Gut-punch losses like tonight’s 5-4 calamity against the Phillies – even more so than Tuesday’s gut-punch loss – lead to obvious questions about late-game bullpen management.

Why didn’t Blake Butera leave Orlando Ribalta in to face Justin Crawford with two outs and a runner on first after the right-hander issued a 10-pitch walk to Kyle Schwarber, instead of asking Richard Lovelady to face pinch-hitter Derek Hill?

“Part of it is not overextending Ribalta,” the Nationals manager explained. “He missed some time earlier this year due to injury. He has been kind of battling some stuff there. He obviously gave it everything he had for those three hitters. Long at-bat with Schwarber there. He emptied the tank on Schwarber. And I liked the matchup of Lovelady on Hill more than O on Crawford there, given what he had to work through. Obviously, it did not work out.”

Why not intentionally walk Schwarber, then, saving Ribalta from throwing 10 extra pitches and leaving him fresh enough to face the far-less-imposing Crawford with the game on the line?

“No,” Butera said. “We never like the matchup with Schwarber, of course. We’re not just going to put the tying run on.”

Why continue to trust Lovelady, whose peripheral numbers haven’t been good all season, in big situations? Why prioritize lefty-lefty and righty-righty matchups over simply using the best-available reliever, no matter which arm he throws from?

We can go all night, and undoubtedly many of you have been up all night asking these same questions to yourself and wondering when anything will change?

But there’s a simpler, harsher truth that has to be accepted as this unexpected 2026 season reaches its official halfway point: The Nationals bullpen just isn’t good enough to get overly worked up about matchups and late-game managerial decisions.

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For the second straight night, they were one strike away. And for the second straight night, they suffered an absolute gut-punch of a loss to the Phillies.

In position to bounce back impressively from Tuesday night’s ninth-inning meltdown, the Nationals somehow found a way to do it again, with Richard Lovelady serving up a two-run homer to light-hitting pinch-hitter Derek Hill with two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth.

Pitching for the third straight day, Lovelady was summoned by manager Blake Butera after Orlando Ribalta lost a 10-pitch battle with Kyle Schwarber, ultimately walking one of the most-feared sluggers in baseball. Lovelady had Hill down in the count, 1-2, then grooved a fastball over the plate, which Hill drove just over the right-field wall for only his 18th homer in 278 career games.

The Nationals tried to preemptively give themselves better late-game matchups tonight by calling up Palmquist from Triple-A Rochester to open for Miles Mikolas, thus saving PJ Poulin for a more-traditional relief role later on. Palmquist responded with 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball on 58 pitches, an impressive debut to say the least.

The Nats staked their pitching staff to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to solo homers by Luis Garcia Jr. and Jorbit Vivas, but they couldn’t do much of anything else against Phillies starter Aaron Nola through the fifth. By the time Nola departed, Philadelphia had taken the lead, scoring three runs with Mikolas on the mound in the fourth, two of them unearned after Nasim Nuñez couldn’t cleanly field a grounder to second.

The Nationals got the lead back, though, when Curtis Mead stepped up to pinch-hit in the bottom of the sixth and immediately crushed Jonathan Bowlan’s first pitch to left for a two-run homer, the latest clutch hit by the Australian third baseman.

The same bullpen that blew Tuesday’s game then tried to get the job done in the rematch, with Poulin recording four big outs across the seventh and eighth innings and Ribalta recording the first two outs of the ninth before his 10-pitch walk of Schwarber. Butera then asked Lovelady to finish the job, only to have his heart ripped out again.

HITTING HIGHLIGHT: We’ve run out of ways to say how clutch Mead is. Though he wasn’t in tonight’s lineup, you knew Blake Butera was waiting for the right moment to call his name off the bench. Sure enough, with a runner on and two out in the sixth, Mead emerged from the dugout to pinch-hit for Vivas. Don Mattingly countered with Bowlan, and that played right into Butera’s hands. Mead whacked the first pitch he saw (a sweeper well above the zone) deep to left for his 13th homer of the season, giving the Nats the lead. In the process, he raised his OPS against right-handers this season to .810, with eight of those 13 homers coming against them.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: You can be excused if you knew nothing about Palmquist prior to tonight. The 25-year-old lefty was a third-round pick of the Rockies in 2022 and made only nine big-league appearances for them last season (seven starts). The Nationals acquired him last month in exchange for cash considerations, then sent him to Rochester to work out of the bullpen. They called him up tonight to give them as much as he could … and he went above and beyond with 3 1/3 strong innings, departing without having allowed a run. Using an effective sinker-sweeper combo, Palmquist kept the Phillies’ hitters off-balance, especially the big lefty sluggers. So Butera let him keep pitching until he faced them a second time in the top of the fourth. He departed with a pat on the back from his manager and a nice ovation from the crowd. Whether he sticks around or is sent back down for now remains

NOTABLE: Vivas has now doubled his career home run total (from two to four) in the last two days.

UP NEXT: The four-game series concludes Thursday at 6:45 p.m., with Cade Cavalli returning to the mound and hopefully back to 100 percent after his bout with food poisoning last weekend. The Phillies counter with ace Cristopher Sánchez, owner of a 9-3 record and 1.80 ERA. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM

Tuesday night’s loss was as tough a gut punch as the Nationals have experienced this season. Now they attempt to pick themselves up off the mat and do what they’ve done after pretty much all of their other gut-punch losses this season and win the next day.

Blake Butera admitted Tuesday night they’ve been going all-in to try to win every game this series, and in that vein they’re pulling out all the stops tonight with a brand-new face on the mound to start the game: Carson Palmquist. Who? He’s a 25-year-old left-hander who made nine appearances (seven starts) for the Rockies last season and then was acquired by the Nats for cash last month. He’s been at Triple-A Rochester since, pitching mostly in relief and posting a 3.27 ERA and 0.727 WHIP across 11 innings.

The plan (we presume): Palmquist serves as the left-handed opener tonight, facing the top of the Phillies lineup in the first (and maybe second) inning before handing it over to bulk guy Miles Mikolas. This would also free up PJ Poulin to be used later in the game for matchup purposes, something that could’ve come in handy Tuesday night. Will the plan work? Stay tuned.

The Nationals can help their cause by enjoying another big night at the plate. They’ll be facing veteran Aaron Nola, who over the last two seasons has proven himself to no longer be the reliable workhorse he previously was for so long. Some good news: CJ Abrams is back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday’s game with left side tightness. The shortstop went through a full pregame workout before the decision was made, leading to a late lineup announcement.

And finally, a brief pregame news item to share: The Nats have claimed right-hander Justin Lawrence off outright waivers from the Twins and designated Double-A right-hander Jhancarlos Lara for assignment. Lawrence, 31, has 229 games of MLB experience with the Rockies, Pirates and Twins, owner of a 5.37 ERA, 1.598 WHIP and 14 saves. He’s expected to join the bullpen within the next few days, with another roster move needed to clear a spot for him.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Clear, 81 degrees, 7 mph out to right

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
LF Brandon Marsh
DH Bryce Harper
1B Alec Bohm
2B Bryson Stott
C JT Realmuto
RF Gabriel Rincones Jr.
3B Edmundo Sosa
CF Justin Crawford

RHP Aaron Nola

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
DH José Tena
SS CJ Abrams
LF Daylen Lile
CF Dylan Crews
3B Jorbit Vivas
C Drew Millas
2B Nasim Nuñez

LHP Carson Palmquist

(07:15) The staff needed eight pitchers to get through Tuesday night's game. Richard Lovelady began the top of the 8th but was ultimately charged with three runs after inheriting a 5-3 lead. Paxton Schultz took over for Lord in the 9th and was optioned to AAA after the game.

(12:45) The bullpen was charged with two blown saves and lead the majors in most homers allowed.

(17:30) Zack Littell relieved PJ Poulin after an inning and lasted four frames as the bulk starter.

(22:40) The offense jumped out to a 5-0 lead and homered twice in the loss.  Jorbit Vivas shockingly went deep in the bottom of the 8th to take back the lead for the time being and Luis Garcia Jr. had a pinch-hit solo homer in the 9th.

(27:00) Nasim Nuñez swiped a pair of bags and now leads MLB with 31 steals.  Nuñez is well on pace to break CJ Abrams Nationals record of 47 stolen bases from a few years ago.

(31:30) Miles Mikolas will take the mound as the Nationals trail Phillies by 2.5 games in the standings. 

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As Jorbit Vivas’ three-run blast cleared the center-field wall and a crowd of 29,611 exploded with joy at arguably the biggest singular moment of the season, Brad Lord took a second or two to celebrate before locking back in to the task now in his hands.

“I was pumped up,” the reliever said. “Going in for a save sit…

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Nationals Park was rocking, the home team having rallied to take the lead in the eighth and just one out away in the ninth from a second straight win over the Phillies. And then it all fell apart, shockingly with the team’s most-reliable reliever on the mound.

Brad Lord, given a rare opportunity to close, gave up five consecutive hits with two outs in the ninth, including home runs to Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott that flipped an absurd game all the way back to Philadelphia at night’s end.

Jorbit Vivas’ three-run homer off Orion Kerkering in the bottom of the eighth had given the Nats an 8-6 lead only moments after their bullpen had finished blowing a five-run lead. A boisterous crowd of 29,611 was ready to celebrate a second straight win over the Phillies in an increasingly wide-open NL wild card race.

But after recording two quick strikeouts begin the ninth, Lord gave up a single to Trea Turner and then a no-doubt, game-tying homer to Marsh. It only got worse from there when Bryce Harper and Derek Hill singled, setting the stage for Stott to pull a first-pitch sweeper just inside the foul pole for a three-run homer. Schultz then gave up a two-run double to Edmundo Sosa and an RBI single to Turner to make it an eight-run ninth in which 10 consecutive batters reached base with two outs. Luis García Jr. homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was way too little and way too late.

As they’ve done with regularity in the last few weeks, the Nationals took a highly aggressive approach at the plate, going after Jesus Luzardo early in the count. And they enjoyed success with that approach, most notably during a four-run fourth that featured back-to-back, two-out, two-run singles by Nasim Nuñez (starting at shortstop after CJ Abrams was scratched with left side tightness) and José Tena over the span of three pitches.

Staked to a 5-0 lead, Blake Butera attempted to piece together his pitching staff for the night, seeking to take advantage of platoon matchups whenever possible. PJ Poulin opened with a 1-2-3 top of the first before handing it over to Zack Littell, who cruised through his first 3 2/3 innings before surrendering a two-run homer to Sosa in the fifth.

Butera entrusted a three-run lead to Mitchell Parker, and the lefty responded by retiring the heart of the order in the sixth but then put two runners on in the seventh, with one of them scoring on a groundball off Orlando Ribalta. Richard Lovelady and Clayton Beeter then combined to give up three runs in the eighth, with all three runs scoring when James Wood couldn’t quite hold onto JT Realmuto’s sinking liner to right with the bases loaded and two out.

HITTING HIGHLIGHT: After putting their first two batters on in the eighth, the Nationals asked Vivas to put down a sacrifice bunt that would move the go-ahead runner into scoring position. Vivas fouled off that attempt, so they let him swing away after that. And he promptly drilled the next pitch he saw to center field for a three-run homer that looked like it would be the defining blow of this game.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: The final line (two runs on five hits over four innings) doesn’t look like much, but Littell was really sharp tonight aside from one (albeit important) slip in the top of the fifth. Not exactly known as a swing-and-miss guy, he struck out five batters, including four in a row at one point. Twenty of his first 26 pitches were strikes. And he avoided the heart of the strike zone … until one ill-placed fastball to Sosa that landed in the red seats in left-center field. It was Littell’s league-leading 21st home run surrendered this season, his sixth in his last 10 2/3 innings.

NOTABLE: Nuñez became the seventh player in club history to steal 30 bases in a season, and he did it in only 74 games played. (He then added his 31st later in the game.) Abrams hold the team record with 47 steals in 2023.

UP NEXT: Will Poulin open back-to-back games? Tune in at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday to find out if the lefty once again gets the first inning, this time ahead of scheduled starter Miles Mikolas. Veteran right-hander starts for the Phillies. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM

Monday’s series opener went about as well as the Nationals could hope, with Foster Griffin reaching the eighth inning, Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead homering and the back of the bullpen avoiding any drama before closing out a 4-1 victory over the Phillies. Now they look to make it two in a row and seize control of this four-game series.

We saw how effective left-handers were against the Philadelphia lineup Monday night, so Blake Butera is going to play that card as much as possible tonight. That means PJ Poulin will open and face Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper before handing the ball over to Zack Littell. We’ll then see how far Butera is willing to push Littell before going to the rest of the bullpen. The best thing Littell can do to help his cause: Keep. The. Ball. In. The. Yard.

The Phillies have their own lefty on the mound to start tonight’s game in Jesús Luzardo. The Nats have seen plenty of him through the years, though this is their first head-to-head matchup this season. Butera is going with his right-handed bats at the top, and tonight that includes Curtis Mead at first base with Andrés Chaparro serving as DH. Daylen Lile, meanwhile, gets a rare day off after starting 57 games in a row dating back to April 19.

The forecast looks a whole lot better tonight, with the rain already having cleared out and cooler temperatures settling in for the rest of the evening. Should be a lovely night at the ballpark!

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Rain clearing, 71 degrees, 10 mph in from left

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
LF Brandon Marsh
3B Alec Bohm
2B Bryson Stott
C JT Realmuto
RF Gabriel Rincones Jr.
CF Justin Crawford

LHP Jesús Luzardo

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Curtis Mead
DH Andrés Chaparro
SS CJ Abrams
LF Dylan Crews
CF Jacob Young
3B Jorbit Vivas
2B Nasim Nuñez
C Keibert Ruiz

LHP PJ Poulin

(04:30) Luis Garcia Jr.'s solo homer put Washington ahead 2-1 in the 2nd. Curtis Mead later on hit a 2-run shot to give the Nats some breathing room.

(14:00) Dylan Crews began the scoring with a RBI single in the bottom of the 1st. Crews' OPS is now up to .625 after his recent surge.

(18:00) Nasim Nuñez made another great defensive play, but he also was charged with an error in a separate sequence.  Nuñez did steal his 29th bag of the season which leads all of the majors.

(20:45) Foster Griffin was excellent as he only allowed one run in 7.1 IP. Griffin's ERA is down to 3.15 and he is earning legit All-Star consideration.

(27:40) Clayton Beeter notched his 6th save of the season which is tied for the team lead along with Gus Varland.

(29:00) DJ Herz's rehab has been halted due to a right flexor muscle strain. Herz has not taken the Big League mound since 2024 and he had Tommy John Surgery in April of 2025. 

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The state of the NL wild card race suggested this was one of the most meaningful games the Nationals had played in a while. And the fact it came against a Phillies club loaded with stars who used to play in D.C., one that currently holds a slightly higher position in that race than its division rivals, only added to the intrigue of Monday night’s series opener on South Capitol Street.

Not that the home team let on that Game 79 of 162 was more important than any that preceded it, or any that are still to come in the next three months. Yes, the Nats understand these are important games. But in their minds, they’ve already been playing important games for a while now.

“We’ve played a lot of playoff teams, and we’re up there above .500 and pushing for a wild card spot,” Foster Griffin said. “I’m really impressed with this team as a whole. We’re not backing down from anybody. It doesn’t really matter the names on the back of the jersey, or what team we’re playing. We feel like we’ve got a good lineup and a good staff to go out there and combat it.”

Which is precisely what the Nationals did tonight during a crisp, 4-1 victory over the Phillies. They weren’t bothered by the 1-hour, 32-minute rain delay that came before first pitch. And they certainly weren’t intimidated by the team they faced, no matter the difference in track record and payroll between these two squads.

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It’s been a long time since the Nationals faced the Phillies in truly meaningful game for both teams. The way they played in tonight’s highly anticipated series opener, they might just want to make this into a regular thing.

Behind a dominant start from Foster Griffin and home runs from Luis García Jr. and Curtis Mead, the Nats took the rain-delayed opener from their division rivals and moved to within 1 1/2 games of them in the NL wild card race.

Griffin tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, his lone blemish a solo homer by Brandon Marsh in the seventh. The left-hander improved to 8-2 with a 3.15 ERA and matched his season-high with nine strikeouts.

The Nationals lineup supported their starter with a couple of early runs supplied by Dylan Crews (RBI single in the first) and García (solo homer in the second). Mead, who was originally signed by the Phillies out of Australia, then added a two-run blast in the seventh for some added cushion.

Richard Lovelady replaced Griffin and finished the eighth with back-to-back strikeouts of Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. Clayton Beeter then pitched the ninth for the save.

HITTING HIGHLIGHT: García’s second-inning homer capped off what might have been the most García at-bat ever. The fourth pitch of the at-bat was a changeup about a foot above the zone, which García fouled off. The fifth pitch of the at-bat was a changeup about a foot below the zone, which García fouled off. The sixth pitch of the at-bat was a changeup right down Broadway, and García proceeded to launch it 427 feet to right-center for his 11th home run of the season. He remains one of the free-est swingers you’ll ever see, but his ability to at least foul off those errant pitches gives him a chance to take advantage of an actual hittable pitch.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: If you were wondering how Griffin would fare in his second crack at the Phillies lineup this season, the answer is: Exceptionally well. The left-hander made his season debut at Citizens Bank Park way back on May 30 and allowed just two runs over five innings. He stepped it up in tonight’s rematch, carrying a shutout into the seventh before allowing Marsh’s solo homer. Along the way, Griffin had Philly’s hitters chasing pitches all over the place. He opened his night striking out both Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber and never looked back, finishing with nine strikeouts to match his season-high. Despite the high K rate, he also managed to keep his pitch count manageable, issuing zero walks and thus completing seven innings on 99 pitches (a whopping 70 of them strikes). So, Blake Butera let him take the mound again for the eighth and face one more batter before exiting to a nice ovation from the crowd. Griffin has now reached the halfway point of his season the proud owner of a 3.15 ERA and 1.062 WHIP.

NOTABLE: Nasim Nuñez is batting .426 (20-for-47) over his last 14 games.

UP NEXT: There’s again rain in the forecast Tuesday, but it’s supposed to clear out in time for first pitch at 6:45 p.m. It’ll be Zack Littell (or potentially an opener) against lefty Jesus Luzardo. TV: Nationals TV RADIO: 106.7 FM

Good afternoon from South Capitol Street, where tonight the Nationals and Phillies open a four-game series, the biggest series between these two teams since … well, ever? Despite their standing as longtime division rivals, they haven’t really both been in contention at the same time at any point in the last two decades. You could argue perhaps a couple of series late in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, but neither team actually made the postseason in 2018 and the Phillies didn’t make it in 2019. The May 2012 series here in which rookie Bryce Harper stole home off Cole Hamels comes to mind, but that was early in the season and Philly was never really in it that summer or fall.

Regardless, this is a legitimately important series for the Nationals, who have a chance to at least hold their own against the team currently tied with the Cardinals atop the NL wild card standings. The Nats are one of three teams 1/2-game behind the Cubs, who currently hold the third and final berth. There’s a long way to go, but every game counts, and at some point you have to expect at least one or two teams to separate themselves from this wide-open pack.

Foster Griffin gets the ball for tonight’s opener, looking to keep himself rolling. The lefty has allowed exactly one run in each of his last three starts. This will be his second outing against Philadelphia, having made his season debut at Citizens Bank Park way back on March 30 and allowed two runs over five innings. Griffin’s task tonight: Somehow keep the red-hot Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in check (and in the ballpark).

The Phillies were scrambling to find a starting pitcher tonight, having demoted the struggling Andrew Painter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his last outing. They decided to go with left-hander Tim Mayza as the opener, with right-hander Alan Rangel (just recalled from Triple-A) likely to pitch in bulk behind him. Blake Butera has countered by loading up his right-handed hitters in the top half of the lineup, including Dylan Crews batting third and Jacob Young batting fifth.

The forecast isn’t great, with a line of storms set to sweep through the area late in the afternoon/early in the evening. The biggest question seems to be: How long will they last, and how late are they willing to wait to start the game, with very nice conditions expected Tuesday?

UPDATE: Tonight’s game will now start at 8:15 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Chance of storms, 85 degrees, 13 mph out to center

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
3B Alec Bohm
LF Edmundo Sosa
RF Brandon Marsh
CF Derek Hill
2B Bryson Stott
C Rafael Marchán

LHP Tim Mayza

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
3B Curtis Mead
LF Dylan Crews
SS CJ Abrams
CF Jacob Young
DH Daylen Lile
C Keibert Ruiz
1B Luis García Jr.
2B Nasim Nuñez

LHP Foster Griffin

PREGAME NEWS

HERZ SHUT DOWN AFTER SETBACK

An MRI taken of DJ Herz’s arm over the weekend revealed a flexor muscle strain, forcing the left-hander to shut down just as he was approaching the final stages of his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

It’s a significant setback for Herz, who by all accounts was pleased with his rehab start last Tuesday for Single-A Fredericksburg but had to be scratched from Sunday’s planned outing.

“It’s unfortunate, because he was throwing the ball really well,” Butera said. “I think he felt like he was getting pretty close. And the stuff looked good. So it was a bit of a surprise.”

Herz, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2025, was highly encouraged after two strong rehab starts in West Palm Beach earlier this month. He then threw 38 pitches over 2 2/3 innings of 1-run ball Tuesday for Fredericksburg and was making plans to start there again Sunday before experiencing arm discomfort. The club scratched him from that start and sent him for the MRI.

The Nationals aren’t declaring any kind of timeline for Herz now, but this doesn’t appear to be a situation where he’ll only be shut down for a matter of days, with doctors needing to be convinced he’s fully healthy before ramping up his throwing program again.

“Hopefully, this isn’t too big of a setback,” Butera said. “But it's frustrating for DJ more than anything. We all were excited to see him pitch, and we’re frustrated as well. But I feel for DJ more than anybody, because of the amount of time he’s put into this.”

MORE INJURY UPDATES

In more encouraging news, Jake Irvin is set to throw off a bullpen mound Tuesday for the first time since landing on the 15-day IL four weeks ago. The right-hander, who was diagnosed with a strained shoulder, could ramp up from there and face live hitters soon if there are no setbacks.

Right-hander Max Kranick took Herz’s spot and stared Sunday for Fredericksburg on his own rehab assignment, throwing 30 pitches over 1 2/3 innings. The former Mets reliever, who had flexor tendon surgery last July and signed with the Nationals in May, reached 97 mph on Sunday and is expected to pitch again on Wednesday, building up to two innings.

WOOD STILL 7TH IN ALL-STAR VOTING

The latest reveal of All-Star voting showed little change from the Nationals’ perspective. CJ Abrams remains in the lead among NL shortstops, and James Wood remains in seventh place among NL outfielders.

Abrams (1,192,774) holds a slim lead over Mookie Betts (1,161,221), but both are in good position to advance to Phase 2 of the voting process, in which they would go head-to-head for the starting assignment in the Midsummer Classic.

Wood (915,287) still has ground to make up if he’s going to crack the top six who advance to Phase 2. He currently trails Juan Soto (947,033) for sixth place, with Andy Pages (1,518,451), Brandon Marsh (1,256,874), Ronald Acuna Jr. (1,216,288), Michael Harris II (1,059,921) and Teoscar Hernandez (1,043,541) ahead of them.

The Nats did see three of their other regulars reach 10th place in the latest voting update: Keibert Ruiz (133,801), Luis Garcia Jr. (104,700) and Curtis Mead (201,867).

(07:00) CJ Abrams homered every game this series and he now has the 3rd most RBI in all of MLB.

(11:00) A check in on the defense through the 1st Half of the season.

(16:45) Dylan Crews had a RBI double on Sunday and the extra base hits continue to pile up.

(19:45) Nasim Nuñez's OPS is over .900 this month and he was 2 for 3 on Sunday. Nuñez & Witt Jr. are tied with 28 steals which leads all of Baseball.

(21:15) Andrew Alvarez only lasted four innings and struck out six Rays. Alvarez is striking out hitters and his ERA currently sits at 3.34.

(26:00) Orlando Ribalta gave up the decisive 2-run HR to Johnny DeLuca in the bottom of the 7th.  Washington's bullpen has given up more homers than any other team.

(30:00) Philadelphia comes to Navy Yard on Monday for a pivotal four game series. Kyle Schwarber leads all of the majors in homers and Bryce Harper cycled over the weekend. 

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If you’re going to lose a road series for the first time in more than a month, this was probably the one to lose.

The Rays have baseball’s best home record at 26-10, and they’re generally one of the better teams in the sport as well, with a good pitching staff, a pesky lineup and solid fundamentals. There’s no shame in dropping two of three at Tropicana Field.

But the Nationals did have a real shot at winning today’s series finale, taking a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth before ultimately losing 4-3. And so that does make this feel like a bit of a squandered opportunity for a team that was seeking its fifth consecutive series win overall and sixth consecutive on the road.

Some thoughts about the weekend as a whole and today in particular …

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The Nationals today have an opportunity to win their fifth straight series, their sixth straight road series. Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Rays required 6 1/3 strong innings out of the bullpen, plus clutch homers from CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews. It also included a fantastic-but-painful catch by Jacob Young, who is not in today’s lineup but should be OK.

With Young sitting, Crews will get another start in center field, flanked by Daylen Lile and James Wood. That makes José Tena the DH against right-hander Nick Martinez, but Blake Butera will be poised to go to his bench if and when Tampa Bay goes to a lefty reliever.

Speaking of lefties … Andrew Alvarez gets the start this afternoon. Butera may need to push his young starter a bit today, because both of his long men (Mitchell Parker, Brad Lord) pitched multiple innings Saturday. But even if Alvarez only goes five innings, the bullpen should be in decent enough shape to finish this one out.

Hope everyone enjoys a happy Father’s Day, whether that includes baseball, golf, soccer, all of the above or none of the above. I’m not in St. Petersburg, but I will have a wrapup of the entire weekend series later this evening, so please be on the lookout for that.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Tropicana Field
Gametime: 1:40 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
3B Curtis Mead
SS CJ Abrams
LF Daylen Lile
CF Dylan Crews
DH José Tena
C Drew Millas
2B Nasim Nuñez

LHP Andrew Alvarez

RAYS
DH Yandy Diaz
CF Jonny DeLuca
1B Jonathan Aranda
3B Junior Caminero
RF Ryan Vilade
2B Ben Williamson
LF Chandler Simpson
C Nick Fortes
SS Taylor Walls

RHP Nick Martinez

(05:00) Jacob Young exited early after slamming into the wall during a crucial catch in the bottom of the 8th.  Young not only made an incredible grab, but also had the presence of mind to toss the ball to his teammate while writhing in pain on the warning track.

(10:35) Young leaving the game forced Blake Butera to give up his DH.  James Wood took over in the outfield and in the top of the 9th Jorbit Vivas hit for the newly formed pitcher spot in the lineup.

(15:30) CJ Abrams homered for the 16th time this season and his 56 RBIs are the 4th most in MLB.

(16:30) Dylan Crews homered for the 4th time this month and the 9th inning solo shot served as a crucial insurance run.

(20:20) Cade Cavalli was pulled in the 3rd inning after his start was pushed back a day due to food poisoning.  Cavalli immediately registered a high pitch count before handing the ball off to Mitchell Parker.

(23:40) Brad Lord tossed three scoreless innings and his ERA is now down to 2.29.  Could Lord get All-Star consideration next month?

(27:00) The Nats look to win another series on Sunday afternoon as Andrew Alvarez toes the rubber.

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Friday night’s series opener at Tropicana Field did not go particularly well for the Nationals. The lineup was held to two runs. Miles Mikolas, who wound up pitching in bulk relief a day earlier than originally planned, gave up a couple of home runs. And the end result was a 5-2 loss, a rare series-opening loss for this team.

The good news: Cade Cavalli is good to go today after being unable to pitch Friday due to food poisoning. And if the right-hander can’t provide length, the bullpen is in good shape, with only PJ Poulin unavailable after opening the first two innings Friday. Everyone else has now had at least two days off and should be fresh.

The Rays are starting a left-hander in Ian Seymour, so Blake Butera is going with a right-handed-heavy lineup. That includes Curtis Mead and Andrés Chaparro batting directly behind James Wood at the top. (Luis García Jr. surely would replace Chaparro once Tampa Bay goes to a right-handed reliever.)

As you know, I didn’t make the trip to St. Petersburg this weekend, so no postgame coverage today. But check back Sunday evening for a full weekend roundup after the series is over.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Tropicana Field
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
DH James Wood
3B Curtis Mead
1B Andrés Chaparro
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
LF Daylen Lile
CF Jacob Young
2B Nasim Nuñez
C Keibert Ruiz

RHP Cade Cavalli

RAYS
DH Yandy Diaz
1B Jonathan Aranda
CF Cedric Mullins
3B Junior Caminero
2B Richie Palacios
LF Chandler Simpson
RF Victor Mesa Jr.
C Hunter Feduccia
SS Taylor Walls

LHP Ian Seymour

(05:30) PJ Poulin served as the Opener and Mikolas took over in the bottom of the 3rd.  Mikolas gave up all five Tampa Bay runs, but his six innings of work kept the bullpen fresh going into the weekend.

(11:30) The offense only provided a pair of solo homers from CJ Abrams & Luis Garcia Jr.  Garcia's OPS is now up .758 and he is on pace to hit 20+ homers this season.

(18:20) Keibert Ruiz perfectly executed a back pick throw in order to nail Cedric Mullins while taking a lead at 3rd base.  The defense from Ruiz and the team has been better lately.

(23:00) The Nationals will wake up on Saturday in a tie for being just one game back of the final NL wildcard slot.  

(26:00) Tim spoke with Sean Gibson, Great-Grandson of the Hall of Famer Josh Gibson.  Sean was in town earlier this week to co-host the Negro Leagues Night Panel at Nationals Park on Tuesday evening. 

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The Nationals arrived in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday evening with a plan for the weekend. But they’ve had to adjust that plan for tonight’s series opener against the Rays, because scheduled starter Cade Cavalli had to be scratched due to illness, the club announced earlier this afternoon.

That means PJ Poulin will actually start this game, presumably as the opener to what would turn into a bullpen game. Under that scenario, you’d think Blake Butera would lean on Brad Lord for at least three innings if possible. Though something else to keep in mind: The team now lists Saturday’s starter as “TBA,” with Andrew Alvarez still lined up for Sunday as originally planned. So perhaps Butera could actually go with Miles Mikolas as the bulk guy tonight, because the veteran right-hander would still be on normal rest thanks to Thursday’s off-day. We’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

At the plate, the Nats will be facing Rays right-hander Griffin Jax, who began the season as a reliever but is now making his 10th start. Butera is going with a very left-handed-heavy lineup, one that includes José Tena as the DH and No. 3 hitter. That leaves Curtis Mead (the former Rays prospect) on the bench. Same for Dylan Crews, who also will begin the game on the bench, with Jacob Young starting in center field.

FYI: I did not make this trip to Tampa Bay, so be aware there won’t be any postgame coverage tonight or tomorrow (barring any major developments). I will, however, have a piece wrapping up the entire weekend series following Sunday’s game.

UPDATE: Butera told reporters at Tropicana Field that Cavalli is dealing with food poisoning but should be available to start tomorrow. Which means Mikolas will follow Poulin tonight.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Tropicana Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
RF James Wood
1B Luis García Jr.
DH José Tena
SS CJ Abrams
C Keibert Ruiz
LF Daylen Lile
2B Nasim Nuñez
3B Jorbit Vivas
CF Jacob Young

LHP PJ Poulin

RAYS
DH Yandy Diaz
1B Jonathan Aranda
RF Jonny DeLuca
3B Junior Caminero
CF Cedric Mullins
LF Chandler Simpson
2B Richie Palacios
SS Taylor Walls
C Hunter Feduccia

RHP Griffin Jax

The transaction didn’t cause much of a stir when it happened. Two days into the season, the Nationals traded minor-league catcher Boston Smith to the White Sox for utilityman Curtis Mead, who had been designated for assignment prior to Opening Day.

It felt, quite frankly, like a fringe move by the Nats’ new front office. Perhaps Mead would be a slight upgrade over Andrés Chaparro, a right-handed bench bat who could play three infield positions. But this didn’t feel like some kind of earth-shattering addition that would have major implications for the organization in the short- or long-term.

There was, however, one important distinction to this acquisition. Mead had come up through the Rays’ farm system, where he quickly climbed the ladder to become a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport. His manager at Single-A Charleston in 2021 was a guy named Blake Butera. And then his manager at Triple-A Durham in 2023 was a guy named Michael Johns.

So when Mead became available in late-March 2026, the Nationals’ new manager and new bench coach let the new front office know this was a player worth signing, no matter his nondescript numbers in 152 big-league games with Tampa Bay and Chicago.

“Look, I’ve seen Curtis at his best,” Butera said. “There was a time in the minor leagues with the Rays when he was one of the top prospects in baseball. I think there’s something to be said for not feeling you have to prove to people that you’re good.”

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It’s been about a month since our last subscriber Q&A with a member of the Nationals, which means it’s time for the June edition of this popular feature. For those who don’t know, Founding Members of Nats Journal get the opportunity each month to submit questions to a member of the organization, and I then pick out the best ones and ask them of that player/coach/executive and publish the responses for everyone to read.

If you missed any of the previous entries, here are links to the March Q&A with Blake Butera, the April Q&A with Cade Cavalli and the May Q&A with Foster Griffin. This month, it’s Luis García Jr. stepping into the spotlight.

Despite the fact he only recently turned 26, García is still the longest-tenured player in the organization by a long shot. Signed as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic a decade ago, he made his MLB debut in August 2020 and has since gone on to play 673 games for the Nationals, which believe it or not ranks seventh on the club’s all-time list.

García’s growth through the years has been evident both on and off the field. He’s enjoying a career season at the plate, currently on pace for 19 homers and 75 RBI. He’s taken over a new position at first base. And he’s becoming more and more comfortable conducting interviews in English. Though he had Nats interpreter Mauricio Ortiz by his side when I asked him these questions Tuesday afternoon, García never once asked for help and was able to articulate every one of his answers in English. (Full disclosure: I did clean up some of his grammar to make it easier to read.)

If you’d like to participate in a future Q&A, please consider upgrading your subscription to the Founding Member level. And if you happen to be one of our thousands of free subscribers who would like access to all articles and the comments section, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription for only $7.99 per month (or $5.99 per month if you sign up for a full-year subscription).

Many thanks to all of you who are already paid subscribers and have allowed me to cover what is shaping up to be a fascinating season, both at home and on the road. And with that, here’s the Founding Members Q&A with Luis García Jr. ...

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