Game 116: Nats at Phillies

The Nationals will try to snap out of their offensive funk against Andrew Painter and put an end to their seven-game losing streak

PHILADELPHIA – What do you do after losing seven games in a row? You take the field and try to make sure the streak doesn’t reach eight. There’s not much else the Nationals can do at this point except try to salvage this series and the road trip in general and remember what it’s like to win a game again.

It’s going to have to involve a resurgence of offense. Would you believe this lineup has scored a grand total of 16 runs during these last seven games? The team is batting a collective .182 with a .599 OPS. Obviously, that’s not going to cut it unless you have an elite pitching staff. Which we know this team does not.

Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ once-top-pitching prospect, gets the start tonight. The right-hander has endured through a miserable season that included a demotion to Triple-A, but you may remember he held the Nats to one run in 5 1/3 innings in his MLB debut here way back on March 31.

With the right-hander on the mound, Blake Butera had to decide which left-handed hitter to put in the leadoff spot with James Wood now injured. His choice: CJ Abrams, who has done a brilliant job batting cleanup all season but now moves back into the No. 1 position where he spent most of his career prior to 2026.

Jake Irvin makes the start for the Nationals, coming off his first outing back from the IL, in which he was charged with five runs in five-plus innings but retired the first 10 Braves batters he faced before things began to unravel. Irvin was held to only 61 pitches in that game; he should be good to throw more tonight as the team ramps him back up.

We also got some pregame news: The Nats designated Zack Littell for assignment and activated Brad Lord off the 15-day IL. Check back shortly for a full article on that move and what it signals about the team’s overall plan the rest of the season.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: Nationals TV (channel listings)
Radio: 106.7 FM
Weather: Chance of storms, 83 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
1B Abimelec Ortiz
RF Dylan Crews
LF Daylen Lile
C Keibert Ruiz
DH José Tena
2B Nasim Nuñez
3B Jorbit Vivas
CF Jacob Young

RHP Jake Irvin

PHILLIES
DH Kyle Schwarber
SS Trea Turner
RF Bryce Harper
2B Luis Arraez
1B Alec Bohm
LF Brandon Marsh
C J.T. Realmuto
3B Bryson Stott
CF Justin Crawford

RHP Andrew Painter

UPDATE: Tonight’s first pitch has been delayed to 7:05 p.m. due to rain that only recently cleared out of the area.