The Washington Nationals wrapped up their road trip on a high note, despite falling short in a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The Nats rallied late, scoring a run in the ninth and bringing the tying run to second base, showcasing their resilience. With a solid 4-2 record on the trip, including victories over two division-leading teams, the Nationals return home to face a San Diego Padres squad that is currently in playoff contention but has hit a rough patch, losing four consecutive games.
While the Padres have had a competitive season, their star players have struggled to find their rhythm. Gavin Sheets and Miguel Andujar have emerged as the standout regulars in the lineup, while Jackson Merrill has faced setbacks in his third season. Veteran Manny Machado appears to be feeling the effects of time, and surprisingly, Fernando Tatis Jr. has gone 54 games without a home run, joining Nasim Nunez as the only qualified hitters without a long ball this season.
Despite the offensive struggles, San Diego’s pitching has been a bright spot, particularly the bullpen, which boasts an impressive 3.07 ERA, ranking second in the league behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mason Miller has been a standout with an ERA under 1, complemented by solid performances from Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, and Wandy Peralta.
Game Previews
The series kicks off on Friday at 6:45 PM EST, with the Padres sending RHP Lucas Giolito (2-0, 2.70 ERA) to the mound against the Nationals’ RHP Paxton Schultz (0-2, 5.30 ERA). After a lengthy wait in free agency, Giolito found a new home with the Padres in April and has quickly made an impact, tossing five scoreless innings in his last outing against the Athletics.
For the Nationals, Schultz will take the mound as an opener before handing the ball to Andrew Alvarez for the bulk of the game. Schultz has shown promise, allowing just one run in his last 8 1/3 innings of work, aside from a rough outing against the Mets.
On Saturday at 4:05 PM EST, the matchup features RHP Michael King (4-3, 2.76 ERA) for the Padres, while the Nationals have yet to name their starter, though LHP Foster Griffin is likely to take the hill. King has been a critical asset for San Diego, though he struggled in his last start, giving up four runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Nationals will hope to capitalize on his recent difficulties.
Sunday’s game at 1:35 PM EST will see RHP Griffin Canning (0-3, 7.54 ERA) on the mound for the Padres. While his ERA is concerning, it stems from a couple of poor outings; Canning has settled down in his recent starts, allowing three runs each time. The Nationals are expected to start RHP Zack Littell, who is coming off his best performance of the season, pitching seven innings of one-run ball in Cleveland, providing much-needed rest for the bullpen.
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
