From the moment his flight arrived at Reagan National Airport this weekend, Wilson Ramos felt a tug at his heart. It only grew Sunday morning when he pulled up to Nationals Park, the place he used to call home, the place he now was revisiting one final time to officially announce his retirement from baseball.

“It’s very, very emotional to be here, around the stadium, into the stadium,” he said. “It's very emotional.”

As the current version of the Nationals was limping to its eighth straight loss, with the club making plans to promote top hitting prospect Brady House in hopes of re-energizing a languishing lineup, the sight of Ramos (not to mention fellow former teammates Adam LaRoche and Daniel Murphy) in the house brought back some much needed fond memories of a more successful period of franchise history.

Who’s the best catcher in Nats history? Ramos has to be the consensus choice. He’s the club’s all-time leader in games (578), homers (83), RBIs (320) and OPS (.743) as a catcher. He won a Silver Slugger Award, made an All-Star team, finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting, was behind the plate for the only three no-hitters in team history, not to mention Max Scherzer’s 20-strikeout game.

For parts of seven seasons (2010-16), he was a steady presence in the lineup and in the catcher’s box for the franchise as it grew from a consistent loser to a consistent winner.

Desperate for a jolt following a weekend sweep at the hands of the Marlins that extended their worst losing streak in two years to eight games, the Nationals decided to call up the last remaining top offensive prospect they’ve got waiting in the wings in the upper levels of their farm system.

Brady House is being promoted from Triple-A Rochester and is expected to make his major league debut at third base Monday night when the Nats open a four-game series against the Rockies, a source familiar with the decision confirmed. The same source confirmed the team is also recalling outfielder Daylen Lile, who made his big league debut last month but was sent down after going 6-for-31 in 11 games.

The club has not yet formally announced the two promotions – someone will have to be removed from the 40-man roster to clear a space for House, with several players available for transfer to the 60-day injured list – but two hours after the conclusion of today’s loss the team did announce infielder José Tena and outfielder Robert Hassell III had been optioned to Triple-A.

House’s arrival alone probably isn’t going to be enough to resurrect a dormant Nationals lineup that has scored only 31 runs in 13 games this month, but the promotion of the organization’s 2021 first-round pick is nevertheless a significant development, one that has been anticipated for some time.

House, who recently turned 22, put up impressive numbers in 65 games with Rochester over the season’s first 2 1/2 months. After going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs this afternoon, he raised his batting average to .304, his on-base percentage to .353 and his slugging percentage to .519. With 15 doubles, 13 homers and 41 RBIs, the right-handed hitter gives the team a much-needed bat with power potential. (Nationals third basemen have collectively hit only two homers this season, second-fewest in the majors.)

As the innings passed by and scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity passed by without the Nationals converting, the reality began to sink in. This team was about to be swept by the Marlins and extend its interminable losing streak to eight games.

There was nothing novel about today’s 3-1 loss before an unenthused crowd of 28,983 on South Capitol Street. MacKenzie Gore pitched well enough to win but did not. A fast-fading lineup that hasn’t hit in two weeks once again did not hit. There wasn’t even the token ninth-inning rally that comes up just short to lament.

No, nothing is going right for the Nationals these days. And on the heels of this lifeless weekend sweep at the hands of one of the worst teams in the majors, the only remaining question is: What happens now?

Is there a dramatic change coming, whether to the roster or the coaching staff? If not, how is this current, underperforming group going to flip the switch and start playing again like it did only a couple weeks ago when it was making a run at the .500 mark?

"We're looking at different options, for sure," manager Davey Martinez said. "But we've won before with these guys. They see what it's like to win games, a few in a row. I know they don't come to the ballpark thinking they're going to lose. They thought again we had a chance to win today. We've got to keep battling. We've got 26 guys in that clubhouse that are going to give me everything they've got every day. We'll focus on those 26 guys right now."

In search of a desperately needed offensive spark, Davey Martinez is trying something today he’s never tried before: Batting CJ Abrams third in his lineup.

For the first time in his career, Abrams will bat third today as the Nationals try to avoid getting swept by the Marlins and snap a seven-game losing streak. The team’s usual leadoff hitter, one of the few currently producing, will bat behind Alex Call and James Wood in hopes of driving in more runs than he can from the No. 1 spot in the lineup.

“Just trying to get something going,” Martinez said. “CJ’s hitting the ball well. Wood is hitting the ball well. Trying to put Alex up there and get something going, and try to score some runs early. We’re scoring late. I want to see if we can try to score some runs early. And having (Wood and Abrams) maybe with guys on base will definitely create that.”

It’s the first time Abrams has ever batted third in 437 career big league games. He also hasn’t started a game in the fourth or fifth spot in the order. In spite of the team’s recent woes, the 24-year-old shortstop has been producing, batting .409 (9-for-22) with two doubles and a homer over his last five games.

“I talked with him first, and he was excited about it,” Martinez said. “He said he’ll maybe get a chance to drive in some runs. It’s all based on conversations. I talked to Alex about maybe bumping him up. He’s done it before; he does like hitting leadoff. I told him your job is just to get on base for these guys and see if we can create a little length for our lineup.”

The Nationals are not in a good place right now, suffice it to say. They’ve lost seven in a row, including two straight to the Marlins. They’re a season-low 10 games under .500. And after Saturday’s game, manager Davey Martinez got testy when asked about his coaching staff, offering an impassioned defense of those guys that may or may not have gone over well within the clubhouse.

A win today wouldn’t solve everything, but it would sure help. The Nats have lost four of five to Miami this season, and the notion of getting swept in this series was almost unfathomable a couple days ago.

MacKenzie Gore will need to be on point, which he has been more often than not so far this year. Martinez will lean on his ace and let him go deep in this game before ideally handing it over to a couple of back-end relievers.

But really the story today is the Nationals lineup. Can it not only produce, but can it produce early and often and not leave itself scrambling to rally in the late innings? They’re facing a flamethrower in Eury Perez, who is making only his second start of the season, only his second big league start since 2023, having just recovered fully from his April 2024 Tommy John surgery. Who knows what exactly to expect against the right-hander, but the Nats had better hope they do some damage against him.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain late, 69 degrees, wind 7 mph in from right field

Perhaps the most telling aspect of today’s ballgame at Nationals Park was that, for most of the afternoon, the home team had far more success at the plate when it chose not to swing the bat than when it did.

Yes, there was a last-ditch attempt to rally in the bottom of the ninth, when they finally started making some real contact and nearly pulled off a stunning comeback. And yet at the end of the day, despite scoring two runs and loading the bases with one out against Anthony Bender, the fifth and only ineffective Marlins reliever of the days, the Nationals could not push across the tying run and wound up falling 4-3 to extend their losing streak to seven games.

"Once again, we made a rally there late," manager Davey Martinez said with a sigh. "But we've got to start rallying from the first inning on. I sound like a broken record, but we've got to remember we play nine innings. The first inning means a lot, too, not just the last two. We've got to come out and work good at-bats the first few innings, try to score first."

Unable to do anything offensively all afternoon against Miami’s pitching staff – aside from a second-inning run scored via bases-loaded walk – the Nats at long last strung together a few quality at-bats against Bender in the bottom of the ninth.

Alex Call jumpstarted things with a blooper down the right field line for a leadoff double, then stole third base when the Marlins didn’t bother to hold him on or cover the bag. Josh Bell walked, then both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Call scoring to cut the deficit to 4-2. Luis García Jr. ripped a double to deep right field, putting two in scoring position, still with nobody out. And when Eric Wagaman couldn’t handle Robert Hassell III’s grounder to first for an error, Bell scampered home and García advanced to third, keeping the rally alive.

One of the best defensive plays Andrew Chafin has made in some time wound up sending the veteran reliever to the injured list.

The Nationals placed Chafin on the 15-day IL this morning with a right hamstring strain, an injury he sustained six days ago while doing the splits to make a play in the field. Ryan Loutos, a right-hander acquired only four days ago from the Dodgers, was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Chafin’s place in the bullpen.

Chafin didn’t initially show any ill effects when he sprinted to cover first on Corey Seager’s grounder to the right side in the top of the ninth Sunday against the Rangers, then stretched to the point he was doing the splits to snag CJ Abrams’ return throw on the 3-6-1 double play. But the left-hander did not pitch in any of the Nats’ last four games and was unavailable during Friday night’s 11-9 loss to the Marlins.

Chafin was going through a jogging drill in the outfield prior to today’s game, so the injury is not severe enough to prevent him from moderate physical activity right now.

The Nationals summoned Loutos from Rochester late Friday afternoon, then placed Chafin on the IL this morning. They were allowed to backdate the transaction only three days, to June 11, which was still three days after he suffered the injury. The soonest he could return would be June 26, but the team will be cautious with his recovery, not wanting to risk rushing him back and potentially making it worse.

Friday night was about as miserable as it gets for the Nationals. They fell into a big hole early, then sat through a long rain delay, then tried to mount a furious late rally, only to come up short and suffer an 11-9 loss to the Marlins that ended around 12:30 a.m. And now, only 12 1/2 hours later, they’re right back out there for the second game of the series, with a rare 1:05 p.m. Saturday start (the result of the originally scheduled 4:05 p.m. game getting bumped up to account for all the traffic that will be pouring into the city later this evening for the military parade).

Suffice it to say, the Nats need today to go much better than Friday night did, in every possible way. They need a better pitching performance from Trevor Williams than they got from Mitchell Parker. They need early offense against Cade Gibson and the rest of the Marlins relievers who will be cobbling together a bullpen game today. They need more of a lockdown relief performance than they got Friday night, when Jackson Rutledge and Jose A. Ferrer combined to give up five runs. And they need the weather to cooperate, because there’s an increasing chance of more rain as the day and evening progress. Is it too much to ask for all of those things to come together in glorious harmony?

The Nationals made a roster move this morning involving their bullpen: Andrew Chafin has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 11) with a right hamstring strain and have recalled right-hander Ryan Loutos from Triple-A Rochester. Loutos, who was just claimed off waivers from the Dodgers, has five games of big league experience with Los Angeles and St. Louis. He made only one appearance for Rochester before his call-up, allowing a run on two hits in one inning of relief Thursday.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 81 degrees, wind 4 mph in from left field

MARLINS
RF Jesús Sánchez
C Agustín Ramírez
DH Liam Hicks
SS Otto Lopez
LF Kyle Stowers
1B Eric Wagaman
CF Dane Myers
3B Connor Norby
2B Javier Sanoja

If this wasn’t rock bottom for the Nationals, it sure felt like it. Mitchell Parker already had dug his team into a six-run hole with an abbreviated start that left many in the crowd booing with disapproval. Then came the 2-hour, 14-minute rain delay. Then once play resumed and the prospect of post-midnight baseball loomed, Jackson Rutledge gave up two more runs to a Marlins team that was piling on a Nats club stuck in a downward spiral with little hope of escape.

And then as Friday night was turning into Saturday morning, the home team decided to finally get its act together. If only it had been enough.

Despite a spirited rally that included seven runs scored between the seventh and eighth innings, the Nationals still ultimately fell short during an 11-9 loss to Miami, their sixth straight.

Unable to overcome Parker’s early struggles on the mound and then some shaky bullpen work later, the Nats fell to the Marlins for the third time in four head-to-head matchups this season, kicking off a critical homestand against two of the National League’s bottom-feeders with the kind of loss that will only leave all affected parties feeling worse than they already did.

"We're a good team. I think there's just a lot of ups and downs in baseball," said James Wood, who did his part tonight with three hits and four RBIs. "We know we're a good team. We know we're capable of being an elite offense. When stretches like that happen, you can't really panic over them."

Robert Hassell III arrived in the big leagues with a bang, going 2-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base in his first career game, going 3-for-5 with his first homer a week later, then delivering another pair of two-hit games shortly after that.

It’s been a struggle since for the Nationals rookie, though, who is finding out what most every other hitter in major league history has been forced to figure out along the way: Pitchers are going to make adjustments and figure out how to exploit your weaknesses.

“He’s young. He’s up here and trying to figure things out,” manager Davey Martinez said. “They’ve made some adjustments after the first week. He’s got to start making adjustments now on the pitchers.”

The 23-year-old outfielder arrived May 22 to significant fanfare, given his success at Triple-A Rochester and his longstanding reputation as top hitting prospect who was part of the Nationals’ massive package from the Padres in the Juan Soto trade. And nine games in, Hassell was living up to the billing, batting .270 (10-for-37) with six RBIs and a number of quality at-bats that suggested a mature hitting approach for someone so inexperienced. Things have taken a downturn since. Over his last nine games, Hassell is batting just .172 (5-for-29) with one RBI, 11 strikeouts and a .379 OPS.

The biggest concern? The rookie is swinging at everything, both inside and outside the zone. He has yet to draw a walk in 66 major league plate appearances.

It was not a good trip to New York, to say the least, for the Nationals. They weren’t just swept by the Mets. They seemed to reach new lows in terms of their offensive slump, going 22 innings without scoring a run between the top of the fifth Tuesday and the top of the ninth Thursday. Not good.

The Mets, to their credit, are one of the best teams in baseball, with the best pitching staff in baseball. Now comes a seven-game homestand against two of the worst teams in baseball, each possessing one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. If the Nats can’t win a bunch of games against the Marlins and Rockies … well, that’s not going to be a pleasant conversation one week from today.

Miami is up first, a team that has lost eight of its last 10 games, including a three-game sweep at the hands of (wait for it) the Rockies. Edward Cabrera has been OK (2-2, 3.99 ERA, 1.470 WHIP), and he already pitched well against the Nationals once this season (two runs over 5 2/3 innings). The lineup needs to try to jump on the right-hander early and create some positive momentum for a change.

Mitchell Parker opposed Cabrera on that April 11 game in Miami and likewise pitched OK (four runs, three earned in six innings). All four runs came in the bottom of the fifth, which is counter to Parker’s usual narrative of struggling in the first inning before settling down. We’ll see if he can get his evening off to a positive start as well and help put his team in position to win what feels like a must-win game.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 80 degrees, wind 10 mph right field to left field

For the first time in 35 years, the Fredericksburg Nationals will have new ownership.

Art Silber, who purchased the franchise in 1990 when it was still known as the Prince William Cannons and played in Woodbridge, announced Monday a deal to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a company that owns more than 40 of Minor League Baseball’s 120 affiliated clubs.

“We made a decision to sell the team in order to ensure its growth and continued vitality in our community,” the Silber family wrote in a letter directed to FredNats fans. “Due to a combination of family considerations, evolution of the industry and growth of the team, we made the determination that it was time to turn over the ownership to an entity that could ensure the great promise of this franchise for decades to come.”

The sale of the club does not impact the team’s name, location or affiliation with the Washington Nationals, who have sustained a relationship with it since 2005. Fredericksburg will continue to serve as the Nats’ low Single-A affiliate, per the terms of a 10-year agreement all minor league clubs signed with their major league counterparts in 2021 when the sport reorganized under Major League Baseball’s umbrella.

When Silber bought the franchise, it was an affiliate of the Yankees, playing at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge. It would undergo several name and affiliate changes over the years, becoming the Potomac Cannons in 1999 while affiliating with the Cardinals and later Reds. When the Montreal Expos moved to D.C. in 2005, the Cannons were renamed the Potomac Nationals and began a long affiliation with the big league club that now played only 30 miles to the northeast.

Let's see, it appears the last time we did a Q&A here was May 8. The Nationals were 17-21 at the time. Neither Robert Hassell III nor Daylen Lile had made his major league debut yet. The bullpen, which still featured Lucas Sims, had an ERA over 7.00. So, a few things have changed in the last month.

A few things, that is, besides the record. The Nats right now are 30-35. So they've played one game under .500 ball since the last Q&A. That's not terrible, but it's not exactly good, either. This team keeps taking some big steps forward, only to take another step back just when you think it might finally be ready to win more than it loses.

That certainly was the case this past week. On the heels of a great West Coast trip that capped off a stretch in which they won 10 of 13 games, the Nationals have now lost five of their last seven. And they've scored a grand total of 11 runs in those seven games.

Offensive woes are the No. 1 story at the moment, but there are plenty of other topics worth discussing as well on this off day for the team. So, if you've got something you'd like to ask, please submit it in the comments section below. Then check back throughout the morning for my responses ...

They waited all week for someone to deliver the big hit that would snap the entire team out of its sudden offensive funk. They’ll still be waiting when they next take the field Tuesday night in New York, hoping success comes on the road, because it sure didn’t come at home.

The Nationals completed a disappointing series and a disappointing homestand this afternoon with a 4-2 loss to the Rangers, their scoring woes still the No. 1 factor at the end of a brutal week for their hitters.

The historic explosion that took place last week in Seattle and Arizona was nowhere to be found here in D.C. The same lineup that scored at least nine runs in four straight games out west scored a grand total of 11 over its last seven games, never scoring more than three in any individual contest yet still managing to win once a piece against the Cubs and Rangers (each time by the count of 2-0).

"It's hard to beat anybody," first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said. "It's hard to beat major league teams. It's hard to sweep a team. It's hard to win a series. At the same time, it can slip in a hurry. We're a couple breaks, I think, this week from winning two series against two pretty good teams. No sweat. It's still early. We've got a lot of good baseball in front of us. But, yeah, we obviously need to reevaluate, take stock, enjoy an off-day and get ready for a good week in New York."

They hoped something would spring them back into action this weekend against a Texas club struggling to score runs itself. But it never happened, not during Saturday’s shutout loss and not during today’s rain-delayed loss.

Two of the Nationals’ regulars, each of them struggling mightily at the moment, are getting the day off.

Both CJ Abrams and Keibert Ruiz are sitting for this afternoon’s series finale against the Rangers. That’s a product both of the matchup, with Texas sending left-hander Jacob Latz to the mound to open a bullpen game, and of those hitters’ recent struggles.

Abrams, who hasn’t had a day off since returning from a brief stint on the 10-day injured list April 24, is batting just .169 with a .247 on-base percentage and .312 slugging percentage over his last 19 games. In that time, the 24-year-old shortstop has seen his OPS plummet from .926 to .787, potentially taking him out of All-Star consideration.

“He’s chasing a lot,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We’ve got to get him back in the zone. Everything’s up. He’s got to get the ball down in the zone a little bit. When he does get the ball down, he hits the ball hard. But it’s all about chasing.”

Abrams, who has drawn only two walks over his last 61 plate appearances, has been quite swing-happy of late. He swung at six of the first nine pitches he saw during Saturday’s 2-0 loss before finally working a seven-pitch at-bat in the bottom of the ninth (though that still ended with a strikeout on a cutter up in the zone).

A win today and the Nationals would salvage a 3-3 homestand. Nothing wrong with that, especially when you consider how much they’ve been struggling at the plate. The Nats have scored nine total runs over their last six games. They were shut out Saturday afternoon by the Rangers. The two games they have won this week came by the same score of 2-0. Suffice it to say, more is needed.

It’s a very different matchup today than Saturday. Instead of a potential future Hall of Famer in Jacob deGrom, the Nationals will face left-handed reliever Jacob Latz to begin what looks like a bullpen game for Texas. Latz has made 12 appearances this season, with a 2.95 ERA and 1.418 WHIP. Lefties are batting just .143 against him. He has topped the 38-pitch mark four times, so he could be good for more than one inning if Bruce Bochy decides to go that way.

Trevor Williams starts for the Nats, and he needs to be better than he was against the Cubs last time out (five runs in 4 1/3 innings). The right-hander enters with a 6.03 ERA. With an off-day Monday in advance of this week’s series at the Mets, Davey Martinez might be inclined to go to his bullpen early without fear of burning guys up.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 73 degrees, wind 10 mph in from right field

RANGERS
1B Josh Smith
RF Sam Haggerty
SS Corey Seager
2B Marcus Semien
3B Josh Jung
CF Evan Carter
DH Jake Burger
LF Alejandro Osuna
C Jonah Heim

The Nationals approached the precipice of a .500 record thanks to a suddenly resurgent offensive attack that put up historic numbers over a stretch of four late-night games on the West Coast last week.

If they’re ever going to get themselves over that elusive threshold, they’re going to have to come up with examples of some more consistent offensive production, even if it doesn’t qualify as historic.

A lineup that already was struggling during this weekend’s homestand ran today into the brick wall known as Jacob deGrom, who looked like his old vintage self in leading the Rangers to a 5-0 victory on South Capitol Street.

And though Mitchell Parker bounced back from another shaky first inning to otherwise cruise until he was pulled following the sixth, the two early runs he allowed (plus three more surrendered late by reliever Eduardo Salazar) were more than enough for Texas to win and set up a rubber match in Sunday’s series finale.

Will the Nationals (30-34) get going again at the plate by then? They haven’t shown any ability to do so to this point in the homestand. After establishing a club record by scoring at least nine runs in four consecutive games last week in Seattle and Phoenix, they’ve now scored nine total runs in their last six games.

Officially, Josiah Gray was in town for the Nationals Youth Academy’s graduation ceremony, an annual event the right-hander never misses as the team’s designated ambassador for its premier charitable outlet.

But if the right-hander was going to be here for the weekend anyway, might as well enjoy every moment he had at the ballpark and feel like a member of the active roster again, even though he hasn’t been since early 2024 due to injury.

“It's only a three-day trip right now, but just to see everyone and catch up for the short moments that we have together is always a good time,” he said Friday. “And just to feel (like) part of the team again is always a blessing. So I’m looking forward to these three days, and just thinking about the next time I’ll be back up here.”

If everything goes according to plan, Gray’s next official visit to Nationals Park should come sometime in September, with an opportunity to make a few game appearances before season’s end and officially conclude his lengthy recovery from a torn elbow ligament.

Gray, who had Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure July 24, is nearing the one-year anniversary of that career-changing event. His rehab has gone as expected, and he’s currently throwing multiple 30-pitch bullpen sessions each week at the Nationals’ spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Nobody who steps onto the field this afternoon will be able to claim he’s tired, not after Friday night’s game was completed in a record-tying, 1 hour and 50 minutes. Shoot, the sun hadn’t even set when Kyle Finnegan recorded the final out of the Nationals’ 2-0 victory over the Rangers. So everyone should be well-rested for today’s 4:05 p.m. contest on South Capitol Street.

The series opener flew by so quickly because both pitching staffs threw strikes and both lineups swung a lot. So it’ll be interesting to see if Mitchell Parker can take some cues from that and come out throwing strikes today against a struggling Rangers lineup. Parker continues to deal with all kinds of first-inning troubles (10.50 ERA for the season) but has found a way to be effective after that (3.40 from the second inning on). His challenge today: Post a zero in the top of the first, then go from there.

Though the Nationals have won two of their last three games, each of those came by the score of 2-0. They continue to struggle at the plate since their brief offensive explosion out west last week. After scoring at least nine runs in four straight games, they’ve now scored nine total runs in their last five games. And if they’re going to snap out of that funk, they’ll have to do it against Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy again and pitching as well as he always has when he’s been healthy.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 7 mph in from left field

RANGERS
LF Sam Haggerty
CF Wyatt Langford
3B Josh Jung
2B Marcus Semien
1B Jake Burger
RF Adolis García
C Jonah Heim
DH Kyle Higashioka
SS Ezequiel Duran

Patrick Corbin was very good in his return to Nationals Park. Michael Soroka and the Nationals bullpen were better.

Despite watching their former teammate churn out the kind of effective start he rarely provided them the last five seasons – eight innings of two-run ball – the Nats managed to plate a couple of runs off the left-hander, then rode Soroka’s six scoreless innings and three more from three relievers to beat the Rangers 2-0 in one of the fastest games in club history.

It took a mere 1 hour, 50 minutes for the Nationals to win this pitchers’ duel, matching the fastest nine-inning game in team history. Both hurlers helped their cause by working fast and throwing strikes, combining for only 206 total pitches. But both lineups did their part as well, making a ton of quick outs to keep this game moving at a breakneck pace.

"I actually didn't realize (how quick it was)," Soroka said. "I came in after the fifth, and it felt like the third. Credit to Corbin for what he did as well. ... Kept the pace doing, and the defense did a great job as well."

In the end, the Nats emerged victorious thanks to a scratched-out run in the bottom of the second and then a solo blast by Alex Call in the bottom of the seventh off Corbin.