The Washington Nationals have seemingly started to get things back on track after a tough stretch in which they lost 7 out of 9 games, including losing 3 out of 4 to the Philadelphia Phillies in truly embarrassing fashion. On Tuesday night, however, they showcased some of their true upside that could make them much scarier as the season wears on.
For starters, the team showed some real fight, as Willson Contreras took exception to some choice words from Nationals' starter Cade Cavalli, causing the benches to clear and some punches and shoves to be exchanged. Contreras is known for his fiery personality, and Cavalli has never been known as one to back down, especially given how he pitched in last night's game.
Cade Cavalli flashes ace upside for Nationals in best start of his career
In what has been a pretty revealing season for the Nationals' ace, Cavalli got a chance to fully show off his upside and ace potential for a team that could really use one going forward. Given the fact that fellow top pitcher Foster Griffin has also been mentioned as a possible trade candidate due to his rental status, Cavalli's continued growth, development, and durability are all essential for this season and beyond.
The Nationals won the game 8-1 and increased their road record to 27-18, a great mark that shows just how well the team has played away from Nationals Park. The victory pulled their record to a game over .500 again to 44-43, and luckily Cavalli's performance allowed the bullpen to not have to work very hard to lock down the game.
The 27-year-old was phenomenal, striking out an absurd 13 Red Sox batters while walking none, allowing just 1 unearned run on only 100 pitches. He dominated the strike zone, firing 73 of his 100 pitches for strikes, and also generated 25 whiffs, third in Nationals history for a single start, trailing only Max Scherzer, who had 31 and 27 in 2 separate Nationals starts in 2016 and 2015.
After Cavalli was lifted, Orlando Ribalta and newcomer Zak Kent were luckily able to close the game out without incident, giving Cavalli his 5th win of the year and lowering his 3.69 ERA on the year. It was his second consecutive quality start, giving him 7 on the year out of his 18 starts. Finding his consistency will be huge for a Nationals team vying for a playoff spot.
What did you think of Cade Cavalli's masterful performance last night? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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