PHOENIX – Informed late Saturday night that the Nationals had just completed their first winning month in nearly two years, only their second winning month in four years, Nathaniel Lowe was pleasantly surprised.

“Oh? Sweet,” the veteran first baseman interjected.

Lowe, of course, would have had no way of knowing such information. He wasn’t here when the Nats began to tear down their roster in July 2021. He wasn’t here when they finally put things together enough to go 17-11 in August 2023, a modest blip during an otherwise losing season. He only joined the organization this winter, having spent the previous four years with a Rangers team that won the World Series in 2023.

“We should get used to it,” he said. “You play this game to win. So ideally you show up every day with a chance to compete and win. Losing is not why we play at all.”

The Nationals are not a winning team yet. They got home from Arizona early this morning sporting a 28-31 record, having lost Sunday’s series finale to the Diamondbacks. Real success remains elusive for this franchise, which hasn’t gotten to two games over .500 since the end of June 2021, at which point everything fell apart and the plan to rebuild emerged.

The Orioles went to extremes today to prove that they can score without relying too much on home runs, that the small ball approach remains in their skill set.

That station-to-station doesn’t always require movement.

A two-run third inning that broke a scoreless tie featured a single, double, two more singles and a sacrifice fly. The exit velocities in three straight at-bats were clocked at 79.3, 77.9 and 76.3 mph.

Charlie Morton didn’t need the Orioles to bring much thunder on a sunny day. They gave him a lead and he allowed an unearned run in a season-high 6 2/3 innings in a 3-2 victory over the White Sox before an announced crowd of 33,037 at Camden Yards that completed the first sweep in 2025.

Morton lowered his ERA to 6.20 and raised the Orioles’ record to 22-36 with their sixth win in eight games and seventh in 11. They’ve gone 7-8 under interim manager Tony Mansolino. The White Sox (18-41) have lost 12 of 16.

PHOENIX – A wildly successful road trip for the Nationals ended as it began: With a dud.

They may have won four straight thanks to some unprecedented offensive fireworks in every game, but sandwiched around those wins were a pair of losses featuring very little in the way of offense, including today’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Diamondbacks.

Less than 24 hours after producing the first 10-run first inning in club history to clinch the first four-game streak with at least nine runs scored in club history, the Nats were shut down by ace Corbin Burnes (before he departed with an elbow injury) and Arizona’s bullpen.

It was a tough way to wrap up an otherwise excellent week on the West Coast, but it shouldn’t overshadow what did take place in both Seattle and Phoenix, where this lineup finally showed off the best version of itself and offered hope for what may still be to come the rest of this season.

The Nationals still head home having won 10 of their last 14, creeping ever so close to the elusive .500 mark.

PHOENIX – At the end of a long Saturday night, at the end of a stretch of five straight late-night games on the West Coast, the last four of them Nationals victories, Davey Martinez was asked who had been available out of his bullpen to close out this one.

“Um, you saw the availability,” the manager said with a laugh. “That’s what we had.”

With Kyle Finnegan needing a night off, and with Jorge López designated for assignment earlier in the day, what they had was Jackson Rutledge, Jose A. Ferrer and Cole Henry. And after five runs crossed the plate with Rutledge on the mound in the sixth, and after Ferrer tossed a scoreless seventh in his third appearance in four nights, that left Henry to finish out an 11-7 win over the Diamondbacks.

It got a little dicey in the bottom of the eighth, with Henry allowing three straight batters to reach base. But the rookie escaped the jam unscathed, thanks in part to a fantastic defensive play by James Wood and Keibert Ruiz, and then he closed out the ninth with no drama in arguably the biggest relief appearance of his young career.

“It’s definitely been pretty fast. I feel like just yesterday I was throwing in blowouts,” he said. “It’s been cool to get in there in close games, the adrenaline pumping, everything’s on the line.”

PHOENIX – We have come to the final day of a West Coast trip that has been both eventful and successful. The Nationals have gone 4-1 against the Mariners and Diamondbacks, and they’ve done with the most impressive offensive run in club history: Four straight games scoring at least nine runs, capped off by Saturday night’s historic 10-run top of the first.

Given all that, the Nats could be excused if they take their foot off the gas pedal today. They’ve already won the series and the road trip. They’re physically exhausted after five straight late-night games and now have to make the quick turnaround to a 1:10 p.m. local time finale at Chase Field. And they’re facing Arizona ace Corbin Burnes. Then again, with this team you never really know what you’re going to get until the game starts, so perhaps there’s a fifth straight offensive explosion coming.

This much is certain: Mitchell Parker desperately needs a solid start, and he faces a tough challenge in a Diamondbacks lineup that has scored 14 runs the last two nights with nothing to show for it. Parker started off this trip way back on Tuesday night with a dud in Seattle in which he served up three homers in 4 2/3 innings. He hasn’t had a quality start since April 22 against the Orioles. He may not be pitching for his job quite yet, but he’s inching in that direction if he doesn’t right the ship.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Where: Chase Field
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
CF Robert Hassell III
C Keibert Ruiz
3B José Tena
RF Daylen Lile

Coby Mayo is starting at first base today and Jorge Mateo stays in center field for the Orioles’ final game of the homestand.

Ramón Urías moves up to second in the order.

Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter. O’Hearn batted .365/.450/.542 in May and posted a .447 average and .681 slugging percentage on fastballs. He has a 10-game hitting streak (19-for-40) and 17-game on-base streak.

Dylan Carlson is in left field and Heston Kjerstad is in right. Adley Rutschman goes to the bench, giving Maverick Handley the start behind the plate.

Charlie Morton rejoined the rotation and held the Cardinals to two runs in six innings to lower his ERA from 7.68 to 7.09. He’s allowed four runs in 15 1/3 innings in his last four appearances.

The Orioles are trying to mix two vastly different mindsets as they enter the month of June.

This is a team with an opportunity to evaluate younger talent by providing regular starts that could allow it to get a jump on the 2026 season. To offer valuable experience to these players and possibly make some earlier decisions while plotting an offseason plan.

That’s the seller attitude, conceding that 2025 is a lost cause as they sit in last place and try to make the best of a crappy situation.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino recognizes the opportunity available to a prospect like Coby Mayo, but he isn’t giving up on the season. There are no concession speeches during his pre-game and post-game media sessions.

Mansolino kept Heston Kjerstad in the lineup yesterday, an easier task with all three Opening Day starters and one backup on the injured list. Kjerstad played right field, Jorge Mateo got another start in center and Dylan Carlson was in left. Ryan O’Hearn played first base in Ryan Mountcastle’s absence rather than getting another start in right or left.

PHOENIX – It began innocently enough, with CJ Abrams getting hit by a wayward 0-2 pitch from Brandon Pfaadt, with James Wood singling to right and with Nathaniel Lowe doubling to left to give the Nationals a quick lead over the Diamondbacks.

And then it kept going. And going. And going. And going some more until the only thing the demoralized Chase Field crowd of 29,434 could do was give the loudest, most sarcastic standing ovation in history to the Arizona pitcher (Scott McGough, in relief of Pfaadt) who finally recorded the first out of tonight’s ballgame.

That out, by the way, was made by Lowe, who was making his second plate appearance of the top of the first, the Nationals’ 12th plate appearance of the game. They already led 9-0 at that point, en route to a 10-run top of the first and an 11-run lead by the top of the second.

And though the D-backs made a spirited attempt to pull off what would’ve been one of the most remarkable comebacks in major league history, the Nats ultimately did win 11-7 thanks to the greatest first inning in team history.

"I've been a part of some crooked numbers, but that was a good one," Lowe said. "It was nice to jump on a pretty solid major league starter and put up a first inning like that. You don't see it often, but we capitalized off it. And obviously, we like a win."

PHOENIX – The Nationals cut ties with another struggling veteran reliever, designating Jorge López for assignment prior to tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks and recalling Eduardo Salazar from Triple-A Rochester to take his place in a bullpen that has undergone a significant overhaul since Opening Day.

López was signed over the winter for $3 million to serve as the team’s primary setup man and backup closer when Kyle Finnegan wasn’t available. He had a handful of moments, which in part led to his surprising 6-0 record. But he was plagued by inconsistent performances, which led to an inflated 6.57 ERA and three official blown saves over 26 appearances.

The 32-year-old right-hander immediately comes off the 40-man roster, which now has an open slot. If another team claims him off waivers in the next 72 hours, that team would take on the remainder of his salary. If he clears waivers and is released, the Nats would be responsible for the full $3 million.

“Sometimes, places aren’t the right fit,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And I don’t think this was the right fit for him. And I’d rather, instead of dragging things on, go ahead and do something different.”

López becomes the third veteran reliever signed by the Nationals prior to this season to be dropped before June 1. Lefty Colin Poche, who made $1.4 million when he made the Opening Day roster off a minor league deal, was designated for assignment May 1 and opted to become a free agent four days later. Righty Lucas Sims, who like López was signed for $3 million, was released May 10 after posting a 13.86 ERA in 18 games.

PHOENIX – It’s the final day of May, and though it had some bumps along the way, this turned out to be a successful May for the Nationals. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks, they already clinched a rare winning month with Friday night’s wild 9-7 victory. It’s only their second winning month since the teardown of July 2021, the previous one coming in August 2023 when they went 17-11.

The Nats enter this one on a three-game winning streak, having won nine of their last 12 overall to get to three games under .500 at 27-30. They would love to keep their offensive explosion going, though it might be too much to ask for a fourth straight nine-run output. Let’s see what they can do against Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who enters with a 7-3 record and 3.90 ERA.

Michael Soroka gets the ball for the visitors, looking to build off his quality start last weekend against the Giants (three runs in six innings) even though he was charged with a tough loss in a 3-2 game. We’ll see who’s available in the bullpen tonight, though we already know one name who won’t be: Jorge López, who was just designated for assignment. Eduardo Salazar was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take his place, leaving rookies Cole Henry, Brad Lord and Jackson Rutledge as Davey Martinez’s top right-handed setup men in front of closer Kyle Finnegan.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Where: Chase Field
Gametime: 10:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
CF Robert Hassell III
C Keibert Ruiz
3B José Tena
RF Daylen Lile

Ryan Mountcastle received an MRI this morning on his injured right hamstring and the Orioles are waiting for the results before offering an update and measuring their level of encouragement that his absence will be brief.

Mountcastle stole home last night in the sixth inning and was removed in the eighth.

“Don’t know the severity just yet,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Hopeful is probably the better word. Just hopeful that it’s not too bad, but we’ll probably find out more later today or tomorrow.”

Mansolino isn’t sure how Mountcastle sustained the injury, but the double steal seemed to be a part of it.

“I just saw him in the hallway, we were meeting on something earlier, so I haven’t asked him,” Mansolino said. “He might have told somebody last night that he was maybe getting up from the slide. He might have felt something. So it’s just unsure.”

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled INF Coby Mayo from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Selected the contract of OF Jordyn Adams from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 80.
• Placed INF Ryan Mountcastle (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day Injured List.
• Designated C Chadwick Tromp for assignment.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The Orioles placed Ryan Mountcastle on the 10-day injured this this morning with a right hamstring strain and recalled corner infielder Coby Mayo.

That wasn’t the extent of the changes.

Outfielder Jordyn Adams had his contract selected and he’s wearing No. 80. Catcher Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment.

Mountcastle exited last night’s game in the top of the eighth inning, after stealing home in a 2-1 win over the White Sox. Interim manager Tony Mansolino said Mountcastle would be re-evaluated this morning.

A roster battered by injuries can’t get healthy.

PHOENIX – When he got out of a seventh-inning jam Friday night, thanks to a tricky 4-3 double play turned by Luis García Jr., Brad Lord returned to the Nationals dugout and made eye contact with his manager.

The account of who said what exactly at that point varied between the two participants.

“After he got out of the seventh, he came in and said: ‘I’m good for one more,’” Davey Martinez recalled. “And I said: ‘OK, you’ve got it.’”

Lord’s version: “He was like: ‘Stay ready, you’re still going back out.’”

Whoever instigated the decision to send Lord back to the mound for a second inning of high-leverage relief, it worked. With another zero in the bottom of the eighth, the rookie right-hander helped bridge the gap and get the ball to closer Kyle Finnegan on a night in which several of the Nats’ usual setup men (Jorge López, Cole Henry, Jose A. Ferrer) appeared to be unavailable.

The unpredictable nature of the Orioles is still setting traps.

Adley Rutschman avoided the seven-day concussion list, serving as designated hitter Wednesday and starting behind the plate yesterday. The Orioles usually don’t carry three catchers until rosters expand in September, and the next decision appeared to come down to whether they'd designate Chadwick Tromp for assignment or option Maverick Handley. One of them would step aside for the next reinstatement - whether Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg or Ramón Laureano.

Cowser singled and walked twice last night at Triple-A Norfolk, and Westburg had a single and double.

Cedric Mullins wasn’t supposed to go on the injured list. Cooper Hummel wasn’t supposed to keep his locker in the home clubhouse. He hadn’t used it until yesterday because the Orioles signed him Sunday while in Boston and designated him for assignment the following day.

News of Hummel's return led to assumptions about the backup catchers, but they proved to be nothing more than a Tromp trap. A Handley hazard. 

PHOENIX – Remember when the Nationals scored six total runs over four games? It happened less than a week ago.

You’re forgiven if you can’t recall such historical facts, because over the last 72 hours this same lineup has managed to turn itself into a powerhouse.

They did it during back-to-back wins in Seattle, the first leg of this West Coast trip. And now they did it in the opener of their weekend series here at Chase Field, riding two more homers from James Wood and Josh Bell and two more clutch hits from Robert Hassell III to a 9-7 victory over the Diamondbacks.

That’s three straight games the Nationals have scored nine runs, a feat achieved only seven times in club history and not since Aug. 17-19, 2019.

"We talked about it in spring: We know we can be an offensive threat," Bell said. "And right now, it seems like it's a different person every night ... aside from Woody. It seems like it's every night for him. It's definitely fun to be a part of it."

The Orioles handed out bowling shirts today to the first 15,000 fans. Zach Eflin didn’t spare the White Sox, but when would the offense strike?

It took until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Orioles loaded the bases with no outs and scored twice on a sacrifice fly and double steal. They didn’t offer much support and little was needed.

Eflin shut out the White Sox over seven innings and the Orioles began the series with a 2-1 win before an announced crowd of 22,108 at Camden Yards.

Félix Bautista surrendered two doubles in the ninth inning, the second by Andrew Benintendi with two outs. Luis Robert Jr. walked with the count full in an eight-pitch at-bat before Bautista nailed down his ninth save.

Disaster didn't strike.

PHOENIX – Jacob Young, technically speaking, is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list today. The Nationals outfielder, of course, hasn’t been activated yet. And he won’t be activated for this weekend’s series against the Diamondbacks.

But Young appears to have cleared all hurdles in his recovery from a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder and tonight was scheduled to participate fully in all pregame drills, offering optimism he’ll be back on the active roster in short order.

“It’s going well,” he said. “I hit the last three days in a row, feeling much better. I can take a full swing again. I can do my normal work in the cage again. So I can get back to what I was doing before (the injury).”

Young, who hurt himself May 17 when he slammed into the wall at Camden Yards trying to make a leaping catch, hoped to avoid the IL stint altogether but couldn’t finish the follow-through on his swings without experiencing shoulder pain. The Nats finally conceded and placed him on the IL on May 23, backdating the transaction the maximum three days permitted.

Young has traveled with the team on this West Coast trip, participating in pregame drills but confined to the dugout during games, no easy task for the high-energy player.

PHOENIX – Hello from the Valley of the Sun, where the sun is shining bright today. Yes, it’s 105 degrees here. Of course, the roof at Chase Field will be closed tonight, so nothing to worry about.

The Nationals arrived very early in the morning after a late-night flight from Seattle following a wild 9-3, 10-inning win over the Mariners. They’ve taken two of three from the first quality opponent they’re facing on this trip. Now they’ll try to do at least the same against another quality opponent in the Diamondbacks.

It’s Jake Irvin on the mound, and the right-hander has already faced Arizona earlier this season, allowing four runs over only five innings. He’s been much better since, and so far in four starts this month he’s 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA, coming off eight shutout innings against the Giants last weekend.

The all-left-handed Nats lineup that produced nine runs back-to-back days in Seattle will try to keep that going tonight against right-hander Merrill Kelly. Kelly did not pitch in that April series in D.C. Over his last eight starts, he’s got a sparkling 2.39 ERA, but he did give up four runs in six innings to the Cardinals last time out.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Where: Chase Field
Gametime: 9:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins underwent an MRI yesterday on his right hamstring, and the club is expressing early optimism regarding the severity of the strain and length of his absence.

Mullins leads the club with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs, and he ranks second with a .324 on-base percentage, .448 slugging and .772 OPS. His placement on the 10-day injured list is retroactive to yesterday, making him eligible to return on June 8.

“Very minor,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “My guess is that this will probably be the minimum for him. And who knows? It can go a little bit further. But we are not super concerned. It’s more right now just taking care of Ced and making sure we get him back 100 percent.”

Mullins has missed three of five games. He appeared in 147 last season but made two trips to the IL in 2023 with adductor strains.

Dylan Carlson is in center field this afternoon, and Mansolino said deciding on starters will be day-to-day.