CINCINNATI – Don’t look now, but the Nationals are playing some pretty good baseball. Seriously. They’ve won nine of their last 14 games, and they’re 19-16 since June 24, when they opened up a solid West Coast trip in San Diego and Seattle. That’s actually the sixth-best record in the National League during that time frame, 11th-best in the majors.

They’ll look to keep the good vibes going tonight and capture another series against a quality opponent if they can defeat the Reds again, though they’ll do so with something of a surprise starter on the mound: Joan Adon.

This was supposed to be Trevor Williams’ turn in the rotation, but the right-hander isn’t expected back from bereavement leave until Sunday, so the team needed a fill-in for this game. That fill-in is Adon, who makes his first big league start of the season, his third overall appearance. The 24-year-old right-hander wasn’t exactly tearing it up at Triple-A Rochester (3-5, 4.62 ERA, 1.506 WHIP in 17 starts) but his strikeout numbers of late (13 in his last 11 innings) have been good, so maybe that’s a sign of something.

The Nationals face a good young left-hander in rookie Andrew Abbott, a University of Virginia alum who enters with a 6-2 record, 2.35 ERA and 1.031 WHIP over his first 11 big league starts. Davey Martinez counters with a right-handed-heavy lineup that includes Joey Meneses at first base, Keibert Ruiz as DH, Riley Adams behind the plate and Stone Garrett in left field.

One other note: To clear a spot on the active roster for Adon, the Nats placed Mason Thompson on the 15-day injured list with a left knee contusion. The reliever hadn’t pitched since Monday, but IL moves can only be backdated three days, so that means he’s eligible to return Aug. 17.

CINCINNATI – Hello from Great American Ball Park, where the Nationals come to town with some new faces and a new look to their lineup after Wednesday’s surprising roster moves.

Blake Rutherford is your new starting left fielder, the 26-year-old set to make his major league debut after getting called up from Triple-A Rochester to take Corey Dickerson’s spot. A former first-round pick of the Yankees, Rutherford produced a .978 OPS in the minors this season and now will finally get his shot at this level. A left-handed hitter, it would appear he’ll join Stone Garrett in the left field platoon.

Jeter Downs also was called up from Triple-A, though he’s not in tonight’s lineup. Instead, Jake Alu moves to second base to take Luis García’s spot, with Ildemaro Vargas starting at third base. We’ll see what Davey Martinez has to say about the infield plan now.

Patrick Corbin, meanwhile, gets the ball against a Reds lineup that roughed him up for six runs and 10 hits in five innings back on July 4 in D.C. He’ll have his hands full against the likes of Elly De La Cruz and this exciting young Cincinnati club, which swept that four-game holiday series last month. 

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 3 mph out to left field

A very quick homestand comes to an end this afternoon for the Nationals, who still have a chance to keep their positive vibes going on South Capitol Street. They’ve actually won eight of their last 10 home games, not to mention their last three home series. A victory today over the Brewers would continue that trend.

After watching Josiah Gray labor through 3 2/3 innings during Tuesday’s loss, the Nats could really use something better from MacKenzie Gore. The young lefty has been alternating between good and bad starts for more than a month now. If the pattern holds, he’s due for a good one. These final two months are big for Gore, who has already topped the 100-inning mark and is likely to be shut down at some point in September. He would love to finish both healthy and effective.

The Nationals lineup gets to face a lefty this afternoon in veteran Wade Miley. The 36-year-old continues to pitch well in his 13th big league season, entering this one with a 3.06 ERA and 1.153 WHIP in 13 starts. This is, however, his first outing since July 9, after which he landed on the 15-day IL with a sore left elbow.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 3 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Joey Meneses
LF Stone Garrett
1B Dominic Smith
C Riley Adams
CF Alex Call
3B Jake Alu
2B Michael Chavis

It’s Trade Deadline Day, which means people all around baseball will be glued to their phones, computers and TVs awaiting the big moves being made throughout the day up until the 6 p.m. deadline.

For the Nationals, that means keeping an eye on names like Lane Thomas and Kyle Finnegan after Jeimer Candelario was traded to the Cubs for two prospects last night. Jake Alu was officially recalled from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon to take Candelario’s roster spot.

Thomas is in tonight’s starting lineup … for now. Keep an eye out for any lineup changes leading up to the deadline.

A guy who we know isn’t going anywhere and was acquired two years ago at the deadline is tonight’s starter, Josiah Gray. The young right-hander is 7-8 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.411 WHIP over his first 21 starts this year. After a shaky start to the second half, Gray has pitched seven innings of one-run ball and six shutout innings in his last two outings.

Freddy Peralta makes the start for the Brewers, who could be busy today as they are in a tight battle with the Reds at the top of the National League Central. Peralta is 6-8 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.248 WHIP in 20 starts this season. In five games (three starts) against the Nats, the right-hander is 2-2 with a 7.29 ERA and 1.381 WHIP.

This is a weird portion of the Nationals schedule. They just went on the road for only four days. Now they’re back home for only three days before leaving town again.

This quick homestand comes against the Brewers, who are locked in a tight race with the Reds atop the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches well, so it’s going to be a challenge for a Nats lineup that totaled four runs in its three losses to the Mets over the weekend (while scoring 11 runs in their lone win).

Jake Irvin gets the ball, facing a Brewers lineup that has never seen him before. The rookie right-hander has done a nice job giving his team innings recently, completing at least six in each of his last two starts, but he did surrender four runs in two of his last three outings.

One roster move to announce here on Trade Deadline Eve: With Trevor Williams officially placed on bereavement leave, the Nationals have recalled right-hander Hobie Harris from Triple-A Rochester. Harris gives them a ninth reliever for a few days until Williams returns.

Although he's not in the starting lineup, Jeimer Candelario is still in the Nationals clubhouse and in uniform before tonight's game.

The Orioles begin a four-game series in Toronto tonight with Adley Rutschman settled in as the leadoff hitter and Gunnar Henderson behind him.

Rutschman has reached base six times in two games, including three singles and a walk last night.

Colton Cowser is in center field, flanked by Austin hays in left and Anthony Santander in right.

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter. He’s a career .306/.368/.613 hitter with 15 home runs in 45 games against the Blue Jays.

Kyle Gibson is 9-6 with a 4.68 ERA and 1.323 WHIP in 22 games, and the one starter who isn’t an innings concern to the Orioles. He’s totaled 127 this season, with his career high 196 2/3 in 2018.

NEW YORK – It’s been quite a weekend here at Citi Field, with two rain delays, two wins for the Mets, one win for the Nationals and one massive trade of a New York pitcher who will forever be better known for pitching for Washington. Now it’s the finale of this four-game series, the Nats with a chance to head home with a split and rub some more salt in the Mets’ wounds.

Neither team released its starting lineup early, which is no surprise given the presence of the trade deadline in two days. No reason to unveil something that could change before gametime. But as far as we know, Jeimer Candelario is playing for the Nationals and Justin Verlander is starting for the Mets.

Verlander could be on his way out at some point in the next 48 hours, perhaps back to Houston, where he’d suddenly be going up against Max Scherzer and the Rangers in the American League West pennant race. If he does start today, he’ll be facing the Nats for the first time this season. The 40-year-old has been very good of late, with a 1.46 ERA in his last six starts.

Trevor Williams, meanwhile, faces his former team for the third time this season. The right-hander gave up four runs in five innings here in April, then allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings in a May start that was cut short by a long rain delay.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 1:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 77 degrees, wind 9 mph in from left field

NEW YORK – It’s been a rough week at the plate for the Nationals. Even in their victories over the Rockies at home, they needed to rally in the eighth and ninth to pull ahead. In fact, they have scored only three runs (two of those unearned) in the first six innings of their last five games. That’s got to change at some point, right?

Perhaps it will tonight against Carlos Carrasco, who enters with a 5.82 ERA, having just been roughed up by the Red Sox for five runs and 10 hits in only 2 1/3 innings six days ago. The Mets right-hander has yet to face the Nationals this season, so there’s no recent track record in either direction.

Davey Martinez has two changes to his lineup: Stone Garrett starts in left field, even against the righty, instead of Corey Dickerson. And Riley Adams gets the nod behind the plate, with Keibert Ruiz resting and presumably set to start Sunday’s series finale.

Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nats, and he could use a good one after allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits his last time out against the Rockies. Corbin did pitch well against the Mets earlier this season, allowing two runs over six innings. His biggest challenge tonight: Keeping Pete Alonso in the yard. The New York slugger (who blasted two home runs Friday night) is 14-for-40 with five homers in his career against Corbin.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 88 degrees, wind 14 mph out to right field

NEW YORK – This isn’t the first time the Nationals have faced Max Scherzer since trading him away two years ago. This is actually the fifth time they’ll face their former ace, the second time this season. And Scherzer has done quite well against them, going 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.

But this may not be the same Scherzer we’ve seen in the past. He just turned 39 on Thursday. He’s given up four or five runs in three of his last four starts. His 4.20 ERA is his worst since 2011, and the two homers he’s surrendering per nine innings represents the worst rate of his career.

Making tonight’s matchup all the more compelling is the fact the Nationals send MacKenzie Gore to the mound. Former ace vs. potential future ace. Gore has a long way to go to show up in the same sentence as Scherzer, but he has shown plenty of glimpses of his dominance this season. For example, he’s allowed zero or one run in eight of his 20 starts. The problem: He’s allowed five or more runs in four of his last eight starts.

So which version of Gore will show up tonight? And will he be able to outperform Scherzer? Should be a fun one.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 87 degrees, wind 10 mph out to left field

NEW YORK – The Nationals just completed their best homestand of the season. They’ve won nine of their last 14 overall. Now they’ll see if they can keep it up on the road against a Mets team that desperately needs to turn things on, lest they actually become sellers at next week’s trade deadline.

Yeah, the situation is that dire here in Flushing, where the most expensive team in baseball has the eighth-worst record in baseball, is 17 1/2 games out of first place and 7 1/2 games out of the wild card race, with five teams to chase in front of it. If we’re being realistic, the Mets probably need to sweep this four-game series to make a compelling case for owner Steve Cohen to buy before Tuesday’s deadline.

The Nats will try to prevent that with their All-Star starter on the mound for the series opener tonight. Josiah Gray is coming off an excellent outing against the Giants, when he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings. He’s already pitched very well here at Citi Field this year, shutting out the Mets over six innings April 25.

Kodai Senga starts for New York. The 30-year-old rookie from Japan hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a month, lowering his ERA to 3.27 in the process. He faced the Nationals in that same late-April series, allowing two runs in five innings but taking the loss.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 81 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

Well, after last night’s dramatic, twice-rain-delayed, comeback back win, can the Nationals carry their momentum over to win this series against the Rockies and end this homestand on a positive note?

If they do, it would be their second series win in a row and sixth in their last nine.

Jake Irvin will look to follow up one of the best outings of his young career this afternoon. On Friday, he struck out a career-high nine Giants over 6 ⅔ innings while earning his third win of his rookie year. Manager Davey Martinez was impressed with the adjustments Irvin made throughout that start – throwing his changeup more – so that will be something to keep an eye on today.

The Rockies are starting right-hander Peter Lambert in this finale. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 5.49 ERA and 1.525 WHIP over 16 major league appearances this year (two starts). This will be his third start in a row, combining to pitch only eight scoreless innings with five hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 86 degrees, wind 4 mph out to left field

Was Monday night’s ugly loss to the Rockies an aberration, or have the Nationals reverted back into the form they showed prior to their weekend sweep of the Giants? Guess we’ll find out tonight when they return to the field looking to bounce back.

They’re facing an opposing starter they’ve had some success against in Austin Gomber. The Colorado left-hander enters with a 6.18 ERA and 22 homers allowed in 102 innings this season, and that includes his start way back on April 8 when the Nats scored five runs in 4 2/3 innings off him. And that doesn’t include the two starts Gomber made against the Nationals last season, when they scored 10 runs on 14 hits across eight total innings.

Davey Martinez's lineup has a few wrinkles to it: Joey Meneses is playing first base tonight with Keibert Ruiz serving as designated hitter, opening the catching spot for Riley Adams. All of that bumps Dominic Smith to the bench. Also on the bench is Luis García, who takes a seat as Michael Chavis starts at second base.

Trevor Williams happened to oppose Gomber in that April 8 game at Coors Field and pitched much better than his counterpart, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Williams continues to give the Nationals a chance most times he takes the mound, though his record is only 5-5 thanks to a lot of no-decisions. He’ll hope to get back in the win column tonight.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 81 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

Anything interesting happen over the weekend? Sheesh, you take a few days off for a quick family vacation, and look what happens. The Nationals sign and introduce first-round pick Dylan Crews, then go and pull off their first three-game sweep in more than two years. At this point, I’m just hoping they let me back in the ballpark today.

The weekend sweep came against a good Giants team. Next up is a three-game series with the Rockies, the worst team in the National League. That guarantees nothing, of course, but the matchup on paper should favor the home team.

The Nats lineup really produced against San Francisco and will now try to continue that trend against a Colorado pitching staff that ranks last in the league in most categories. Right-hander Jake Bird will open tonight’s game, but based on past usage don’t expect him to go more than an inning or two.

Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals, who would love to get at least six innings out of their veteran left-hander. Corbin was excellent for five innings last week against the Cubs before faltering in the sixth.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

Is today the day? Will it finally happen? Can this unfathomable streak be ended?

Once again, the Nationals are seeking their first three-game series sweep since June 14-16, 2021 against the Pirates. This will be the Nats’ fourth opportunity to sweep a three-game set this season.

They were able to win the first two games behind strong starting pitching from Jake Irvin and Josiah Gray, the young right-handers combining to allow four runs over 13 ⅔ innings against the Giants.

Now it’s MacKenzie Gore’s turn in his 20th start of the year. The 24-year-old lefty is 5-7 with a 4.59 ERA, 1.448 WHIP and 10.7 strikeouts-per-nine-innings. Gore was able to gut out 6 ⅓ innings in his last start against the Cubs, but he was charged with five runs, including two home runs. He didn’t face the Giants when the two teams met in San Francisco back in May. He did, however, go 1-1 while giving up nine runs in 9 ⅓ innings over two starts against them as a member of the Padres last year.

The Nationals offense will look to stay hot against Giants pitching, outscoring the visitors 15-4 over the first two games.

While much of the attention today surrounds Dylan Crews’ introductory press conference, the Nationals still have a game to play tonight.

The Nationals won their third straight series opener last night. Now they’ll look to win their first series since the All-Star break.

Josiah Gray makes his second start since his first All-Star Game appearance. He was roughed up Sunday in St. Louis to the tune of four runs and 10 hits over five innings in a loss to the Cardinals. On the year, the right-hander is 6-8 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.472 WHIP. He had an impressive outing when he faced the Giants back in May, completing seven innings and allowing just two runs and five hits.

Logan Webb starts for San Francisco. He is 8-7 with a 3.11 ERA and 1.083 WHIP on the season, but has been pitching really well in July. Over his last three starts, he has a 1.59 ERA, including a complete-game shutout of the Rockies right before the break. The righty held the Nats to one run with seven strikeouts over seven innings on May 9, though he did surrender nine hits.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, wind 5 mph out to left field

The Orioles completed their roster move today by welcoming reliever Shintaro Fujinami to the club and optioning Logan Gillaspie to Triple-A Norfolk.

Fujinami was acquired from the Athletics on Wednesday for Triple-A left-hander Easton Lucas. He goes into the bullpen, where Gillaspie sat for two games without pitching.

Fujinami was given No. 14, last worn by infielder Rio Ruiz in 2021.

Alone in first place for the first time since August 2016, the Orioles will try to build on their one-game lead with Kyle Bradish back on the mound and on his own roll.

Bradish has lowered is ERA to 3.05, with no runs allowed in his last two starts over 13 1/3 innings and one run in his last three over 19 1/3. He’s surrendered three runs in his last four starts spanning 26 1/3 innings.

The Nationals return home for the first time since the All-Star break with a six-game homestand, starting with three against the Giants.

The Nats won the first game in each of their two series since the break. However, they weren’t able to win either set against the Cardinals or Cubs, dropping the second and third games in each series.

Jake Irvin will try to make it three straight series-opening wins tonight. The young right-hander had a rough outing in his first start after the break, giving up four runs in just three innings Saturday night in St. Louis. In 13 starts this season, Irvin is 2-5 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.492 WHIP. He did have his most impressive outing in his second major league start against the Giants with 6 ⅓ scoreless innings back in May in San Francisco.

Alex Wood gets the start for the Giants. The veteran left-hander is 4-3 with a 4.53 ERA and 1.528 WHIP in 14 appearances (10 starts). He didn’t face the Nats back in May, but is 6-5 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.159 WHIP in 15 career starts against Washington.

Davey Martinez has his right-handed-heavy lineup in tonight against Wood, with Michael Chavis playing first base in place of Dominic Smith.

CHICAGO – As ugly as Tuesday night – and oh boy was it ugly – the Nationals still arrive at Wrigley Field today with a chance to win this series and head home with a 3-3 record on the second-half-opening trip. Even better news: The two semi-reliable relievers they still have are both available.

Kyle Finnegan and Mason Thompson are good to go if the situation presents itself in the late innings. So is Jordan Weems, who hasn’t appeared since Sunday in St. Louis. So the key, then, is for Trevor Williams to at least provide five (ideally six) quality innings and give his a team a chance, which is basically what he’s done all year. Williams is plenty fresh, because his last start was cut short after 2 2/3 innings due to rain. So there’s no reason he can’t reach, or even top, 100 pitches tonight if he’s performing well enough.

Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks starts for the Cubs, and he has allowed nine runs, 18 hits and six homers over his last 10 1/3 innings after pitching quite well prior to that. Hendricks isn’t an overpowering guy; his changeup is his go-to pitch. It’s imperative for these Nationals hitters to stay patient with him and not get jumpy at the plate.

The Nationals announced some roster moves this afternoon, selecting the contract of right-hander Rico Garcia from Triple-A Rochester, placing Paolo Espino on the 15-day injured list with a flexor strain of his fourth right finger and transferred Israel Pineda (right finger fracture) to the 60-day IL.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 76 degrees, wind 7 mph right field to left field

The Orioles needed length out of their bullpen today and recalled Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A Norfork. Cedric Mullins has gone on the 10-day injured list with a right adductor groin strain, a move that’s retroactive to Sunday.

Mullins hasn’t played since Saturday night, when the club announced that he felt tightness in his right quadriceps. He missed almost a month with a groin injury before returning on June 24.

The roster is back to 13 pitchers and 13 position players.

Gillaspie has appeared in 11 games with the Orioles and posted a 6.00 ERA and 2.111 WHIP in nine innings. He’s made 21 appearances with Norfolk and registered a 3.91 ERA and 1.478 WHIP in 23 innings.

Gillaspie’s last appearance was Sunday, when he tossed one inning.

CHICAGO – The Nationals threw the kitchen sink at the Cubs in order to win Monday night’s series opener, with MacKenzie Gore reaching the seventh inning and Mason Thompson and Kyle Finnegan each recording four outs to lock up a 7-5 victory. It’s safe to say they won’t be able to do the same tonight, assuming both Thompson and Finnegan are unavailable.

So if the Nats are in a position to win late, it’ll be fascinating to see who Davey Martinez puts on the mound. He mentioned Jordan Weems, Amos Willingham and lefties Jose A. Ferrer and Joe La Sorsa following Monday’s game. That would be quite a collection of inexperienced late-inning options.

First things first. Patrick Corbin needs to give them a chance to win. The left-hander was great in two of his last four starts (against the Mariners and Rangers) but was hit around in the other two (against the Padres and Reds). Which version of Corbin, who was activated off paternity leave Monday, will show up tonight at Wrigley Field?

With right-hander Jameson Taillon on the mound for the Cubs, it’s the lefty-heavy version of the Nationals lineup taking the field. That means Corey Dickerson starts in left field over Stone Garrett, even though Garrett (.650) at this point actually owns a higher OPS against right-handed pitchers than Dickerson (.619).

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CHICAGO CUBS
Where: Wrigley Field
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 72 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field