While lineup draws attention, Nats pitchers have quietly turned season around
They may still have allowed the most runs in the majors, but the Nationals have seen their pitching staff make major strides over the last month
The narrative of the 2026 Washington Nationals has been obvious to anyone who takes a quick glance at a stat sheet. They’ve scored the most runs in baseball, and they’ve also given up the most runs in baseball, a combination that has produced some wild, high-scoring games and has allowed this young roster to remain competitive in spite of its flaws.
But the reason the Nationals came home from Cleveland on Wednesday evening at 29-28, and the reason they’ll take the field Friday night in D.C. with the best record this franchise has owned this far into a season since 2021, actually doesn’t fit that season-long narrative.
The Nats just won back-to-back road series against first-place opponents not because of their explosive lineup, but because of their reinvigorated pitching staff.
It’s true. In taking four of six from the Braves and Guardians, the Nationals scored a respectable 26 runs (with 10 of those coming in one game). But they gave up only 14 runs along the way, barely more than two per game.
For the first time this season, the Nats didn’t win slugfests. They won pitchers’ duels.
