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After Friday’s shutout loss to end a five-game win streak, the Nationals bounced right back to shut out the Giants yesterday to get back in the win column. They are now winners of seven of their last nine, and if they can win one more this afternoon, they’ll be winners of three straight series ahead of a long West Coast road trip.
Michael Soroka will try to do what MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin did the last two outings: Hold the Giants lineup to minimal damage and pitch deep into the game. The right-hander enters his fifth start with a 1-2 record, 5.95 ERA and 1.271 WHIP.
Meanwhile, the Nats bats will try to do something few have accomplished this season: Get to Robbie Ray. The veteran left-hander is undefeated at 6-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.221 WHIP over his 10 starts. The Giants have only lost one game Ray has started this year, his most recent one in which he pitched seven shutout innings against the Royals.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 68 degrees, wind 10 mph in from left field
Whatever concern there may have been a few weeks ago about Jake Irvin and his surprisingly sudden inability to strike guys out, feel free to ignore that.
Two strong outings later, Irvin has put any fears to rest. And then some after today’s brilliant outing at Nationals Park.
With eight scoreless innings, Irvin dominated the Giants with relentless efficiency. And thanks to James Wood’s two-run blast in the bottom of the first and Robert Hassell III’s first career RBI in the seventh, the Nationals coasted to a 3-0 win before an enthusiastic crowd of 36,873 that came to see Jayson Werth and Howie Kendrick on their bobblehead day and departed with a rousing victory to celebrate as well, one that was completed a scant 1 hour, 52 minutes.
"It was sweet," Irvin said. "Nats Park was freaking packed. Fans came out. You can feel that energy, and we fed off of it."
Irvin was in peak form all afternoon, recording strikeouts when given the opportunity but more importantly recording quick outs when San Francisco’s hitters were aggressively putting everything in play.
Though he’s sporting an impressive bruise on his upper left leg, Nationals ace MacKenzie Gore appears to be fine and doesn’t expect to miss his next scheduled start.
Gore was struck by a 101.4 mph comebacker off Willy Adames’ bat in the top of the second Friday night, and though he went on to complete the play and pitch six scoreless innings against the Giants, the leg stiffened up on him by the top of the seventh. After Gore issued a leadoff walk to Jung Hoo Lee and then two straight balls to Matt Chapman, manager Davey Martinez and director of athletic training Paul Lessard came to the mound to check on him and convinced him to depart the game.
One day later, the left-hander appears to be fine, if admittedly still a little sore.
“He’s got a nice bruise, but he’s fine,” Martinez said. “I talked to him. He said he’ll be good.”
Gore was able to pitch an additional five innings after getting hit by the line drive by using heat on his leg while the Nats were batting, keeping it warm. But on an unseasonably cool late-May night, he couldn’t keep it warm all the way into the seventh and reached a point where his leg felt dead.
Friday night’s series opener was one to forget. MacKenzie Gore was great but had to depart in the seventh when his left leg tightened up, five innings after he was struck by a comebacker. The Nationals bullpen quickly gave up four runs after the starter left. The lineup did nothing all night against Landen Roupp and the Giants bullpen. And so the five-game winning streak ended.
The Nats will try to bounce back this afternoon and not let this devolve into a losing streak, hoping for a better offensive showing against Kyle Harrison. The left-hander has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen so far this season, but with Justin Verlander hurt, San Francisco needs a spot starter and is turning to Harrison, who did make 31 big league starts the last two seasons. That includes a pair of outings last year against the Nationals, during which he allowed five runs over 10 2/3 innings, striking out 11 without issuing any walks.
Jake Irvin gets the start for the Nats, and he’s coming off a really sharp one at Camden Yards in which he allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings to earn his third win of the season. Most impressive, Irvin rediscovered his swing-and-miss stuff, getting six strikeouts after totaling only three across his previous three starts. That’ll be something to watch today.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 70 degrees, wind 15 mph left to right field
GIANTS
RF Mike Yastrzemski
LF Heliot Ramos
RF Jung Hoo Lee
DH Wilmer Flores
3B Matt Chapman
SS Willy Adames
1B LaMonte Wade
C Patrick Bailey
2B Tyler Fitzgerald
The Nationals managed to overcome injuries to Dylan Crews and Jacob Young, both by winning the games each departed and by having more outfield prospects ready to be called up to take their place.
It may be too much to ask for them to adequately overcome their latest potential injury loss: MacKenzie Gore. Though the early indication suggests it's not serious.
A brilliant start by Gore tonight ended on a decidedly sour note when the left-hander departed mid-batter in the top of the seventh after throwing an errant fastball and grimacing in some type of discomfort. He had not surrendered a run to that point, but he still wound up charged with the loss when the Nats bullpen gave up a quartet of late runs while falling 4-0 to the Giants, snapping the team’s five-game winning streak.
The Nationals do not provide in-game injury updates, so it was impossible to know what exactly caused Gore to come out following his 91st pitch until postgame. The lefty did appear to be telling Davey Martinez "I'm fine, I'm fine" as his manager approached him, and he returned to the dugout instead of heading directly to the trainer’s room, for what that’s worth.
The postgame revelation: Gore's upper left leg tightened up on him five innings after he was struck by a Willy Adames comebacker, an incident that left an impressive welt on his thigh but should not keep him from making his next start.
For the second straight day, a top outfield prospect is making his major league debut for the Nationals after one of the team’s young Opening Day regulars landed on the injured list.
Only 24 hours following Robert Hassell III’s first big league game, Daylen Lile is set to take the field for the first time, the 22-year-old promoted from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon when Jacob Young was placed on the 10-day IL with a sprained left shoulder.
Lile, a second-round pick in the 2021 Draft, has been touted by scouts and club officials alike for several years but was previously hampered by injuries and only reached Triple-A three weeks ago. After tearing up the International League to the tune of a .361/.432/.514 slash line in 18 games, though, he got the call to come to D.C.
How did Lile make it up the organizational ladder so fast?
“Just staying true to myself, staying consistent, staying on my routine,” he said, “knowing that I could possibly make my debut at some point this season. Everywhere I went, my feet were there, and I tried not to rush anything. But, I mean, it came a lot quicker than I thought.”
The Nationals, suddenly, are flying high. After suffering a seven-game losing streak just last week, they’ve now won six of their last seven, including five straight entering tonight’s weekend series opener against the Giants. And for the second night in a row, they’ve got a touted young outfielder set to make his major league debut.
One night after Robert Hassell III got the spotlight, Daylen Lile now joins him. With Jacob Young placed on the 10-day injured list with an AC sprain in his left shoulder, Lile got the call from Triple-A Rochester (where he was slashing .361/.432/.514 in only 18 games since his promotion from Double-A Harrisburg). The club’s second-round pick in the 2021 Draft, he’s young but an exciting player who hits and runs well.
MacKenzie Gore gets the ball for the Nationals, seeking a far more efficient outing than his last one. Despite allowing only two runs to the Orioles, Gore gave up 10 hits and two walks while striking out nine and threw a whopping 102 pitches in only 3 2/3 innings. After the bullpen needed to go 6 1/3 innings Thursday night in the 8-7 win over the Braves, the Nats need length out of Gore tonight.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 65 degrees, wind 14 mph left to right field
GIANTS
LF Heliot Ramos
CF Jung Hoo Lee
3B Matt Chapman
DH Wilmer Flores
SS Willy Adames
1B Casey Schmitt
RF Mike Yastrzemski
C Patrick Bailey
2B Tyler Fitzgerald
The Washington Nationals selected the contract of outfielder Daylen Lile from Triple-A Rochester and placed outfielder Jacob Young on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to May 20) with a left shoulder AC sprain on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Lile, 22, joins the Nationals after leading the organization in batting average (.337), OPS (.892), hits (55) and runs scored (30) in 39 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester this season. His 55 hits and five triples are tied for fifth in all of Minor League Baseball. Additionally, he ranks second in Washington’s system in on-base percentage (.383) and extra-base hits (17), tied for second in doubles (9) and third in slugging percentage (.509). Lile also recorded three home runs, 12 walks and nine stolen bases prior to having his contract selected.
Lile joins the Nationals for his first career Major League assignment after hitting safely in 15 of his last 16 games with the Red Wings. He hit .397 (25-for-63) with four doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBI, eight walks, three stolen bases and 13 runs scored during this stretch which included a 12-game hitting streak.
Washington’s second-round pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, Lile was Washington’s “Nationals Way” Award winner in 2024 after he led the system in triples (10), tied for the lead in doubles (23) and ranked in hits (2nd, 127), total bases (T3rd , 188), walks (T3rd, 54), OBP (4th, .347), OPS (4th, .735), runs scored (4th, 69), batting average (5th, .262) and stolen bases (T6th, 25).
Lile hit .273 with a .356 on-base percentage and a .421 slugging percentage in 294 career games across four professional seasons. He’s recorded 61 doubles, 25 triples, 18 home runs, 144 RBI, 133 walks, 59 stolen bases and 180 runs scored.
The moment was uplifting on its own merits, Keibert Ruiz ripping an RBI double down the right field line in the bottom of the first Thursday night to drive in the Nationals’ first run of the game. But upon reaching second base, the 26-year-old catcher immediately looked toward the stands behind home plate, flashed a wide smile and waved at the group that was simultaneously cheering and crying at what just happened.
Jose and Leidis Ruiz have followed their son’s career every step of the way, providing him every opportunity they could in their native Venezuela to learn and play baseball, get signed by the Dodgers as a teenager, then make his major league debut in Los Angeles in 2020, get traded to the Nationals in 2021 and sign a $50 million contract extension in 2023.
But Thursday, remarkably, represented the first time they had been able to watch him play any ballgame, at any level, in person since 2015 when Ruiz first began as a professional with the Dodgers’ Dominican Summer League club.
“I can’t believe it,” Ruiz said following the Nats’ 8-7, 10-inning win over the Braves. “They had to wait for, what, maybe 10-11 years to see me play for the first time, even here in the big leagues. That’s amazing. I can’t describe it.”
It’s not like the Ruiz family hadn’t been trying all this time to watch him in person. They applied for travel visas on five separate occasions over the last decade and were denied each of the first four attempts. Finally, last week they got the news they worried they might never receive and made preparations to fly to Washington for the first time.
It would’ve been a bit too easy had the Nationals simply closed out tonight’s game without any bullpen drama. So they decided to make their fifth consecutive win a bit more exciting.
Despite Kyle Finnegan’s blown save in the top of the ninth – one made possible by a José Tena fielding error – the Nats came back to walk off the Braves on Amed Rosario’s sharp single to left in the bottom of the 10th.
With Robert Hassell III (making his major league debut) serving as the automatic runner to begin the inning, Alex Call put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put the rookie 90 feet away. Rosario (making his first appearance since suffering a nasty cut near his left knee six days ago that required stitches) turned on a 1-1 changeup from left-hander Dylan Lee and ripped a single to left, allowing Hassell to race home with the winning run to cap a memorable debut.
"It felt great," said Hassell, who became the first player in club history with two hits and a stolen base in his big league debut. "Truly the most important thing is we got the W. It feels amazing to win."
Finnegan took the mound with a one-run lead in hand, hoping to finish off what was shaping up to be an impressive bullpen effort that already included 4 1/3 innings of one-run (unearned) ball. The Nats' closer did get himself into trouble with a leadoff single, but after inducing a popout, he got Austin Riley to hit a sharp grounder to third for what could’ve been a game-ending, 5-4-3 double play. Alas, Tena couldn’t get a handle on the ball, leaving everybody safe and prolonging the game.
A doctor’s review of the MRI taken on Dylan Crews confirmed the club’s initial diagnosis of a left oblique strain, but manager Davey Martinez could not offer anything resembling a timetable for the Nationals rookie to return.
Crews, who already had been dealing with a sore lower back and left side for about a week, experienced additional pain on a check-swing attempt in the fifth inning Tuesday night against the Braves. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the following afternoon, with top outfield prospect Robert Hassell III called up from Triple-A Rochester to take his roster spot.
The timetable for oblique strains varies from player to player and based on the severity of each injury. Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Andrés Chaparro suffered a left oblique strain during batting practice March 14 prior to a spring training game and tonight is finally beginning a rehab assignment with Rochester after going 4-for-15 with a double and a homer in five rehab games for the Nats’ rookie-level Florida Complex League team.
Asked how Crews’ injury compares to Chaparro’s ailment, Martinez redirected his answer to compliment Crews’ physical and mental makeup.
“I’ll be honest with you: When I played, I didn’t even know what an oblique was,” the manager said. “Every guy is different. He’s a very strong kid, I know that. He’s going to work diligently to get back as soon as possible. But we want to make sure that when he does come back, this doesn’t become a problem for him. Hopefully sooner than later, but we’re going to give him as much time as he needs to get him ready.”
Let’s give this another try, shall we? After Wednesday night’s game was rained out, the Nationals and Braves will attempt to play their series finale as scheduled this evening, though there is again some rain in the forecast (more so early than late, so that should hopefully help matters).
It’s the same pitching matchup that was supposed to take the mound Wednesday, with Trevor Williams starting for the Nats and AJ Smith-Shawver starting for the Braves. The bullpens, of course, will be well refreshed and available for as much work as needed. Perhaps that plays into Davey Martinez’s hands, allowing him to pull Williams after five innings regardless of results, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Robert Hassell III has had a chance to process his first major league promotion for more than 24 hours now, so he should be good and ready to go come 6:45 p.m. He made a point to shag a bunch of fly balls in both center and right fields Wednesday afternoon to start getting a feel for the perspective here at Nationals Park. Of course, there’s nothing like the real thing, and you can’t simulate that.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 60 degrees, wind 8 mph out to right field
BRAVES
LF Alex Verdugo
3B Austin Riley
1B Matt Olson
DH Marcell Ozuna
C Drake Baldwin
2B Ozzie Albies
RF Eli White
CF Michael Harris II
SS Nick Allen
Due to planned activity in Washington, D.C., the start time for the Saturday, June 14, game between the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins has been moved up to 1:05 p.m. from 4:05 p.m.
The Nationals are promoting their top prospect up a level in their minor league system.
Travis Sykora, the No. 1 prospect in the Nats system and No. 61 overall per MLB Pipeline, is being promoted to High-A Wilmington, a source confirms.
Sykora dominated Single-A once again following his return from offseason hip surgery. He held opponents to one hit, one run and one walk while striking out 14 in just five innings over two starts with the Fredericksburg Nationals.
It was an easy return to form for the 21-year-old, who the Nats selected out of high school in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-6 righty was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Year in 2024 after going 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA, 0.906 WHIP, 129 strikeouts and 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings across 20 starts.
He also dominated in the playoffs to help the FredNats win their first championship since moving to Fredericksburg in 2020.
When the Nationals face the Braves tonight following Wednesday’s rainout, Robert Hassell III will take the field for the first time as a big leaguer. When he looks to his right from his outfield position, he’ll see James Wood. When he looks in toward the middle infield, he’ll see CJ Abrams. And watching from the dugout will be MacKenzie Gore, who on Friday night will take the mound to start the series opener against the Giants.
Those four players have long been connected, four of the five prospects the Nats acquired from the Padres in the August 2022 Juan Soto/Josh Bell trade. Nearly three years later, they’re all in the big leagues together. (Right-hander Jarlin Susana, the fifth prospect, is currently on the injured list after making five starts for Double-A Harrisburg to begin the season.)
“It’s awesome,” Hassell said. “I think that’s the best-case scenario in a lot of people’s eyes. It was a big trade, and everybody had high expectations for us. I’m glad to be in the same place, in ‘The Show.’”
Abrams was first to arrive, shortly after the trade. Gore was injured but made his Nationals debut in April 2023. Wood made it in July 2024. All three are now playing at an All-Star level, with Abrams ranking eighth in the majors with a .940 OPS, Wood tied for fifth in the National League with 12 homers and Gore leading the entire sport with 84 strikeouts.
Hassell, believe it or not, was just as highly regarded as any of them at the time of the deal, maybe more so. He boasted an .846 OPS in high Single-A upon getting traded and ranked anywhere from the 26th to the 37th best prospect in baseball.
Robert Hassell III’s major league debut will have to wait 24 hours. The Nationals’ newest outfielder won’t complain.
Tonight’s game between the Nats and Braves was postponed due to rain in the area, the announcement coming about 90 minutes after the team officially promoted Hassell from Triple-A Rochester and placed Dylan Crews on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
With Atlanta set to make another trip to D.C. this season, tonight’s game won’t be made up until a Sept. 16 day-night doubleheader, with a new 1:05 p.m. game added in advance of the previously scheduled 6:45 p.m. contest.
The two teams will complete this series as planned at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, with tonight’s starters (Trevor Williams, AJ Smith-Shawver) pushed back to pitch then.
Barring a change of heart by his manager, Hassell figures to be part of Thursday’s lineup for the Nationals. He was due to start in center field and bat seventh tonight, though it’s possible he’ll shift to right field if Jacob Young is ready to return from a jammed left shoulder.
It’s a cold, rainy day in the nation’s capital, with the chance of baseball being played on time and to completion tonight much less than 100 percent. It’s dry for the moment, but there’s more rain forecast for this evening, so stay tuned for updates.
If they play, it’s a fairly significant day for the Nationals, who are promoting outfielder Robert Hassell III from Triple-A Rochester for the first time. The corresponding move just announced sends Dylan Crews to the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
It remains to be seen how much playing time the 23-year-old Hassell gets, but he should get some opportunity to show how ready he is for the big leagues, and then potentially stick in the long term.
The Nats lineup has suddenly turned productive, especially early in games. That group has now scored at least four runs off opposing starters within the first two innings of the last three games, a welcome departure from the previous week (and, to be honest, much of the season to date). It would be a very welcome development if that trend continues tonight against AJ Smith-Shawver, who six days ago held the same lineup to one unearned run on two hits over six innings at Truist Park.
Trevor Williams faced Smith-Shawver that day, as well, and was solid for four innings (one run allowed) before falling apart in the fifth (three more runs allowed). That loss left Williams at 2-5 with a 5.91 ERA. Statistically speaking, he’s been the worst member of the Nationals rotation. At some point, they need to see better results from the veteran, lest his spot become available to a younger starter.
It was bound to get better at some point. Really, how couldn’t it?
As much as the Nationals bullpen struggled through the season’s first month-plus, it was hard to believe that group could sustain such a low level of performance over the long haul. Through the season’s first 39 games, this relief corps owned a collective 7.29 ERA, worst in the majors and a number that would be historically bad over a full 162-game slate.
Slowly but surely, though, things are stabilizing. The Nats aren’t necessarily getting dominant bullpen work now, but they’re certainly getting quality work from that group: Over their last 10 games, relievers have combined for a 3.12 ERA. That’s eighth-best in the majors during this span.
“I think we’re just getting into the groove of the season a little bit,” right-hander Cole Henry said. “Everybody’s trying to get out there and get outs and do what’s best for this team: Get wins and keep stacking them.”
That’s exactly what has been happening of late. The Nationals have won four in a row, and during Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over the Braves the bullpen played a significant role. Henry, Jose A. Ferrer, Jorge López and Kyle Finnegan collectively tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings, that quartet retiring 11 of the 12 batters it faced to close out the game with little margin for error.
Have the Nationals suddenly found a new formula for winning baseball: Jumping out to an early lead against the opposing starter, then riding the strength of their suddenly improved bullpen to close out a narrow victory?
It’s certainly not the way the Nats tried to win games through most of the season’s first six weeks. But it’s sure working to perfection now, the latest – and perhaps most impressive – example coming tonight during a 5-3 triumph over the Braves.
Thanks to four early runs plated off the intimidating Spencer Strider, a workmanlike start out of Mitchell Parker and then 3 2/3 scoreless innings from their relievers, the Nationals won their fourth straight in impressive fashion.
"We talk so much about trying to beat up the starter and score first, and it's come to fruition the last couple days," manager Davey Martinez said. "It's been great. Our bullpen comes in with a little cushion; it's good for them, too. The boys are really playing well."
The only downside: Dylan Crews departed after the fifth inning, having felt something in his lower back/left side on a check-swing. The rookie center fielder, who homered for the second consecutive game, admitted he has been dealing with soreness in that area for the last week, since making a diving play in Atlanta, and it reached a point where he couldn't continue tonight.
Despite some initial hopes he’d be ready to return tonight, Jacob Young won’t be in the lineup for the Nationals’ series opener against the Braves.
Davey Martinez had penciled Young into his lineup, three days after the center fielder slammed into the wall at Camden Yards trying to make a catch and injured his left shoulder. But that was contingent upon Young making it through afternoon workouts with no issues, and it turns out there was one issue.
“He said he couldn’t finish his swing,” Martinez said. “We’ll give him another day, see how he does. But he can do everything else.”
Young tried to take swings in the cage this afternoon but still felt his shoulder on his follow-through, unable to fully extend his left arm as far as he would need to after making contact. While that’s enough of a problem to keep him from playing tonight, the Nats don’t believe it’s significant enough to have any longer-term concerns.
“I think he’ll be OK,” Martinez said. “He said he’s way better today than he was yesterday and the day before. So we’ll give him a day, see how he feels.”
