The pen is suddenly mightier
The Nationals held the Reds to one run during Sunday's bullpen game, capping a weekend that saw dramatic improvement from the remade unit
That the Nationals held the Reds to one run on four hits Sunday afternoon offered plenty of reason to smile. That they did so using nothing but relievers? Well, that deserved more than a mere smile. It produced a celebratory beer shower in the clubhouse afterward for the guy who was credited with his first MLB win.
We’ll get to Will Dion in just a moment, because the rookie’s three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win merits plenty of praise. But this was a triumph in a broader sense, too, because it was the majors’ most-cringeworthy bullpen that came together to make this 7-1 victory – and three-game weekend sweep – possible.
“It’s pretty cool,” Brad Lord said. “Knowing it’s a bullpen game going in, and carrying it all the way til the end and holding them to one run? It’s pretty special.”
It was certainly very unlike the 2026 Nationals bullpen you’ve grown to know and despise. This performance carried none of the usual mishaps – walks, homers, blown leads – and instead featured just about every positive development Blake Butera could ask for out of this beleaguered bunch.
