Cavalli shines again as young Nats beat Phillies (updated)

In these, the dog days of August during a miserable season, there are still distinct glimmers of light for the Nationals. For all the chaos they’ve endured this year, there remain more than a few prominent young core players who still have the ability to make 2025 meaningful in the larger picture.

And when they come together like they did today during a 2-0 victory over the Phillies, it reminds suffering fans and team employees alike there’s still some hope for what lies ahead.

"The pieces are there," James Wood said. "We've just got to continue to learn and grow. I think wins like this are great. I think everyone in this locker room here knows we have the potential to play with anybody. It's just a matter of doing it consistently, and stringing together days like today."

It was right there for 36,042 paying customers to see on a steamy Saturday afternoon, with Cade Cavalli authoring seven scoreless innings against one of the most intimidating lineups in baseball. It extended to the batter’s box, where the Nationals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth via Wood’s two-out double, with recent first-round picks Dylan Crews and Brady House coming around to score.

And it was even there on the mound for the final two innings, with Jose A. Ferrer recording the final six outs for his third career save, the young lefty retiring the Phillies’ biggest names to lock up the victory and ensure at least a four-game weekend split against the National League East leaders.

"It was really inspiring seeing Cade today, but really, all of my teammates," Ferrer said, via interpreter Mauricio Ortiz. "It was a really great game. It inspired me. It gave me more motivation to go out and just give it all my best."

This day belonged to Cavalli most of all, the 27-year-old rookie proving again it was worth the long wait to finally see him pitch at the highest level, and earning his first major league win in the process.

"It's awesome," he said. "Like I said the first week I was here, I've been wanting to get this win since 2020, and just to contribute to a win. I'm very pumped about it."

This wasn’t the dominant performance Cavalli put forth in his season debut against the Athletics. Nor was it the grind-it-out start he had to endure earlier this week in Kansas City. His stuff and his command were just as sharp today as they were the first time out. But as in his last outing, he had to deal with a good amount of traffic on the bases. Except this time he left all of it stuck on the road.

The Phillies put at least one runner on base in each of the first five innings via five singles and two doubles. But Cavalli never issued a walk, and he faced only a handful of three-ball counts along the way, keeping his pitch count manageable.

And he delivered big pitches in big moments throughout. He struck out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in succession after allowing a leadoff double to Trea Turner in the first. He got Harper to ground out to second with two on and two out in the third. He induced a double play out of Max Kepler to escape a fourth-inning conundrum. And he got Schwarber to ground out to first with two outs and another runner in scoring position to end the fifth with nothing but zeros still on the board.

"No panic. Just go execute your pitch," Cavalli said of his mindset with runners on base. "I believe that when the ball leaves my hand, I've got no control of it. So I'm going to execute it my best, execute it at a level to get a ground ball, a weak popup, and just minimize damage. That's what my thought process was today."

With the Nationals having taken a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, there was no doubt Cavalli would go back to the mound for the sixth. And when he cruised through his first 1-2-3 frame of the afternoon on only seven pitches, the prospect of returning for the seventh suddenly loomed large.

Sure enough, interim manager Miguel Cairo sent the rookie back out there, with Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Cole Henry both warming in the bullpen just in case. The just-in-case never happened. Cavalli again retired the side in short order, striking out Edmundo Sosa with a beautiful curveball to end the inning, then let his emotions show as he hopped off the mound and returned to the dugout to cheers from the crowd and high-fives from his teammates and coaches.

"It's not even a question," Cairo said of the conversation with Cavalli after the sixth. "He wanted to come out for the seventh. I'm so proud. I'm so happy for him. Because for so long, with all the injuries ... to perform against that team like that is amazing." 

Three starts down, it’s impossible not to be impressed with the 27-year-old’s performance. He’s now the proud owner of a 2.20 ERA, with only four walks issued in 16 1/3 innings. The strikeout total (14) isn’t special, but he’s more than made up for that with weak contact and a healthy number of ground balls.

"He gets ahead. And when you get ahead, you've got a chance," Cairo said. "Now, they've got to be thinking about everything. He was outstanding."

As Cavalli was navigating his way through jam after jam, Taijuan Walker was mostly cruising through the Nationals lineup. The veteran right-hander posted four zeros to begin his afternoon, needing only 43 pitches to do it.

The bottom of the fifth, though, saw the long-awaited breakthrough. A Crews walk and a House single up the middle put runners on the corners with one out, and though No. 9 hitter Jacob Young struck out and failed to advance the runners, House did get himself into scoring position when he stole second without a throw.

Wood then battled his way to a full count before getting a sinker from Walker he could handle. And when he drove the ball to right-center for a clutch, two-out double, both Crews and House came around to score the game’s first runs and give the Nats a well-earned 2-0 lead.

"With two outs, guys were able to get on, Brady was able to get into scoring position," Wood said. "I was just trying my best to do the job."

And thanks to the only run-scoring hit of the game, Ferrer was able to take the mound in the eighth, stare down the Phillies' big-name hitters and emerge with not only his third save, but his third multi-inning relief appearance in eight days.

"He's going to have a beautiful two days off," Cairo said with a smile. "I told him to bring his pajamas tomorrow, so he can rest."