Everything was going the Nationals’ way for most of yesterday’s game, as they had a 6-1 lead entering the 6th inning thanks to a 2-run Luis Garcia Jr. home run, a Keibert Ruiz single which ricocheted off the first base bag, allowing CJ Abrams to score, and a 3-run laser home run off the bat of James Wood.
The lead tightened after a 2-run homer by Dalton Rushing in the 6th inning off PJ Poulin, but the game came completely unraveled after Cionel Perez let the first 5 hitters in the 8th inning reach
base, bringing in one run before he was pulled for Clayton Beeter, who got a force out, sacrifice fly, and strikeout to end the inning, but not without 2 more runs scoring to make it 7-6 Dodgers. They would tack on some insurance in the 9th inning with a Teoscar Hernandez solo shot, but it wouldn’t matter, as the Dodgers won 8-6 to secure the series sweep in DC.
The Nats have now lost 5 straight games, despite the offense scoring at least 5 runs in the last 4 games. Nats’ starters rank last in ERA at 6.69, and the bullpen ranks 26th at 5.85, resulting in the overall pitching unit ranking as the worst in baseball with a 6.27 ERA and -1.1 fWAR. Outside of a strong start for Foster Griffin in his return to MLB action and Cade Cavalli keeping 2 strong lineups at bay, there have been very few positives on the pitching side for the Nats.
The Nats will look to get back on course now during a 3-game homestand with the 5-4 St. Louis Cardinals, who are coming off their first series loss of the year to the Detroit Tigers. The record looks solid for the Cardinals, but the numbers suggest their success may not last, as they currently rank 24th in team OPS and 26th in team ERA. The offense is currently led by 23-year-old Jordan Walker, a once top prospect who may finally be realizing his true potential in year four. Matthew Liberatore is their ace on the mound, and the Nats will get a look at him during game two of the series.
Monday – 6:45 PM EST
STL: RHP Andre Pallante (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
WSH: RHP Zack Littell (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
Pallante was sharp in his first start of 2026, working 5 scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Mets, although he did walk 3 hitters and struck out just 3. Walks and the home run ball plagued Pallante in 2025, meaning patience will be key for Nats hitters tonight so they can get ahead in hitter counts.
Littell was just about as advertised in his 5 innings of work following an opener against the Phillies, giving up 3 runs and working his way out of trouble numerous times. He’ll now make his home debut against a struggling Cardinals lineup, where hopefully he can cut down on the hard contact he was giving up in Philly.
Tuesday – 6:45 PM EST
STL: LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-0, 1.64 ERA)
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 2.79 ERA)
Liberatore has done everything he can to earn that first win of the year in his first two starts of 2026, giving up one run in 5 innings against the Rays on Opening Day and one run in 6 innings against the Mets, getting the no-decision both times. He’ll now have to face a Nats lineup that ranks top 5 in team OPS currently, and has had success against left-handed pitching to begin the year.
Like Liberatore, Cavalli has looked sharp in his first two starts of the year, but still doesn’t have a win to show for it, as he earned a no-decision after going 6 innings and allowing 1 run against the Phillies. He’s kept strong lineups in the Cubs and Phillies at bay, and now gets a weaker Cardinals lineup in his first home start of the year.
Wednesday – 4:05 PM EST
STL: RHP Michael McGreevy (0-1, 2.53 ERA)
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (0-2, 14.46 ERA)
McGreevy was great in his first start of 2026, going 6 scoreless against the Rays, before getting roughed up a bit by the Tigers, giving up 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings of work, earning him the loss. The righty has struggled with left-handed hitters in the past, and he’ll face a Nats lineup packed with impressive left-handed hitters on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite how much it looks like a typo, Mikolas does, in fact, have a 14.46 ERA through his first 2 Nats starts, averaging a run and then some allowed per inning. Granted, he’s faced 2 very good lineups in the Cubs and Dodgers, but so has the rest of the rotation, and their ERA’s don’t have 2 numbers before the decimal. He’ll look to get back on track against a struggling Cardinals lineup, but if they also get to him early, it may already be time to swap him to the long relief role.
Unlucky scheduling, or a more serious issue?
3-6 is not the place the Nats wanted to be after a strong 3-1 start to the year, but they’ve also had to face a gauntlet of playoff-level teams to begin the season. For me, the real test of what to expect from these Nats going forward begins tonight, against a more middle to lower end of the pack NL team in the Cardinals. Can they show they belong and take the series to get back on track, or will they roll over and make matters worse?
