Fresh off almost stealing a series from the juggernaut Dodgers before the bullpen imploded, the Nats’ hot bats take on the Padres
The Nationals were 12 outs away from beating the Dodgers and securing their first series win since May, but the Dodgers’ lineup did what the Dodgers’ lineup does and scored a whole lot of runs, putting 11 on the board in the 6th and 7th innings combined. Michael Soroka continued his streak of dominating for 5 innings and then falling off a cliff, finishing the afternoon with 5 1⁄3 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, and 3 runs allowed. Nathaniel Lowe also stayed hot with his 3rd home run in 2 days, raising his OPS over the last 15 games to .918.
The Nats continue their west coast road trip with a 3-game set in San Diego against the Padres, who are coming off a series win against the Royals. Sitting at 42-35 on the year, they trail the Dodgers for first place in the NL West by 5 games and the Giants by 1.5, so every game is of vital importance to them right now to make sure they keep up in the divisional race.
Underperforming Lineup, Crippled Pitching Staff
The Padres’ lineup is filled with star names such as Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill, as well as nice redemption stories such as Gavin Sheets having a nice turnaround year. Despite this, the Padres’ offense has been one of the weaker ones in baseball this year, with their .695 team OPS ranking 22nd in baseball. Still, they’re not an offense you want to mess around and give free runs to, as the top 3 of their order all have a wRC+ over 130, as well as multiple other hitters down the lineup that are above league average.
The Padres’ rotation has been absolutely devastated with injuries in 2025, with Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove all on the IL currently missing time. Thanks in part to minor leaguers coming up and doing their job as well as their fantastic bullpen, they’ve still managed to put up a 3.58 team ERA, 8th in baseball. The key for the Padres is getting to the bullpen with a lead, as after that, it is usually smooth sailing against that formidable group. The Nationals bats will need to do damage early in games to maximize their chances of winning.
Team Stats
Team OPS: .695 (12th in NL, 22nd in MLB)
Team OPS Leader: Manny Machado (.865)
Team HR Leader: Fernando Tatis Jr. (14)
Team ERA: 3.58 (3rd in NL, 8th in MLB)
Team ERA Leader: Randy Vasquez (3.60)
Game One – Monday 9:40 EDT
WSH: Mitchell Parker (4-8) – 80.1 IP, 4.59 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
We finally saw some shades of April Mitchell Parker again in his last start vs the Rockies, where he went 6 innings, allowed just 1 run, and struck out 8 hitters. This came after maybe his worst start of the year vs the Marlins, where he gave up 6 runs and couldn’t escape the 4th inning. So, which version of Parker will we get tonight? Let’s hope it’s the Rockies one, and I have faith it will be.
SD: Stephen Kolek (3-2) – 52.2 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Kolek joined the Padres rotation in May to help out after all their starters’ arms fell off, and he’s done his job admirably. In his last start versus the Dodgers, he went 6 1⁄3 innings, allowing 3 runs versus a very strong Dodgers lineup. Kolek has shown the ability to take over a game and dominate this season, pitching a complete game shutout versus the Rockies in his 2nd career start.
Game Two – Tuesday 9:40 EDT
WSH: Trevor Williams (3-8) – 74.2 IP, 5.54 ERA, 1.45 WHIP
While still not pitching great, Williams has at least kept the team in the ballgame in his last three starts, going around 5 innings and allowing 2 runs in all of them. His last start versus the Rockies was his best one since his 6 scoreless in Seattle, going 5 1⁄3 innings, allowing 2 runs, and striking out 6. The Nationals may need even more than that versus the Padres, as the fewer innings the Nats bullpen pitches, the better.
SD: TBD
As is the case usually with teams with strong bullpens and lots of hurt starters, the Padres will be going with a bullpen game on Tuesday, with Ryan Bergert being the listed probable starter according to Fangraphs. Bergert started the year as a reliever for the Padres before transitioning to a short starter role for the Padres, tasked with giving them 5 innings and turning it over to the bullpen. He’s done this job well, such as how he went 4 2⁄3 scoreless against the Dodgers in his last start.
Game Three – Wednesday 4:10 EDT
WSH: MacKenzie Gore (3-7) – 93 IP, 3.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
The Padres will get their first look at the new and improved version of MacKenzie Gore, who is having the best year of his 4 year career in 2025. He struggled in his last, going 5 2⁄3 innings and allowing 5 runs (although his fielders didn’t exactly help him), but has still pitched excellently lately, with a 2.68 ERA in his last 7 starts. Hopefully, he’s pitching this game to either secure a sweep or a series win for the Nats.
SD: TBD
While the Padres have not announced it yet, this game will likely be started by Nick Pivetta, their free agent acquisition, who is having a solid season to the tune of a 3.64 ERA. He struggled in his last start versus the Royals, going 4 2⁄3 innings and allowing 4 runs, and he’ll look to turn around his fortunes against a Nats lineup that was extremely cold on the month but is suddenly heating up.
Will The Nats Fortune Finally Turn?
The last series win for the Nationals came in Arizona versus the Diamondbacks on May 31st. Since then, it’s been as bumpy a road as the team has traveled in franchise history. Playing against a team better than them in record and talent again in the San Diego Padres, they need to show some grit and finally steal a series to show there is still some life in this club.