The Washington Nationals lost for just the second time in their second time in their last 9 games on Wednesday evening, falling to their National League East rival Miami Marlins by a score of 8-3. While the game started out promising, with the visiting Nationals getting out to a 3-0 lead, they quickly saw their lead evaporate in a nightmare bottom of the 6th inning.
With a 3-run lead heading into the bottom of the frame and Jake Irvin pitching surprisingly well, things seemed to be going right for the Nationals. A fielding error from CJ Abrams to the leadoff batter set the tone for what would end up being a nightmare half inning, as Irvin gave up 2 more hits in the frame before being lifted for PJ Poulin. The damage had been done, as Poulin let 2 more runners in, with only 1 being charged as an earned run to Irvin, and suddenly the Marlins took a 4-3 lead heading into the 7th inning.
Josh Bell continued his hot hitting, going 2/4 with a pair of base hits, and Luis Garcia Jr. and Daylen Lile also added 2 hits apiece. James Wood finished 1/4 and struck out 3 times, including an ugly 3-pitch strikeout in his final at-bat that saw him look completely outmatched. He is now 1 strikeout away from tying Adam Dunn's single-season strikeouts record in franchise history, and is barreling towards the MLB record.
However, there is some reason to be optimistic as the Nationals look to get their 8th victory in their last 10 games and take their third series victory in a row, as the team is set to welcome back an All-Star to the big league club. MacKenzie Gore, who was thought by some to be done for the season after being placed on the 15-day Injured List just a couple weeks ago, will be returning to the mound and pitching the series finale in Miami.
This is big news for the Nationals, as they will be counting on Gore to finish his roller coaster 2025 season on a high note, and perhaps the 2 weeks off was exactly what he needed to give himself a bit of a mental reset. After an outstanding first half that saw Gore make his 1st career All-Star Game, Gore fell off in late July as his name was being tossed around in trade rumors, and his struggles have remained consistent since then.
Whether the Nationals look to trade him this offseason or continue to try and develop him with a new coaching staff in place, finishing strong in 2025 will be huge for Gore to establish some positive momentum and optimism heading into next season. Also important to note, the Nationals optioned righty reliever Orlando Ribalta back to AAA Rochester to clear space for Gore.
What are you expecting from MacKenzie Gore in his return? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.