The Washington Nationals (60-66) have lost 13 of 18 and continue to slide in the standings while playing without their best hitter. James Wood still leads MLB with 100 runs scored despite being sidelined for more than a week.
The Nats were swept by the last-place New York Mets over the weekend, dropping a pair of one-run games after stranding 10 runners in the series opener. While the season may be slipping away, the final six weeks still carry significance.
One major storyline is the club’s plan to move shortstop CJ Abrams to second base, manager Blake Butera said Friday. The All-Star has played nearly all of his 600 career games with Washington at shortstop, though he appeared in 13 games at second base as a rookie with San Diego before being traded to D.C.
The move comes amid defensive concerns. Abrams’ 19 errors lead the majors, and Washington has a pair of highly regarded middle-infield prospects rising through the system. Cole Seaver is thriving at Triple-A, while Eli Willits continues to impress in Class A and appears on track for Washington.
Digesting the Division: Atlanta (74-50) owns a 7.5-game lead despite dropping two of three to Arizona in what could be a playoff preview. The Braves next face a Boston team that has lost seven of nine.
Philadelphia (67-58) remains tied for a Wild Card spot thanks in part to its stellar 21-11 record in one-run games.
Miami (64-61) has won three straight series to move within three games of the Phillies. Griffin Conine helped fuel the surge, hitting three homers with five RBIs during the week. The outfielder is the son of former Marlins and Orioles standout Jeff Conine.
Washington (60-66) remains nearly as close to third place as it is to the fifth-place Mets (56-69), whose tragic number for NL East contention is down to 20.
Break up the Birds:聽The Orioles may be under .500, but that’s good enough in the American League this year.
Baltimore (61-63) is tied for the third AL Wild Card spot after winning three straight against Tampa Bay. The Orioles wrap up their series with the division-leading Rays on Monday.
Offseason addition Pete Alonso continues to provide a spark. Alonso has 27 homers and 80 RBIs this season and is batting .367 with four homers and nine RBIs in August.
Missing You? Luis Garcia Jr. is hitting .238 with a homer and three RBIs in 11 games with the New York Yankees, though he has driven in just one run since his debut with the Pinstripes.
Meanwhile, Foster Griffin earned his second win with Cleveland after allowing one run on four hits over five innings Wednesday in Detroit.
Diamond King:聽Cade Cavalli struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings to earn his 10th victory of the season, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
The 28-year-old’s 2.25 ERA in August is his best mark for any month this season, and he likely has six starts remaining in 2026. Given the state of Washington’s rotation, each outing feels like must-see baseball.
Last Week’s Heroes: Will Dion tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, while Miles Mikolas allowed one run over three frames in his final Nationals appearance. Abimelec Ortiz hit .333 with three homers and five RBIs, while Jacob Young batted .421. Brady House hit .348 with a homer, four RBIs and tied for the team lead with four runs scored.
Last Week’s Humbled: Andr茅s Chaparro hit .154, while Dylan Crews batted .130 with no walks and seven strikeouts. Abrams hit .091 while dealing with his eventual position change. Jake Irvin allowed nine runs over 9.1 innings while losing both starts. Jake Bird surrendered three runs in 3.1 innings, and Yovanny Cruz coughed up four runs while posting a pair of outs.
Game to Watch: The Nationals travel to Texas this week and miss facing former All-Star MacKenzie Gore during the Lone Star State series, but I’ll have my eye on Cavalli’s next outing Wednesday. The Rangers are slated to pitch Jacob deGrom, who’s day-to-day as of Sunday night with right triceps fatigue. Even if the 38-year-old ex-Met isn’t on the mound, seeing Cavalli on the mound will be worth watching.
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