a rehab outing on Tuesday in a "Bridge League" game in Florida.  Now what is the Bridge League?

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The Nats yet again coughed up a late lead as the tied the 2024 White Sox for the most blown saves in a season. Mark (From Dodger Stadium) & Tim recap the 7-5 loss in Los Angeles on Sunday evening. Washington led 5-4 until Mookie Betts' 3-run HR in the bottom of the 8th off of Will Dion.

(05:00) Orlando Ribalta was unavailable out of the 'pen due to right forearm tightness.  Ribalta felt discomfort less than an hour before the game and he will get a MRI on Tuesday in San Diego.

(09:00) Dion struck out the Dodger side in the 7th, but his luck ran out in the 8th.  He retired the first two hitters, but then Alex Call's 2-out single began the rally.

(14:00) How does Paul Toboni and his staff respond to this season's bullpen disaster in the off-season?

(20:00) Andrew Alvarez pitched into the 5th, but ran into trouble and was ultimately charged with three runs.  Alvarez, the Southern California native, pitched in front of many family and friends on Sunday evening.

(24:00) CJ Abrams hit his 30th homer of the season in the top of the 1st. Daylen Lile tripled again in the 6th, but then got tagged out in a rundown after a contact play.

(28:00) Any chance that Josiah Gray takes Ribalta's roster spot?

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The Nats fell 6-5 on Saturday night in L.A. for their 17th road loss in their past 19 games.  Mark (From Dodger Stadium) & Tim begin with another failed top of the 9th rally by Washington.  CJ Abrams ultimately struck out with two runners on base to end the game.

(05:10) Clayton Beeter gave up a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 7th to Tommy Edman, the 36th blown save for the franchise this season. The Nationals pitching staff somehow leads MLB in both walks and homers allowed.

(12:00) Cade Cavalli struck out eight Dodgers in six innings of work.  Cavalli's ERA is at 3.12 with likely three starts remaining.

(17:00) Dylan Crews doubled twice, but he also struck out twice. HIS OPS currently sits at .654.

(21:30) Jorbit Vivas was held up at third base in the top of the 2nd and the Nationals never drove him run. This then leads to examining Victor Estevez's first season as Nationals 3B coach.

(24:00) An update on Shohei Ohtani, who has not played in either game this series.

(28:30) A quick look at the Dodgers ownership situation as Mark Walter recently sold off the Lakers. 
 

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The Nats lost to the Dodgers 5-3 on Friday night to begin their six game road trip. Mark (From Dodger Stadium) & Al open with the Nationals 9th inning comeback where they almost overcame a five run deficit.  James Wood's RBI double brought to the tying run to the plate, but Andres Chaparro then flew out to end the affair.

(07:00) Nasim Nunez had an active evening and some of it was not very good. Nunez stole his 45th base of the season, but then was thrown out at 3rd with Wood up to bat as he overslid the bag.  Nunez also made a crucial error at shortstop that gave L.A. a 4-0 lead.

(14:00) Nunez has 14 errors on the season and the complications at SS for the franchise continue.  CJ Abrams got the start at 2B on Friday night.

(16:00) Jackson Kent issued four walks in five innings of work.  Kent has struggled in this category as he has walked 19 batters in five career starts.

(19:00) Jack Sinclair made his MLB debut by tossing a scoreless bottom of the 8th.  Sinclair took Matt Kranik's roster spot after Kranik was the latest reliever to be DFA'd.

(23:00) Cade Cavalli will take the mound on Saturday night and will be a stiff test for the Dodger lineup. It is unclear if Shohei Ohtani wil return to the field after missing the past few days due to soreness in his neck. 

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The Nats were blanked 9-0 on Wednesday by the visiting Braves.  Al & Tim examine the defeat where Washington only mustered two hits and didn't get their first one until the bottom of the 6th.  This concludes a brutal stretch of 16 straight games without an off-day.

(05:00) James Wood returned from the IL and his 6th inning single was one of the team's two hits.  Wood has 30 home runs with 20 games remaining and last season he finished with 31 homers.

(08:00) The other hit came form YoYo Morales in his 2nd career game.  Morales was at 1B on Wednesday as Abimelec Ortiz served as the DH and Andres Chaparro got a rare start at 3B.

(12:00) Brad Lord got the start as it was a planned bullpen game.  There was an hour plus rain delay, but the timing came after Lord had already pitched three frames.  

(14:00) Riley Cornelio took over for Lord, but gave up a pivotal Sean Murphy 3-run HR and the Braves never looked back.  Max Kranick took the mound in the 7th and he also gave up a 3-run shot.

(19:00) Washington next plays on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.  All three games this weekend in LA are late at night, but the team has a quick turnaround on Monday afternoon in San Diego.

(23:00) Reacting to listener emails about the latest twists and turns in the CJ Abrams defensive saga. Abrams actually played 2B in Wednesday's defeat. 

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The Nats beat the Braves 9-5 on Tuesday night to open a two game series in Navy Yard.  Al & Mark note how the team has won five of its past six games and their 67th victory of the season surpasses last season's total. Can they go 13-8 down the stretch to reach the 80-win plateau?

(11:00) Yohandy "YoYo" Morales was a triple shy of the cycle in his MLB debut.  His first MLB hit was a homer and he came very close to hitting a 2nd one, but it hit off the top of the wall. Morales was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2023 Draft.

(18:00) Jared Simpson also impressed in his MLB debut as he tossed three scoreless innings.  Simpson took the mound in the top of the 5th and struck out a trio of Braves along the way.

(22:00) CJ Abrams had two hits while playing SS in the victory and Brady House doubled off a right-handed pitcher.

(25:00) Jake Irvin only lasted four innings despite giving up just two runs. Any chance he could moved to the bullpen next year?

(28:00) James Wood is expected to come off the IL on Wednesday afternoon vs. Atlanta.

(32:00) Paul Toboni met with the media prior to the game on Tuesday and of course CJ Abrams' defensive positioning came up.  

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The Nats beat Miami 6-3 on Monday night for their fourth win in their past five games.  Mark & Al start with noting the roughly 10K in announced attendance, which was one of the lowest in stadium history.  

(06:00) Daylen Lile homered twice on the same day that he was named NL Player of the Week. Lile's OPS has now escalated to .752, which is 61 points higher than it was a few weeks ago.

(10:00) Brady House had two hits in the victory as he is getting more and more opportunities to face right-handed pitching.

(12:00) Jorbit Vivas was benched after not running out a pop fly in the bottom of the 4th.  Vivas apologized following the game and accepted full responsibility.

(18:00) Will Dion started the bullpen game and tossed three scoreless innings.  Dion also picked off a pair of Marlins runners before handing it off the Luis Perales; who allowed three runs in the top of the 4th.

(20:00) Matt Waldron took the mound in the 5th and did not allow any runs in three innings of work, but he loaded up the bases in the top of the 8th with no outs.  Erik Tolman, a recent call-up, then wriggled out of the jam and then closed it out in the 9th.

(23:00) James Wood needs a bit more time before returning to the Nats lineup.  Wood homered on Sunday in AA-Harrisburg rehab appearance and then met with the team on Monday at Nationals Park.

(25:30) A potential concerning update regarding Josiah Gray, who last pitched in the majors since April 2024.

(28:00) CJ Abrams was originally slated to play SS on Monday night before being scratched due to back tightness.  Blake Butera said during pregame availability that Abrams will actually see time at both 2B & SS in September.  What is going on here?

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The Nats led Miami 2-0 entering the top of the 9th on Sunday, but then the bullpen feel flat on its face. Mark & Al hold a lengthy discussion about the 'pen as it blew its 37th save of the season in the 6-2 defeat.  This team amazingly has blown more saves (37) than they have converted saves (35) this season.

(05:00) The litany of mistakes included not backing up an errant throw and allowing a way too easy steal of home.

(10:00) Max Kranick began the frame, but it was Tom Cosgrove had the nightmare frame.  Listen to how accountable Cosgrove was in the clubhouse after the loss as he ran through all the mental mistakes that he made while on the mound.

(20:00) An explanation as to why Orlando Ribalta and some other arms were not available to pitch in the 9th.  Cade Cavalli's Saturday start only lasting four innings had an effect on bullpen usage, in addition to the fact that the team has not had an off day in a week and a half.

(30:00) Andrew Alvarez's solid outing was erased by the 9th inning collapse on Sunday afternoon. Alvarez did not give up a run in six innings of work as his ERA is at 3.47 in 21 appearances.

(32:00) The nature of the loss buried the original lede in that CJ Abrams made his debut at 2B.  No ground balls were to hit his way, but he did make a nice snag to end the 6th.

(35:00) James Wood homered in his rehab stint on Sunday for AA-Harrisburg.  It is expected that he will return to the Nats lineup on either Monday or Tuesday. 

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The Nats earned their first walk-off win of the season in Saturday afternoon's 5-4 win over Miami in extras.  Al begins with the hero Dylan Crews, who's single brought in Nasim Nunez in order to preserve the victory in the bottom of the 10th.  Crews had an impactful day as his swinging bunt resulted in a pair of runs coming across after a Miami throwing error in the 3rd.

(10:00) Despite the win; the offense was retired for 21 consecutive hitters until the 10th inning.

(12:30) CJ Abrams was at DH on Saturday as it has been over two weeks since his switch to 2B was announced.

(15:00) Cade Cavalli had a great but brief outing as he exited after the top of the 4th.  Cavalli fielded a comebacker off his leg and left the game shortly there after due to "calf discomfort". Hear what Blake Butera had to say about it postgame.

(18:00) Tom Cosgrove had a rough appearance as he allowed three runs in less than an inning of work. Brad Lord then gave up the game tying 2-run HR to Heriberto Hernandez in the game changing top of the 7th.

(22:00) Tim is joined by Jerome Hruska, the long time Nationals Public Address Announcer.  Hear about how he reached the majors and what it was like to PA the World Series. 

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The Nats took care of the Marlins 9-2 on Friday evening in D.C. Mark & Al dig into Jackson Kent's impressive seven inning performance in just his 4th career Big League start. Kent ran into trouble in the top of the 7th, but convinced Pitching Coach Simon Matthews to let him wriggle out of it himself.  Kent allowed just one run while striking out three Marlins on 106 pitches.

(09:00) This outing came just five days after Kent lost in Miami on Sunday.  Kent was lifted in the 5th inning and allowed three runs in the 6-2 loss that resulted in a sweep.

(11:00) Is Kent in line to be part of the 2027 Opening Day rotation?

(15:00) The Nats lost to Eury Perez on Saturday last week, but the tables turned in Navy Yard.  Perez only lasted three innings and allowed five runs along the way.

(17:30) Brady House crushed a 3-run shot off of Perez in the bottom of the 3rd.  The actual distance was ultimately adjusted to 445 feet per Stat ast and it was one of the furthest balls ever hit towards LF in Nationals Park history.

(23:00) Harry Ford homered and Daylen Lile tripled for the 6th time this season. Lile's ascending OPS is now up to .729.

(28:00) Connelly Early recently threw live BP in West Palm and the current plan is for him to make a rehab start on September 8th.

(30:00) James Wood took full BP and he might be able to return during this home stand.

(33:00) CJ Abrams made a great play at SS as the wait continues for him to make the announced switch to 2B. 

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The Nats salvaged a series split with Colorado on Thursday afternoon after a 7-1 triumph. Al & Mark note that there was a clear sense of extra hustle just one day after Blake Butera called out the team for a lack of effort.

(08:00) Daylen Lile kept up his hot week with three hits, including a homer.  Lile has shot up his OPS recently as it now at .724.

(11:00) Jacob Young impressed with an extra effort double, single, and a pair of stolen bases.  Young's OPS is at .713, much higher than last year's total of .583.

(15:00) Another game at DH for CJ Abrams.

(18:00) Jake Irvin pitched into the 5th and struck out six Rockies, but he also issued six walks.

(20:30) The most important play of the game might have been the pickoff by Keibert Ruiz to nab the runner leaning at 1B.  It was a 4-1 game  in the 7th as Clayton Beeter was facing Hunter Goodman, Colorado's best hitter.

(25:00) Which position players are in jeopardy of getting replaced over the winter?

(30:00) This weekend the Nats host Miami for a four game series after the Marlins swept last weekend's series. 

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The Nats were trounced 13-1 on Wednesday night by visiting Colorado.  Before diving into the rout, Mark & Al briefly revel in the 1,000th edition of this podcast.

(07:30) Blake Butera called out his team's lack of effort after the loss.

(10:00) Andres Chaparro got a rare start at 3B and homered in the bottom of the 2nd.  However, Chaparro did not hustle on a double by Jose Tena with two outs in the 4th and this was something that Butera pointed out afterwards.

(18:00) CJ Abrams originally was slated for SS but ended up being the DH after pregame workouts did not go smoothly on the ankle.

(23:00) Matt Waldron started the bullpen game as he recently joined Washington.  This is the 3rd MLB team that Waldron has pitched for this season (Toronto & San Diego).

(26:00) Poor outing for Will Dion as he allowed four runs in the 5th and Colorado never looked.  Luis Perales had a disappointing MLB debut as he gave up a Grand Slam in the 7th.

(34:00) Jake Irvin will take the mound on Thursday afternoon as the Nationals look to split the series. 

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The Nats lost to the Rockies 3-1 on Tuesday night in Navy Yard.  Al & Mark note that the team's complete inability to mount a late inning comeback as they are an astonishing 1-55 when they are trailing after the 7th inning.

(09:00) Daylen Lile slugged his 17th homer to account for the lone run.  Lile's OPS is now up to .715 as he tries to approach last year's total of .845.

(14:00) CJ Abrams DHed again on Tuesday night as it has been almost two weeks since the announcement was made that he will be moved to 2B.

(17:00) The Rockies plated their 3rd run on a wild pitch that included obstruction on Brady House while at 3B.

(20:00) Andrew Alvarez pitched into the 5th as he allowed three runs and struck out six.

(25:00) Brad Lord lasted over two frames and Blake Butera said that they will no longer try to make Lord a starter.

(31:00) It seems like the line is becoming even fuzzier between starters and relievers on this organization.

(35:00) Trevor Williams became the 3rd veteran pitcher to have been DFA'd this month. 

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The Nats snapped their four game losing streak by trouncing the visiting Rockies 13-3 on Monday night.  Mark & Al have a productive offensive evening to sort through as the lineup combined for thirteen hits despite not getting their first one until the bottom of the 5th.

(08:00) CJ Abrams made a big impact in his return to the leadoff spot as he doubled and stole two bases as the DH.  Abrams is the first 25-25 player for the organization since Alfonso Soriano twenty years ago.

(12:00) When will Abrams actually move to 2B?

(14:30) Lile drove in five runs and hit a 3-run HR in the bottom of the 8th. Lile's OPS is at .705 on the season.

(17:00) Jorbit Vivas must have heard the recent criticism of him on the podcast as he came through with a trio of hits.  

(20:00) Cade Cavalli struck out seven Rockies as he earned the win in his 4th consecutive start. Cavalli is now up to 169 strikeouts on the season and his ERA is 3.21.

(25:00) Erik Tolman tossed another scoreless inning in his 2nd appearance since getting called up.

(29:00) Will the potential work stoppage affect roster decisions in the final month of the season?

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The Nationals lost to the Marlins 6-2 on Sunday afternoon to conclude a wretched 1-8 road trip. Mark & Al discuss the team now finding themselves ten games below .500 and they are 6-15 in the month of November.

(06:00) CJ Abrams sat out all series.  Should he have been placed on the 10-Day IL in order to open up a roster spot?

(08:00) Dylan Crews went 2 for 4 with a RBI double and his OPS is currently at .644.

(14:00) Is it time to call up Seaver King from AAA?  King is a SS who was the organization's first round pick in 2024. King's OPS is at .973 in three months of play in Rochester.

(19:00) Jacob Young yet another incredible catch at the wall. Daylen Lile also had a web gem in the outfield.

(22:00) Jackson Kent handed the ball off to Trevor Williams in the 5th and the Marlins took advantage for a 3-1 lead.  Kent struck out five, but did issue a trio of walks.

(27:00) The Nats open up a ten game homestand on Monday against the Rockies.  Cade Cavalli will take the mound and the team hasn't won since his last outing. 

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The Nats lost 4-2 in Miami on Saturday afternoon and are now 1-7 on this interminable road trip. Al & Tim begin with the lineup that has really struggled without CJ Abrams & James Wood.

(07:00) Hindsight look at Paul Toboni's actions leading into the Trade Deadline.

(16:00) Jake Irvin gave up four runs in six innings of work.  Irvin's ERA is consistently flirting with 6.00 and it is unlikely that he will be back with the organization in 2027.

(21:00) Erik Tolman tossed a scoreless bottom of the 7th in his MLB.  Tolman battled through multiple Tommy John surgeries and also a gruesome knee incident in order to make it to The Show.

(27:00) If Abrams does not play on Sunday, will he head to the IL?  Jackson Kent will make the start for the Nationals in the series finale.

(30:00) A never before aired interview that Tim conducted years back with former Nationals pitcher John Patterson. 

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The Nats tied the Marlins in the top of the 9th, but couldn't get out of the bottom of the 9th unscathed on Friday night.  Al & Mark recap the 3-2 loss which ended on Javier Sonoja's walk-off single off of Clayton Beeter.

(05:00) The offense is really struggling without CJ Abrams & James Wood as they both are on the IL.

(08:00) Why did Nasim Nunez try to steal 3rd in the top of the 6th with Daylen Lile up to bat?  Nunez did swipe two other bags in the loss and now leads all of MLB with 42 stolen bags.

(10:00) Lile tied the game up with a RBI single in the top of the 9th.

(15:00) Keibert Ruiz homered to open up the scoring in the 6th.  Ruiz's OPS currently sits at .761 as he is bouncing back from a tough stretch in July.

(19:00) It was a bullpen game as the initial two pitchers were Brad Lord & Will Dion.

(20:00) Beeter faced eight batters, but only retired two hitters.

(28:00) Jake Irvin will take the mound on Saturday afternoon as time is running out for him to prove his place on the roster (5.80 ERA). 

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The Nats were shutout for the second time in three days as they fell 2-0 on Thursday night in Texas. Mark (From Arlington, TX) & Al begin with Jacob deGrom, who had a vintage performance against Washington. The former Cy Young winner struck out ten while only allowing one Brady House single in six innings on the mound.

(08:00) Will deGrom make it into Cooperstown?

(10:20) CJ Abrams sat on Thursday night due to a sprained ankle that occurred in the 9th inning on Wednesday. Abrams still has not switched to 2B despite the news coming out last week.

(17:30) Andrew Alvarez only gave up one run in five innings of work.  Alvarez did manuever the tight rope as he issued three walks and his ERA is currently at 3.60 in 19 appearances.

(22:00) Will Alvarez fit into next season's starting rotation?

(24:00) Three bullpen arms combined to toss three scoreless frames.  Clayton Beeter's ERA is at 3.46 the season.

(29:00) The road trip moves to Miami for three games over the weekend.  The Marlins are at .500 on the yearand Brad Lord will take the mound on Friday evening for the Nats. 

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Cade Cavalli was excellent again in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Rangers.  Mark (From Texas) & Al discuss Cavalli's 11 strikeouts, the most he's thrown since his late June outing in Fenway Park.

(06:00) Cavalli was pulled after six innings of work and 84 thrown pitches.  Should he have pitched the 7th?

(10:00) Cavalli is up to 162 strikeouts on the season and he likely has roughly six starts left.

(16:00) CJ Abrams made a great defensive play.... at shortstop.  When will the move to 2B actually happen?

(23:00) Andres Chaparro gathered three hits; one of which went over the fence.  Chaparro slugged his 8th homer of the season and his OPS this year is at .903 in the majors.

(26:00) Jose Tena began the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the 1st.

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The Nats were blanked 5-0 on Tuesday night at the Rangers for their 4th consecutive loss on this road trip.  Mark (From Arlington, TX) & Al put into perspective how severe the drop-off has been as Washington lost 11 of their past 12 road games.

(07:00) Rangers starter Cal Quantrill dominated the Nationals offense by tossing seven scoreless frames. The only player to get multiple hits in the loss was CJ Abrams.

(10:00) Abrams' agent has made it publicly clear that his client was not thrilled with the move from SS to 2B.

(17:00) The CBA expires in early December and it is widely expected that there will be another Lockout.  Did that unclear timeline play into the team's decision to make the position switch for Abrams now into of over the winter?

(20:00) Does this ultimately improve or decrease the chances Abrams and the organization agree to an extension pre- Free Agency? Abrams is due to become a Free Agent ahead of the 2029 season.

(25:00) Jackson Kent's 2nd career start did not go well as he gave up five runs and issued three walks in under four innings on the mound.

(29:00) The bullpen behind Kent did pitch very well on Tuesday evening.  Trevor Williams threw over three scoreless innings and Yovanny Cruz had a good bounce back outing.

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The Nats lost 4-3 to the Mets on Sunday afternoon as the weekend series resulted in a New York sweep.  Mark (From Citi Field) & Al convene after Washington has dropped ten of their past eleven road games within divisional play.

(04:00) CJ Abrams was hitless over the weekend after recently finding out that he will be moving to 2B.

(06:00) Update on James Wood's oblique injury.

(08:00) Abimelec Ortiz homered again and he is now up to five homers this month.

(14:00) No hits or walks for Dylan Crews in New York. Crews OPS this season is an underwhelming .641.

(22:00) Jake Irvin gave up four runs on Sunday and his ERA is a brutal 5.80.  There is a distinct chance that Irvin is not on the team next season.

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The Nats couldn't hang on in the 9th and lost 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at the Mets. Mark (From New York) & Al begin with Yovanny Cruz, who inhertied a 4-3 lead in the middle of the 9th.  Cruz was unable to overcome the lead off walk and Francisco Lindor's walk-off single sealed Washington's fate.

(12:00) This was a planned bullpen game for the Nats and they immediately rain into trouble. Brad Lord got the start but was only able to record two outs.

(14:00) Will Dion stepped up big time as he tossed over four innings out of the 'pen and tied a franchise record with seven strikeouts as a reliever.

(21:00) Why didn't Blake Butera call for intentionally walking Francisco Lindor with first base open in the bottom of the 9th?  

(24:00) Brady House's 3-run HR off the foul pole puts the Nats ahead 4-2 in the 6th. House's OPS is now at .703. He currently is hitting .182 against righties, but .360 vs. lefties.

(27:00) CJ Abrams started again at SS in Saturday's loss.  Mark asked Butera pregame what the timeline is for Abrams to move at 2B.

(29:00) Andrew Pinckney was thrown out at home when trying to tag on a Dylan Crews flyout in the top of the 7th.  This came right on the heels of Pinckney's 2-out triple. 

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The Nats lost 4-1 on Friday night to the Mets, but the major news of the day came during pregame.  Mark (From New York) & Al dive into the fact that CJ Abrams will soon see time at 2B. Abrams leads all of MLB with 19 errors committed at SS.

(05:00) Blake Butera and CJ Abrams seemed to be on different pages in terms of the shift to 2B.

(08:00) This announcement comes one month after Abrams started for the National League in the All-Star Game at SS.

(12:30) Did the Nationals newfound organizational depth at SS play a role in this decision?

(15:00) Does this help or hurt the Nats chances at keeping Abrams long term?

(25:00) What are the short-term options at SS?

(29:00) Why did Daylen Lile lay down a bunt in the 3rd? Lile however did make a beautiful play defensively in RF.

(32:00) Andrew Alvarez gave up a pair of runs as he pitched into the 6th. Alvarez's ERA is at 3.72 after 18 appearances this season.

(36:00) Brad Lord will start on Saturday as he transitions back to the rotation as there is a vacant spot. 

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The Nats avoided the sweep on Thursday afternoon as they shutout the Cubs 7-0. Mark & Al have plenty of flowers to throw at Cade Cavalli as he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. Cavalli ultimately pitched eight innings and struck out ten along the way.  Cavalli is now up to 151 strikeouts on the season, which is the 7th highest in the NL.

(10:00) Blake Butera says he will not stand in the way of a no-hitter unless the pitch count situation is egregious.

(14:00) Cavalli is sporting a 3.36 ERA for this season and has improved mightily since he struggled against the Cubs on Opening Day.

(17:00) Cavalli has seven consecutive starts that have lasted at least six innings.

(22:00) Abimelec Ortiz continues his red-hot stretch as his 3-run homer made it 5-0 Washington.  Ortiz only has 30 at bats this season in the majors, but his OPS is at 1.122.

(25:00) Dylan Crews had a RBI single in the bottom of the 4th to begin the scoring.

(27:00) The Nationals open a nine game road trip on Friday night as they will go the Mets, Rangers, and Marlins.  Brad Lord will start on Friday in New York as he is taking Miles Mikolas' now vacated spot in the starting rotation.

(33:00) Josh Whetzel, the Voice of the Rochester Red Wings, provides an update from AAA. Hear the latest about Seaver King, Yo Yo Morales, Riley Adams, and Trey Lipscomb.

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The Nats were beaten 12-6 by the Cubs on Wednesday night to drop to four games below .500. Al & Tim dig into the defeat that saw Alex Bregman go deep three times against three different relief pitchers.

(05:00) Jackson Kent made his MLB debut as he was called up from AAA. Kent struck out six Cubs, but issued five walks as he pitched into the top of the 5th.

(08:30) Four relievers were need to pick up the slack, but no one fared that well.  Trevor Williams ate up the final three innings to avoid having to pitch a position player in the top of the 9th.

(14:00) Abimelec Ortiz crushed a third deck HR late in the game while pinch-hitting for Andres Chaparro.  Ortiz was inserted into the lineup once Chicago put a righty on the mound.

(17:00) Should CJ Abrams be in the leadoff spot instead of Dylan Crews while James Wood is on the IL?  Crews went 0 for 5 on Wednesday night while Abrams was in the cleanup spot.

(25:00) Cade Cavalli will start on Thursday afternoon as he has 141 strikeouts so far this season.

(27:30) Tim shares his conversation from last month with Miles Mikolas following the benches clearing brawl in Fenway Park.  Mikolas shares insights on what sometimes actually happens in those situations.  Mikolas was officially DFA'd on Wednesday after Kent was called up. 

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The Nats lost 8-6 on Tuesday night against the visiting Cubs.  Mark begins by relaying to Al that he saw Miles Mikolas saying goodbye to teammates in the clubhouse following the defeat and likely will be released in the near future. Mikolas pitched the final three innings in Tuesday's loss and his ERA is at 5.82 for the season. Jackson Kent is expected to get called up from AAA and make his MLB debut on Wednesday evening.

(07:30) Will Brad Lord get moved back to the starting rotation?

(14:00) Jake Irvin struggled as he gave up five runs in just over three innings of work.  Irvin's spot in the rotation is in jeopardy as his ERA is at 5.79 for this season.

(21:00) CJ Abrams hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1st.  Abrams is now up to 29 homers on the year; just one behind James Wood.

(24:00) The offense went deep three times off of Chicago starter Shota Imanaga who has a ERA under 4.00 on the season. The other two taters came off the bats of Jacob Young & Dylan Crews.

(30:00) Jackson Kent will make his MLB debut on the mound on Wednesday night.  Kent is a lefty who began the season at AA and has a 4.38 ERA at AAA in 13 starts. 

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The Nats swept the Reds on Sunday afternoon with a 7-1 win in the series finale.  Al & Mark recap the unusual victory that was led by the bullpen for all 27 outs. Brad Lord pitched into the 3rd before handing the ball off to the recently acquired Will Dion. The pitching was good all weekend as Cincinnati only scored six combined runs in the three games.

(09:00) Trevor Williams recorded seven outs and has been impressive in his five appearances since being activated off of the IL.

(14:00) Andres Chaparro continued his hot stretch with a 2-run double to put this game out of reach in the bottom of the 8th.  Abimelec Ortiz homered to give Washington the lead in the bottom of the 3rd.

(19:00) Keibert Ruiz had three hits on Sunday and his OPS this season sits at .762.

(25:00) There is a chance that the Nats could call up a AAA starter this week against the Cubs.  The series begins on Tuesday and Chicago is currently in the top NL wildcard spot. 

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The Nats topped the Reds 8-2 on Saturday night for their second straight win.  Mark & Al begin with the offense getting to Chase Burns this time, unlike when they faced him three months ago. Washington tagged Burns with five runs and knocked him out during their rally in the bottom of the 6th.

(07:00) Andres Chaparro pinch-hit for DH Josh Tena with the bases loaded and delivered.  Chaparro's 2-run double in the 6th made it 5-2 Nationals and he later added a RBI single in the bottom of the 8th. Blake Butera got the better of Reds Manager Terry Francona when he inserted Chaparro right after the call to the bullpen.

(15:00) Andrew Alvarez out-pitched Burns and took a shutout into the top of the 6th.  Alvarez ran into trouble and was replaced by Max Kranik, who immediately saw Cincy tie the affair at two. Why didn't they leave Alvarez in the game to handle the jam himself?

(25:00) Yovanny Cruz impressed again as he tossed a scoreless top of the 7th. Cruz was part of the package that came from the Yankees for Luis Garcia Jr.

(28:00) The Nationals are 4.5 games behind the Philles for the final wildcard spot.

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The Nats opened the homestand with a 5-3 victory over the Reds on Friday night.  Tim & Al begin by wondering if the team is still considered part of playoff contention as they trail the Phillies by 5.5 games for the final wildcard spot.

(06:00) Cade Cavalli struck out out eight Reds and pitched into the 7th inning.  Cavalli is up to 141 strikeouts for the season and the question will be how many starts does he get down the stretch. He did struggle a bit though as he gave up seven hits and three of them were solo Cincinnati homers.

(12:00) Yovanny Cruz rescued Cavalli in the top of the 7th to keep the two run lead intact.  Cruz, who came over as part of the Luis Garcia Jr. trade, has shown high velocity and a lot to like thus far.

(17:00) All of the offense came off of a pair of homers hit by Daylen Lile & Harry Ford. Lile has now moved back ahead of Jacob Young in the OPS department (.717 vs. .706).

(21:00) Tim points out an aspect to the Curtis Mead trade that has been bothering him during this pivotal stretch.

(25:00) Andrew Alvarez will take the mound on Saturday night vs. Chase Burns as Washington looks to lock up the weekend series. 

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The Nats ended their difficult road trip with a whimper as they fell 7-3 in Philadelphia on Thursday night.  Mark (From Philly) & Al convene after the 1-7 trip that saw the season's fortunes change significantly for the worse.  

(03:00) Miles Mikolas reached ten years of MLB service time with the start on Thursday, but allowed twelve hits during the outing. Mikolas is in jeopardy of being DFA'd in the near future just like Zack Littell was on Wednesday. Mikolas' numbers are quite grisly as his ERA sits at 5.89 in 24 appearances.

(07:00) Connelly Early has forearm tightness after facing hitters this week in West Palm Beach.

(15:00) Quick updates on Josiah Gray & DJ Herz.

(16:30) Trevor Williams tossed a scoreless bottom of the 8th and Al poses to Mark the question of whether or not Williams rejoins the rotation.

(21:00) Andrew Pinckney homered for the first time since getting called up this week from AAA.  Pinckney showed bouts of power in Rochester as he homered 20 times last season.

(25:00) Jacob Young's OPS (.707) is slightly ahead of Daylen Lile (.705).

(29:00) Washington was one game over .500 when they began this road trip on Thursday July 30th in Atlanta and they return from Philadelphia one week later at five games under .500. 

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The Nats ended their seven game losing streak with a hard fought 10-4 victory over the Phillies in extras on Wednesday night.  Mark (From Philly) & Al begin with the very unusual moment in the top of the 11th when Miles Mikolas of all people laid down a RBI single to give the team a 3-run lead. The offense erupted in the 11th with six runs off the back-end of the Philadelphia bullpen.  Washington lost the DH when Andres Chaparro took over at 1B for Abimelec Ortiz.

(07:00) CJ Abrams 2-run triple began the rally in 11th, which led to Mikolas pinch-hitting opportunity. Abrams occupied the leadoff spot on Wednesday as James Wood was recently placed on the IL.

(12:00) Brady House homered off a lefty despite usually being far more productive against a right-hander.

(17:00) Jake Irvin pitched into the 6th and allowed only a pair of runs in his 2nd start back from the IL.

(18:00) Two pitchers who were acquired recently in trades took the mound on Wednesday in Philly. Will Dion came over for Foster Griffin and Yovanny Cruz was part of the package from the Yankees for Luis Garcia Jr.

(22:00) Brad Lord is back from the IL and only needed ten pitches to notch the final three outs in the bottom of the 11th.

(26:00) Zack Littell was Designated For Assignment in order to make roster space for Lord.  This is a clear suggestion of what the organizational approach will be in the final two months of the season. The veteran struggled in Washington as he had a 4.97 ERA in 23 appearances.

(34:00) Joey Wiemer, who had been in Rochester the past few months, was waived by the organization. Wiemer was struggling in AAA as his OPS was only .534. Wiemer had a great start of the season as he homered twice in Wrigley Field in late March. 

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The Nats' losing steak is now up a to season worst seven games after getting shutout 5-0 in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.  Mark (From Philly) & Al immediately address the sorry state of affairs as just one week ago they were two games above .500 and very much in the wildcard hunt.

(06:30) Prior to the game James Wood was placed on the 10-Day IL due to a left oblique strain.  Wood exited Monday's game shortly after he injured his side on a swing in the top of the 6th.

(11:00) The offense was 0 for 11 w/ runners in scoring position in the loss and collectively on this road trip they are a stunningly bad 3 for 45.

(14:00) Any chance that CJ Abrams becomes the leadoff hitter while Wood is on the IL?  Dylan Crews was first in the order in Tuesday night's defeat.

(17:00) Andrew Pinckney had a hectic Tuesday as he spent the morning riding the bus to Scranton with his Rochester teammates and ended it as a member of the Washington Nationals inside the visitor's clubhouse in Philadelphia. Pinckney was available off the bench after arriving in the middle of the 2nd inning and he occupied the roster spot vacated by Wood.

(21:00) Carson Palmquist's brief appearance as the Opener did not go well as he allowed one run after just facing four batters.  Palmquist has seen more action in that role, but it is not going well.

(23:00) Keep or cut Zack Littell and/or Miles Mikolas for the final two months of the season?

(26:00) Putting in perspective how many obstacles are facing the organization right now.

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It was a long Monday for the Nationals in Philadelphia as the Trade Deadline elapsed less than an hour before losing 6-3 for a a 6th consecutive defeat.  Mark (From Philly) & Al start with Blake Butera getting ejected for the first time as a major league Manager. It came in the 7th inning after Nasim Nunez made an out on the bases.

(06:00) The Nats made a pair of trades on Monday, but certainly of different magnitudes.  All - Star starting pitcher Foster Griffin was sent to Cleveland in exchange for four players and AAA outfielder Christian Franklin was dealt to the Orioles organization.  The Griffin trade on Monday afternoon cemented that the Nationals were ultimately "sellers" at the Trade Deadline.

(10:00) Did Washington and Griffin's extension talks get close at all before he was traded away?

(14:00) Analyzing the players coming over from the Guardians organization which were three pitchers and one outfielder. The Nationals overall acquired nine pitchers in their four recent trades before the deadline.

(22:30) The Nats led 3-0 entering the bottom of the 7th behind the left arm of Andrew Alvarez.  It went south that frame as Tom Cosgrove gave up to Grand Slam to Derek Hill.

(28:00) Abimelec Ortiz hit his first career homer right away as he was hitting 2nd in the order.  Ortiz was also called up from Rochester and started at 1B in place of Luis Garcia. Ortiz came over to the organization as part of the package from Texas from MacKenzie Gore.

(32:00) Daylen Lile put Washington ahead 3-0 with a 2-run shot in the top of the 2nd.

(33:00) James Wood exited the game early due to tightness in his side and he is getting a MRI on Tuesday.

(35:00) PJ Poulin was transferred to the 60-Day IL due to a left flexor strain.

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