Throughout his first full season in the big leagues, we have learned that Cade Cavalli loves a challenge. Whenever he squares off with the marquee teams in the league, Cavalli tends to have his best stuff. He will have an opportunity to do that again tonight against the Dodgers.
Cavalli will be facing off with Tyler Glasnow tonight in what should be a very exciting matchup. It feels like Cavalli is starting to get those big matchups on a regular basis now that he is emerging as the Nats ace. The last
time he was on the mound, he was opposed by Sandy Alcantara. Now, he will see another one of the NL’s premier arms.
He is in these ace matchups for a reason. That is exactly what Cavalli has been over the past couple months. In his last 13 starts, Cavalli has a 2.15 ERA with elite underlying numbers. He had a streak of 10 straight quality starts that was only ended due to taking a comebacker off his leg last time out.
Cavalli’s season numbers as a whole are very impressive too. In 152.2 innings, he has a 3.12 ERA and 177 strikeouts. A 170 inning, 200 strikeout season is within reach for Cavalli. A couple years ago, that seemed like a long shot. His Tommy John recovery was bumpy to say the least. He was off the mound for most of two seasons. Even at the beginning of last year, the results were not there in AAA.
However, he got things going again at the end of last year. With the addition of a power sweeper and improved command, he has taken another leap this season. Cavalli is now one of the pillars of the organization. His competitive fire is one of his trademark traits as well.
When the lights are brightest, that is when we see the best of Cavalli. The Cubs have been the best offense in the league this season, but they were no match for Cavalli. That start against the Cubs was the best one of his career. He flirted with a no-hitter and had everything working against an elite offense.
For these big games, it feels like Cavalli always has a little something extra. The fastball velocity is up a tick, the breaking balls are sharper and his intensity is higher. Cavalli is always intense on the mound, but he takes things to another level in these games.
That Red Sox start is a perfect example of this. He may have gone too far in that start, but he did dominate a red hot offense. Cavalli got an insane 25 whiffs in that start. His fastball was up to 100 and his breakers were out of this world. That is the sort of stuff you see from Cade in a big game.
I can’t wait to see what Cavalli looks like when we are finally a playoff team someday. It would be an environment he would thrive in. The closest thing the Nats have to the playoffs are these matchups with elite teams. Those are the games where Cavalli is at his best.
This Dodgers lineup is a tough nut to crack. However, I have confidence that Cavalli will go out there and pitch well. It may be a late game, but I am really excited to see Cade matchup with the best team in the league. Expect to see a lot of 98’s and 99’s on the gun.
We know that Cavalli will be amped up for this matchup. The only question is whether he will get enough run support. This offense has looked lackluster lately. However, they usually come to play for Cade. There should be fireworks and a lot of strikeouts in LA tonight because big game Cade is suiting up.
