Nationals Notebook: Extra! Extra! Nats conclude long stretch with consecutive wins
It was just 17 (you know what I mean) games in 17 days, a grueling stretch for a young team still finding itself and running out a pitching staff that ranked near the bottom of the big leagues. Somehow, the Washington Nationals won nine of those games, keeping their head right under water at 13-16.
They finished the run with a flourish, winning back-to-back extra‑inning games in Chicago against the White Sox to take the series from the Pale Hose and improve to 10-6 on the road.
A winning record in April may no longer be in the cards, but a scrappy club that can hit, second in the majors in runs scored, is off to a better‑than‑expected start under first‑year manager Blake Butera.
Digesting the Division: Atlanta (20-9) currently leads the majors in runs scored and ranks second in team ERA. The Braves star Washington never wants to see again is center fielder Michael Harris II, who went 7 for 16 with two home runs and seven RBIs during last week’s series in D.C.
Miami (13-15) ranks fourth in team batting average, led by the strong start of Xavier Edwards, who is hitting .343.
Washington sits in third place, followed by two early-season disappointments. While the New York Mets (9-18) shook off a 12-game losing streak, they also lost Francisco Lindor to a calf injury expected to sideline him for at least three weeks.
Philadelphia (9-19) ranks 28th in runs scored despite having Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber at the top of the lineup. Talk about the whole being less than the sum of its parts.
O’s Woes: Baltimore’s roller coaster season continued with a wild weekend against Boston. The Orioles (13-15) ran out of pyrotechnics Friday night when they hit six home runs in a 10-3 win, only to lose 17-1 the next day. The Red Sox then fired manager Alex Cora and his coaching staff before taking the series finale 5-3.
The softer portion of Baltimore’s schedule continues with a series against Houston before the Orioles run into the AL East-leading New York Yankees. Buckle up.
Diamond King: Nasim Nuñez drove in four runs Saturday to help lift the Nats past the White Sox in extra innings. The infielder also stole five bases during the series, becoming a demon on the base paths. His insertion into the lineup has allowed Luis García Jr. to slide over to first base, filling what was a major vacuum at times last season.
Last Week’s Heroes: García Jr. hit .348, James Wood belted a team-high three home runs, and Daylen Lile drove in a team-best six runs. Foster Griffin struck out 11 over 13 innings while allowing three earned runs across his two starts. Cade Cavalli struck out a career-high 10 in his lone outing of the week, and Jake Irvin allowed just three runs over 10 2/3 innings.
Last Week’s Humbled: Zack Littell’s nightmare 2026 continued when he allowed six runs over six innings, while reliever Cionel Perez coughed up four runs over 2 1/3 frames. CJ Abrams went 2-for-22 at the plate, and the catching combo of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas combined to go 2-for-23.
Game to Watch: Jake Irvin takes the ball Friday for the Nats, coming off his best start of the season. Visiting Milwaukee counters with Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the Brewers in ERA at 3.38 and strikeouts with 51. Milwaukee won the NL Central last year but sits at 14-13 and in fourth place in the majors’ best division, which carries a combined .572 winning percentage.