The Nationals have won 3 of their last 4 series and have taken over 2nd place in the National League East as we enter the end of May. After coming excruciatingly close to sweeping the Atlanta Braves, they now finish their quick road trip with a 3-game set against the Cleveland Guardians.
Cleveland has been dominating the middling American League Central, sitting 9.0 games over .500. They’ve gone 8-1 over their last 9 contests, and their pitching staff has been absolutely on point. Opposing offenses
haven’t been able to string together anything of substance, and their offense has continually done just enough to close out a victory.
Game 1 – Monday 6:10 PM EST
WSH: RHP Zack Littell (3-4, 5.83 ERA)
CLE: RHP Tanner Bibee (0-6, 3.75 ERA)
Littell will look to finish his month of May on a high note, after posting an impressive 2.55 ERA in his last 4 starts. His season-long mark has dropped over 2 full points since the start of the month, and he’s looked much more like the steady veteran the Nationals signed in the offseason. Chasing whiffs hasn’t been his pathway to success, with just 7 strikeouts in 17.2 innings in May, but limiting hard contact has fueled a healthy stretch of productive outings. PJ Poulin will actually open this one, but Littell will get the bulk of the action
Don’t let the record fool you, Bibee has been a more-than-serviceable pitcher through 11 appearances. While he has racked up a few more Ks, he’s another contact-first arm who seems to never get shelled. He’s coming off the best start of the season to date, throwing 8.0 innings of 1-run ball against the Detroit Tigers on May 20th, allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk in the process.
Game 2 – Tuesday 6:10 PM EST
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (2-3, 3.86 ERA)
CLE: LHP Joey Cantillo (4-1, 3.05 ERA)
Similar to Bibee, the best Cavalli has looked all year came the last time he was on the mound. He ripped through the New York Mets’ lineup on May 21st, cruising through 7.0 innings with just 2 runs surrendered and 9 total strikeouts. The stuff continues to come in waves for the righthander, and it’s impossible not to continue to believe in the ceiling he has. He’s still looking for his first scoreless outing of the season, and a weaker Cleveland lineup could give him the chance to do just that if he can replicate the success of his arsenal last time around the rotation.
Cantillo was a reliable swing starter for the Guardians in 2025, and he’s taken it to the next level in 2026. He’s parlayed a 2.70 ERA in April with a 3.16 ERA in May, allowing 1 or fewer runs in 3 of his 5 starts this month. When he’s been beat, teams have capitalized on the few hits he tends to give up, making timely hitting of utmost importance for the Washington lineup in Game 2.
Game 3 – Wednesday 1:10 PM EST
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (1-3, 6.17 ERA)
CLE: RHP Gavin Williams (7-3, 3.25)
I don’t think anyone is fully gung-ho on Mikolas quite yet, but the redemption arc has certainly been exciting to watch. The ERA remains above the 6.00 mark, but it had sat around the 8.00 range for a handful of starts earlier in the year. He’s been attacking hitters with well-timed sequencing of his pitches, and his command has looked far better with just 3 walks this month. He doesn’t quite inspire confidence, but if the results can continue to come, the Nats’ rotation would benefit in a major way.
Aside from a rough run where he gave up 5 or more runs in 3 of 4 starts, hitters haven’t figured out Williams on a consistent basis. He delivered one of the best starts of any pitcher against Philadelphia a couple of days ago, outdueling Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sanchez with 8.0 shutout innings and 11 strikeouts. Unlike their other arms, when hitters make contact against him, it’s usually around the barrel. His Average Opposing Exit Velocity, Barrel%, and Hard-Hit% are all under the 10th percentile, something the Nats will need to capitalize on.
