"You're never really out of a game"
Monday's wild 12-11 win was a reminder that for these Nationals, no early deficit is too big to overcome... and no late lead ever truly feels safe
Miles Mikolas has been pitching long enough to know what was being asked of him Monday night. Even after giving up six early runs to the Astros, the veteran right-hander understood the Nationals needed length from their starter after teammate Cade Cavalli couldn’t make it out of the third inning the previous day.
On most ballclubs, this would be described as “taking one for the team.” On the 2026 Nats, that’s not quite the proper description. This ballclub, with this explosive lineup, forces a starting pitcher to have a different mindset, even when he creates a sizable deficit.
“It does,” Mikolas said. “It reminds you that you’re never really out of a game, even if you feel pretty bad about the first couple of innings.”
Sure enough, by the time the 37-year-old departed this game in the sixth inning, the 6-1 deficit he created was now a 12-6 lead provided by the most-explosive lineup in baseball. And though it did still require a harrowing final couple of innings from a bullpen that turned that 12-6 lead into a 12-11 nail-biter, this victory over the Astros was further confirmation of what the 2026 Nationals are all about.
No deficit is too big to overcome. And no lead is too comfortable until the final out is recorded.
