BALTIMORE – The Nationals arrived here late Thursday night following a frustrating series in Atlanta following a frustrating homestand against the Guardians and Cardinals. A season that felt promising not long ago now felt like it was one more bad series from slipping away.

And then something clicked when they walked into Camden Yards on Friday. Maybe it was the fact they were facing an Orioles team whose season really has slipped away, leading to the dismissal of their manager. Maybe it was something the Nats did themselves, especially at the plate.

Whatever the case, it was a welcome development. Today’s 10-4 victory, which for the second straight day featured an early seven-run explosion, was exactly what the Nationals needed, exactly when they needed it.

At 21-27, they’ve still got plenty of work to do. But if they can come anywhere close to duplicating their performance from this weekend’s three-game sweep, things may just work out in the long run after all.

"It's awesome that we bounced back like that," outfielder Dylan Crews said. "Obviously, you don't want things to go like they did in Atlanta, or even before that. But we're going to go out here and flip the page, and that's what we did. We're going to use this as momentum going forward."

BALTIMORE – For the first time since 2018, the Nationals have won the Battle of the Beltways. Now they have a chance to sweep their first series at Camden Yards since that same 2018 season if they can pull off another victory in this afternoon’s finale.

The Nats finally scored early and often against an opposing starter Saturday, knocking Kyle Gibson out in the top of the first with six runs. The challenge is a bit tougher today in Zach Eflin, who has yet to give up more than three runs in any of his four starts this season, even with an IL stint mixed in there.

Michael Soroka also missed time on the IL, and today the right-hander makes only his fourth start of the year. He’s looked very good at times but has been done in by a couple of bad innings that have inflated his pitch count. The Nationals will be hoping today’s the day he extends himself through the sixth inning and moves closer to the 100-pitch mark after topping out at 81 last time out.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 78 degrees, wind 17 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
RF Alex Call
3B José Tena
CF Dylan Crews

BALTIMORE – Friday night’s series opener here at Camden Yards was one of the strangest games you’ll ever see. And it appears the Nationals’ 4-3 victory came at a very high cost for the Orioles, who just a few minutes ago announced they’ve fired manager Brandon Hyde. Maybe that move was inevitable at some point, given the team’s disappointment to date this season. But you have to think Hyde’s decision to pitch to James Wood with first base open in the eighth inning Friday night – Wood proceeded to hit the game-tying homer – was the final straw.

Davey Martinez, meanwhile, is very close with Hyde, the two of them having previously served together on Joe Maddon’s staff in Chicago. This will not be easy for Martinez, who now has to continue to manage the rest of the weekend knowing his friend is out of work. So, there’s the context as both clubs prepare for game two of the series.

The Nationals won the opener despite once again doing very little offensively until late in the game. That’s now eight straight games in which they’ve failed to score more than two runs against an opposing starter. They’ll try to finally break that streak today against veteran Kyle Gibson, who enters with a 13.11 ERA in three starts.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for the Nats, and while Irvin has mostly found a way to be effective this season, he strangely isn’t striking anybody out recently. He’s got three total strikeouts in his last three starts, encompassing 17 1/3 innings. We’ll see if he can get back on track in that regard today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 88 degrees, wind 13 mph out to right field

Tyler O’Neill was a lineup scratch again today. Recovered from the inflammation in his neck, O’Neill was sent to the bench for the series opener against the Nationals due to left shoulder discomfort.

Ryan O’Hearn is replacing O’Neill in right field and batting fifth against Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore.

Manager Brandon Hyde said O’Neill noticed the discomfort a few days ago while hitting in the cage. He played right field yesterday.

“I guess this morning he woke up feeling pretty sore,” Hyde said. “Day-to-day.”

O’Neill is batting .188/.280/.325 in 24 games.

BALTIMORE – Hello from Camden Yards, where a couple of teams desperate to start winning more face off this weekend. The Nationals have lost eight of nine, falling to nine games under .500 in the process. The Orioles have lost nine of 11, falling to 12 games under .500 in the process. Something’s got to give.

You already know this by now, but the Nats need to hit. They’re averaging only 2.4 runs on 7.2 hits and 2.7 walks over this nine-game slide, and most of the offense they’ve produced has come late in games, when they’re scrambling to try to catch up. They’ve struggled against opposing starters, especially some less-accomplished starters who have outpitched their overall numbers. That includes Cade Povich, the Baltimore left-hander who sports a 5.55 ERA in seven starts but held the Nationals to one run over 6 1/3 innings last month in D.C.

Povich’s opponent that night was MacKenzie Gore, who faces him tonight in the rematch. Gore was really good in that previous matchup, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out eight, but was the hard-luck loser because of the lack of run support. Despite a 3.57 ERA and league-leading 75 strikeouts, Gore remains 2-4 and still seeking his first win since April 19 in Colorado.

The Nationals made a roster move this afternoon: Luis García Jr. is back from paternity leave, so Trey Lipscomb heads back to Triple-A Rochester after a brief stint up here.

Update: Tyler O'Neill has been scratched from the Orioles lineup, with Ryan O'Hearn now playing right field and batting fifth.

ATLANTA – Well, the Nationals finally won one. Would two be too much to ask?

If the Nats can find a way to win this afternoon at Truist Park, they will earn a four-game series split, which they would happily accept after suffering through a seven-game losing streak.

The offense scored five runs last night, the most they’ve put on the board in a week. Today the Nats will try to continue their moment against AJ Smith-Shawver. The 22-year-old right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.347 WHIP in six starts. He hasn’t given up more than three runs in an outing so far, and is only two starts removed from a dominant appearance against the Reds in which he pitched eight shutout innings of one-hit ball.

Meanwhile, Trevor Williams will try to help his team end this leg of the road trip on a high note. The right-hander enters his ninth start with a 2-4 record, 5.88 ERA and 1.573 WHIP. He has given up four or more runs in each of his last three starts, so he’ll need to be more effective against this tough Braves lineup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 12:15 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 77 degrees, wind 12 mph in from right field

ATLANTA – While the Nationals were able to finally score first in last night’s game – swinging at strikes and accepting a few walks – they weren’t able to sustain that early success at the plate in their seventh straight loss.

The bats will have to try to get going against right-hander Bryce Elder. The 25-year-old is 2-2 with a 4.97 ERA and 1.289 WHIP in seven starts. But he has given up three or fewer runs in four straight outings, with three quality starts. He also struck out a season-high eight batters (while also giving up two home runs) in his last start against the Pirates.

Mitchell Parker will try to keep the Nats in the ballgame from the mound, something he has struggled with over his last three starts, in which he gave up a combined 15 earned runs and 11 walks. The left-hander hasn’t pitched past the fourth inning in either of his last two outings, so the Nats will also hope their starter can give some more length.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:15 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
3B Amed Rosario
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
RF Alex Call
DH Josh Bell
CF Dylan Crews
2B José Tena
C Riley Adams

Chayce McDermott is in Baltimore as the 27^th man for today’s doubleheader against the Twins and could start Game 2.

The Orioles put McDermott on the taxi squad this morning. He’s made three starts in the minors after reporting to spring training with a strained lat, allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings with Double-A Chesapeake on an injury rehab assignment and one run and three hits in eight innings with Triple-A Norfolk.

McDermott, 26, made his major league debut July 24 in Miami, allowed three runs in four innings and was optioned.

Today’s Game 2 starter “is still undecided,” said manager Brandon Hyde, but all signs point to McDermott.

“We’re bringing McDermott up here as the 27^th man. There’s a chance he starts that game,” Hyde said. “He’s not fully stretched out, starting-wise from that standpoint, so we’re gonna kind of get through Game 1 and then figure out the starter for Game 2.”

ATLANTA – The Nationals need a win and they need it badly. It doesn’t matter how they get it. Whether it’s via a blowout or by one run, they just need to come out on top of the Braves to stop this six-game losing streak.

After Jake Irvin turned in the Nats’ first quality start since Tuesday in the series opener last night, Davey Martinez will turn to Michael Soroka in hopes he'll repeat the feat tonight. Soroka makes his first start at Truist Park, which he called home for the first six years of his career, since the Braves traded him to the White Sox in November 2023.

The emotions could be high for the right-hander as he faces his old team, with which his once-promising career was derailed by injuries. Soroka is 8-6 with a 4.67 ERA and 1.311 WHIP in 20 appearances (19 starts) in Atlanta. He made a strong start in his return from the injured list last week, shutting out the Guardians over five innings before ultimately being charged with four runs after the sixth got away from him.

We know the Nats’ issues at the plate. They’ll try again to correct them against right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach, who is 1-3 with a 3.42 ERA and 1.099 WHIP in eight starts.

Roster move: The Nats placed Luis García Jr. on the paternity list this afternoon and recalled Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester.

ATLANTA – Greetings from about 20 minutes outside of Downtown Atlanta, where the Nationals arrive for their first series against the Braves in 2025. The Nats didn’t have a lot going for them during a 1-5 homestand, so they’ll look to turn things around on the road, where they’re 7-12 on the season.

Davey Martinez needs a strong outing from Jake Irvin, as the Nats search for the first quality start from their starting pitcher since the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Guardians. Irvin is 2-1 with a 3.94 ERA and 1.146 WHIP in eight starts. The right-hander dominated the Braves last year, going 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.900 WHIP and 22 strikeouts over four starts. That included a 1.59 ERA, 1.059 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in two starts here at Truist Park.

Meanwhile, the offense – which only scored three runs over the weekend against the Cardinals – will try to heat up against Grant Holmes. The 29-year-old right-hander is 2-3 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.246 WHIP in eight games (seven starts) in his second year in the majors. He was charged with four runs in 5 ⅓ innings in his last start against the Reds. He’s also been prone to the longball this year, so the Nats should look to take him deep in his first start against them.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:15 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: The Team 980, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 73 degrees, wind 7 mph in from left-center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
RF Dylan Crews
3B José Tena
CF Jacob Young

The Orioles are facing a left-hander today, the Angels’ Tyler Anderson, which again puts them at a statistical disadvantage.

The team is hitting .178/.257/.245 against lefties this season.

Manager Brandon Hyde lowered Cedric Mullins to eighth and is batting Gunnar Henderson leadoff.

Mullins moved down to sixth in the order last night and went 0-for-4 to increase his slump to one hit in his last 34 at-bats. He’s 0-for-19.

Mullins still needs one RBI for 300 in his career. Henderson needs one for 200.

The Nationals came home feeling pretty good about themselves, but they have since lost four of five on this homestand and now need a win today to avoid a weekend sweep at the hands of the Cardinals.

Offense is key, especially early offense. The Nats need to find a way to jump on Miles Mikolas and play out in front instead of behind for a change. History isn’t on their side: In five starts against them over the last three seasons, Mikolas owns a 2.15 ERA and 1.023 WHIP. Even when the veteran right-hander has struggled in the larger picture, he has always seemed to pitch well against this particular opponent.

So the pressure may be on MacKenzie Gore to author one of his gems. The left-hander continues to lead the majors in strikeouts (68 of them in only 46 innings), and he’s done an excellent job of minimizing damage, even when he’s perhaps not in peak form. The Nats hope he can be at least that today, though they surely would love for him to be in true peak form and help them salvage a Mother’s Day win before hitting the road.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, wind 4 mph out to center field

CARDINALS
LF Lars Nootbaar
SS Masyn Winn
2B Brendan Donovan
3B Nolan Arenado
1B Willson Contreras
DH Iván Herrera
C Yohel Pozo
RF Jordan Walker
CF Victor Scott II

The Nationals would like nothing more than to shake off Friday night’s blowout loss to the Cardinals with a lopsided victory of their own this afternoon.

Where do they begin? Let’s start on the mound.

After Mitchell Parker’s rough outing, Trevor Williams makes his eighth start of the season. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.86 ERA and 1.613 WHIP on the year. He has been charged with five and four earned runs in his last starts, so he will also be looking to right the ship.

The lineup, meanwhile, will look to score their first runs of the series after being shut out for just the second time this season by old friend Erick Fedde, who threw his first career complete game Friday night.

The Nats' bats will try their luck against Andre Pallante, who makes his eighth start of 2025. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.528 WHIP. However, he’s a different pitcher on the road: He’s 2-0 with a respectable 3.52 ERA at home, but 0-2 with a 5.66 ERA away from Busch Stadium.

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill has returned to the Orioles after two games with Triple-A Norfolk on his injury rehab assignment.

O’Neill was reinstated from the IL this afternoon, but the corresponding move didn’t involve another outfielder. The Orioles optioned corner infielder Coby Mayo to Norfolk after yesterday’s game in Minnesota.

The transactions was made official today after O’Neill went 2-for-6 with the Tides. He hasn’t played for the Orioles since April 23 in D.C. because of neck inflammation and is batting .215/.284/.385 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 18 games.

Mayo was recalled on May 3 with infielder Ramón Urías going on the IL due to a right hamstring strain. He singled yesterday but went 1-for-12 with six strikeouts during his most recent stretch with the Orioles, and he’s 5-for-53 with five walks and 28 strikeouts in the majors.

Mayo did some early infield drills yesterday at third base, fielding ground balls and working on the accuracy of his throws to first. He will keep getting starts at the corners with Norfolk, where he slashed .255/.353/.539 with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 21 RBIs in 28 games.

After a much-needed day off, the Nationals are back in action with a weekend series against the Cardinals, looking to take two of three and ensure at least a .500 homestand. And they’ll be facing an old friend in tonight’s opener.

Erick Fedde gets the start for St. Louis, his first appearance at Nationals Park since Sept. 30, 2022, when he took a 5-1 loss to the Phillies. The former Nats first-round pick went off to South Korea the following year and resurrected his career, earning a two-year contract with the White Sox, who promptly traded him to the Cardinals last summer. Fedde has made seven starts so far this season, two of them blowups involving six or more runs allowed, but four of them quality starts.

Mitchell Parker is coming off back-to-back rough starts himself and needs to get back on track tonight. The left-hander has issued nine walks over his last nine innings, and that’s been the obvious source of his struggles. He got a couple extra days of rest since last Friday’s outing in Cincinnati. Hopefully he used it well and has more command of the strike zone tonight.

An important reminder: Tonight’s game is only on Apple TV+. It’ll be Rich Waltz, Ryan Spilborghs and Tricia Whitaker with the call.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Apple TV+
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 62 degrees, wind 12 mph in from left field

It was a long Tuesday at the ballpark, and after a quick cat nap, we’re all right back here this morning for an early matinee. If this game starts on time and is completed in fewer than 3 1/2 hours, the Nationals and Guardians will have completed an entire three-game series in less than 24 hours. That doesn’t happen often.

After splitting the doubleheader, the Nats would love to emerge victorious today and win their second consecutive series against a contending team from Ohio. That would get them back to within two games of the .500 mark, with some positive momentum heading in the right direction before the Cardinals come to town this weekend.

The big story coming in today: The return of Michael Soroka from the injured list. The 27-year-old right-hander made only one start back on March 31 before straining his biceps muscle. It took a little longer than hoped, but he’s back now and hoping to build off his 11-strikeout rehab start for Triple-A Rochester. This Cleveland lineup doesn’t strike out a lot, so that may make for a stiff challenge for Soroka.

The Nationals lineup had a wild Tuesday, scoring 10 runs in the opener, then one run in the nightcap. Consistency is needed, and a strong early showing against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen would sure be helpful. Allen was roughed up by the Red Sox to the tune of seven runs two starts ago, but he bounced back with two earned runs allowed last time out against the Blue Jays.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 72 degrees, wind 9 mph left field to right field

Game 1 just ended, but it’s already time for Game 2 of this single-admission doubleheader. The Nationals survived another wild one, overcoming another bullpen meltdown to emerge with a 10-9 win over the Guardians. They’re now 17-19 on the season, with a shot at sweeping the doubleheader tonight.

Brad Lord takes the mound for what could be a very important start. The rookie right-hander may be headed back to the bullpen – or perhaps even to Triple-A Rochester – if and when Michael Soroka is activated off the 15-day injured list Wednesday as expected. But on the heels of an excellent start in Philadelphia, is there a chance Lord could keep his rotation job with another strong showing tonight?

The Nats would like a nice offensive showing against Ben Lively, the veteran right-hander who starts for Cleveland tonight. They faced him last summer at Progressive Field and were held to two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Those runs were driven in by Joey Meneses and Jesse Winker, so somebody else is going to have to get the job done tonight. Josh Bell is back, however, after missing three straight games with a sore groin.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 980 AM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 68 degrees, wind 12 mph out to center field

GUARDIANS
LF Steven Kwan
CF Angel Martínez
DH José Ramírez
1B Carlos Santana
2B Gabriel Arias
RF Nolan Jones
3B Will Wilson
SS Brayan Rocchio
C Austin Hedges

After three straight rain-delayed games in Cincinnati, the Nationals return home to … more rain.

Yes, the weather for tonight’s series opener against the Guardians does not look promising, with thunderstorms projected to hit the area all night. The good news is this is the first game of this three-game set. The two teams play again tomorrow night and are scheduled to play a 12:05 p.m. game on Wednesday, leaving plenty of room for a possible doubleheader.

And although they would prefer not to lose an off-day, neither team is scheduled to play on Thursday, so could play each other then if need be.

Jake Irvin is slated to make his eighth start of the season tonight, bringing a 2-1 record, 4.01 ERA and 1.125 WHIP to the mound. After a stretch of three consecutive strong outings, the right-hander was roughed up in his last start, allowing six runs in six innings against the Phillies.

Luis Ortiz will take the mound for the Guardians. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-3 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.406 WHIP in his first six starts with Cleveland since being acquired via trade in the offseason.

CINCINNATI – We’ve made it to the end of the series and the end of the road trip, and today’s finale feels like it carries some significance for the Nationals. A win today would secure a weekend series win over the Reds and a 3-3 trip overall against two opponents who are over .500 and have postseason visions. All things considered, that would be just fine for the Nats.

They’ve got their ace on the mound, with MacKenzie Gore looking for his sixth straight start of at least six innings. All but one of those have been a quality start – he gave up four runs in six innings to the Marlins – but he’s surrendered at least two runs in each of them. The point: Gore has been good, not necessarily great, so far this year. He does, of course, enter the day as the league leader in strikeouts, and he’ll have an opportunity to add to his lead in this one.

The Nationals face veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who after several seasons as a reliever is now a full-time starter. He was the owner of a 6.00 ERA a couple weeks ago, but he’s been better since and in his last start held the Cardinals to one run over six innings to earn his first win.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Slight chance of rain, 57 degrees, wind 6 mph right field to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
3B Amed Rosario
DH James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr. 
LF Alex Call
RF Dylan Crews
CF Jacob Young

CINCINNATI – It’s been raining here all day, but there might be just enough of a break in the precipitation for the Nationals and Reds to get tonight’s game in as scheduled, or perhaps slightly delayed. Fingers crossed.

The Nats look to bounce back after Friday night’s rain-delayed, 6-1 loss that featured very little offense and an early deficit created by Mitchell Parker. They really need to flip the script, getting Trevor Williams through the early innings with zeros on the board and plating a run or two so they have a chance to play with the lead.

Williams is coming off a rough one against the Mets in which he surrendered five runs in 5 1/3 innings, suffering his third loss of the season. (Notably, he was charged with only one loss in 13 starts last year.) Williams has actually thrown 99 pitches each of his last two starts; it will be interesting to see if Davey Martinez pushes him that far again or pulls the plug around the 80-pitch mark, hoping to avoid late damage. The good news: All of his so-called top relievers are available, including Kyle Finnegan, Jose A. Ferrer, Jorge Lopez and the newly acquired Andrew Chafin.

A Nationals lineup that was mowed down by right-hander Hunter Greene on Friday faces left-hander Nick Lodolo tonight. The 27-year-old has been excellent so far this season, with a 2.25 ERA and 0.861 WHIP in six starts. Interestingly, though, he has only 27 strikeouts in 36 innings. He has also walked only five batters. Point is: Look for plenty of contact tonight.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Rain diminishing, 54 degrees, wind 10 mph left field to right field