Last night’s game did not go well at all for the Nationals, on either side of the ball. On the mound, Jake Irvin got roughed up by the Mets for six runs (five of them coming in the top of the third). At the plate, the lineup was absolutely carved up by David Peterson for the umpteenth time. Put it all together, and you’ve got a completely lackluster, 8-1 loss.

What does tonight have in store? If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how Brad Lord fares in his 12th big league start, his second against the Mets. The rookie right-hander tossed only four innings that April night during a 2-0 loss. He’s fully built up for a longer workload tonight, provided he’s effective enough to warrant remaining in the game. The good news: He has been quite effective since rejoining the rotation, posting a 2.77 ERA and 1.154 WHIP in five starts.

At the plate, the Nationals simply have to put together better at-bats than they did last night against Peterson. The problem: They’ve had very little success in two previous cracks at Kodai Senga this season, including 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in June. Like Peterson, Senga can be really deceptive. The onus is on the Nats’ hitters to be patient and take what’s given to them, which means hitting the ball the other way if he keeps everything down and away.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field

METS
SS Francisco Lindor
RF Juan Soto
LF Brandon Nimmo
1B Pete Alonso
2B Jeff McNeil
DH Mark Vientos
3B Brett Baty
CF Cedric Mullins
C Luis Torrens

BOSTON – Jordan Westburg is out of tonight’s Orioles lineup after injuring his right ankle last night in the first inning.

An update is coming later.

Samuel Basallo also is on the bench. Luis Vázquez is starting at third base. Dylan Beavers is in right field. Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter.

Coby Mayo is playing first base.

Tonight marks Tomoyuki Sugano’s 24^th major league start. He’s posted a 4.13 ERA in 126 1/3 innings, and he’s only the 10^th Japanese-born pitcher to win 10 games as a rookie.

The Nationals survived the first of four consecutive series against playoff contenders from Philadelphia and New York, splitting their four-game series with the Phillies. Next up, it’s the Mets, who come to town in a bit of a tailspin, having lost 14 of their last 17 while dealing with all kinds of injuries. They did manage to win two in a row over the weekend against the Mariners, including Sunday night’s Little League Classic in Williamsport. So perhaps they’re on the mend. Either way, they can’t afford to lose this series to the Nats.

One of the surprising stalwarts of the New York rotation has been David Peterson, the veteran left-hander who has always resided at the back of the rotation but has ascended into a top starter this year, earning his first career All-Star selection. Peterson has been outstanding against the Nationals throughout his career, going 6-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 13 games (10 starts). That includes a six-hit, zero-walk shutout earlier this season at Citi Field.

Peterson’s opponent for that June 11 was Jake Irvin, who gave up four runs over five innings to take the loss. That was in stark contrast to Irvin’s April 25 start against the Mets, when he went 7 1/3 innings giving up only one run. He also dominated this lineup twice last season, memorably tossing eight innings of one-hit ball last July 4 and then also going 7 1/3 allowing only one run last September in Flushing.

Which version of Irvin shows up tonight? The Nationals would love for him to get back on track against an opponent he’s enjoyed success against more than once before.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 71 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

The infusion of top prospects in the Orioles’ roster is reflected in today’s lineup for the series finale in Houston.

Samuel Basallo is making his debut at designated hitter. He’s batting sixth.

Basallo is the 62^nd player to appear in a game, tying the franchise record set in 2021.

Dylan Beavers is in left field after collecting his first major league hit last night.

Colton Cowser returned from the concussion injured list this morning and he’s in center field, one spot ahead of Basallo.

What an unexpected weekend this has become. The Nationals have strung together three consecutive quality starts. And the bullpen, in spite of an ugly top of the seventh Friday night, has only been scored upon in one of eight innings so far in this series against the Phillies, leading to two wins and one other highly competitive game. And now we come to the finale, with an unlikely opportunity to win three of four from the division leaders.

That, of course, is easier said than done, for several reasons. It begins with Mitchell Parker, who takes the mound today on the heels of three straight subpar starts in which he’s allowed a total of 17 runs in only 14 1/3 innings. That stretch has raised his ERA to an unsightly 5.55. The lefty is going to have to be significantly better today against the Philly lineup, especially out of the chute in the top of the first. And even if he does his job, the Nats bullpen is going to be without closer Jose A. Ferrer, who recorded six outs Saturday and has recorded at least four outs three times in his last four appearances.

At the plate, the Nationals actually haven’t done that much this weekend, totaling seven runs in three games. Given their own pitching concerns, they probably need a big day at the plate against Aaron Nola (making his return from the injured list) to give themselves their best shot at a win.

A friendly reminder: Today’s game has an extra-early 11:35 a.m. first pitch, and it’s being televised exclusively on the Roku streaming service. It’s a joint booth calling the game, pairing up Phillies play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy with Nats analyst Kevin Frandsen, plus the one and only Dan Kolko serving as sideline reporter.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 11:35 a.m. EDT
TV: Roku
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 93 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center field

Two games into this four-game series, the Nationals and Phillies have each won once. Each was a competitive game decided late by the bullpens. It’s kind of been fun to watch, hasn’t it? So, what’s in store for game three of the weekend set later this afternoon?

The headline attraction from the Nats’ standpoint is Cade Cavalli, who makes his third start of the season (fourth of his career). The first one (against the Athletics) was outstanding. The second one (against the Royals) was decent. This one comes against a far more imposing lineup, so we’re going to find out a lot about the 27-year-old rookie when he goes up against Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Co. (Oh, and by the way, Cavalli is scheduled to face them again next week in Philadelphia.)

Taijuan Walker takes the mound for the Phillies, and the Nationals have already faced him this season, scoring four runs in 5 2/3 innings back on May 1. He was shifted to a bullpen a month later, but he’s back in the rotation now and has a 2.93 ERA over his last six starts.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 88 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
C J.T. Realmuto
LF Brandon Marsh
CF Harrison Bader
RF Max Kepler
3B Edmundo Sosa
2B Bryson Stott

The Orioles have been held to four hits or fewer 22 times this season, tied with the Pirates for second most in the majors behind the Rangers’ 25. They’ve scored five runs or fewer in 12 straight games since Aug. 1. But they won the last two against the Mariners, including their first walk-off, to complete the homestand.

They’re back on the road tonight to begin a three-game series in Houston, with no roster moves announced.

Coby Mayo stays at first base. Daniel Johnson is the center fielder and Jeremiah Jackson is in right.

Gunnar Henderson has an extra-base hit in a career-best five consecutive games. He’s batting .310/.384/.500 (70-for-226) with 18 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBIs and 37 runs scored in 64 games since June 1.

Henderson leads the majors with a .511 average (23-for-45) with runners in scoring position since June 1.

Way back on March 27, the 2025 season began with the Nationals hosting the Phillies and an Opening Day pitchers’ duel between MacKenzie Gore and Zack Wheeler. On that 57-degree afternoon, Gore authored the best start of his career, retiring 17 of 18 batters, 13 via strikeout, to outduel Wheeler (who allowed only one run on two hits in six innings himself).

Tonight, we get the rematch on a hot and muggy, August evening, the Nats’ season having long since gone awry while the Phillies have soared into first place in the NL East. Gore went through his own slump recently, but he bounced back in a big way Sunday in San Francisco, shutting out the Giants over six innings with 10 strikeouts. The lefty will try to keep things going tonight against Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Co.

Wheeler, who leads the league in WHIP and strikeouts to go along with a 2.68 ERA, faces a Nationals lined that scratched together three runs to win Thursday night’s series opener but would love to do more than that tonight with James Wood, CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews all in the lineup together for the first time since May 20.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 6 mph in from right field

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
C J.T. Realmuto
RF Nick Castellanos
CF Harrison Bader
2B Edmundo Sosa
3B Otto Kemp
LF Weston Wilson

The Nationals have returned from a 3-3 road trip for a tough homestand. In fact, they have a tough stretch to finish August, with each of their next 13 games coming against a team currently in a playoff position.

This homestand against two divisional rivals starts with a four-game set against the Phillies, who own a five-game lead over the Mets in the National League East. Luckily, the Nats will be getting some reinforcements by activating Dylan Crews off the 60-day injured list as he returns from his oblique injury. In a corresponding move, the Nats surprisingly designated first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment. So we’ll have to wait and see how interim manager Miguel Cairo constructs his lineups with five young outfielders moving forward.

Brad Lord certainly has been one of the bright spots for this team in the second half. Since rejoining the rotation full-time, the right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA over four starts, with the Nats winning three of those games. He did make a start against the Phillies when he was briefly a part of the rotation back in May, tossing five innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts and one walk. He earned the win in that game, too.

Former Nats draft pick Jesús Luzardo starts for the Phils. The lefty is 11-5 with a 4.20 ERA and 1.346 WHIP in 24 starts. He started the second game of the season here at Nats Park and struck out 11 over five frames of two-run ball in a Philly rout.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of scattered thunderstorms, 80 degrees, wind 5 mph from right to left field

The Orioles will dip into their past for a celebration next month at Camden Yards.

They have to go back 30 years.

Another anniversary is almost upon us of the night that Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-games streak. He reached 2,131 in a row on Sept. 6, 1995, and the Orioles are marking the occasion with a full slate of events before hosting the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m.

Ripken will be in attendance, but not in his usual seat in the first row behind home plate.

The club announced a list of confirmed attendees that includes Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Harold Baines and Mike Mussina, Orioles Hall of Famers Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry and B.J. Surhoff, and former teammates Ben McDonald, Rafael Palmeiro and Larry Sheets.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This road trip started off well for the Nationals, who won two of three in San Francisco over the weekend. Alas, now they find themselves needing a win this afternoon to avoid a sweep in Kansas City. How quickly things change.

The Nats have been hitting on the trip. They’ve averaged 5.3 runs and 11.8 hits over the last four days. James Wood (8-for-19, four doubles, one homer, seven RBIs) has been a big part of that, and it’s been great to see the big guy look like himself again after the worst slump of his brief career. They’ll try to continue the trend today against veteran right-hander Seth Lugo, who recently signed an extension with the Royals but has been unable to get out of the fifth inning in each of his last two starts, giving up seven runs to the Twins on Friday.

Jake Irvin has also been shaky his last two starts, with nine runs allowed over 9 1/3 innings against the Brewers and Giants. The right-hander has seen his ERA jump to 4.90, and he has surrendered a league-leading 26 homers now. He needs a bounceback this afternoon, and the key may be as simple as getting through a clean first inning. His ERA in that opening frame is a gargantuan 9.75. After that, it’s a very respectable 3.86.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Kauffman Stadium
Gametime: 2:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, wind 2 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
SS CJ Abrams
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
RF Daylen Lile
C Drew Millas
3B Brady House
CF Robert Hassell III

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Nationals lost the opener of their series in San Francisco over the weekend before bouncing back to win the next two and leave town in good spirits. Can they do the same now in Kansas City after losing Monday night’s opener?

They’ll be asking Mitchell Parker to put forth a much better start than he did in either of his last two outings. The left-hander was roughed up by the Brewers and Athletics for a whopping 12 runs and 18 hits in only nine combined innings. In the process, the left-hander fell to 7-12 on the season with a 5.43 ERA that doesn’t look so hot right now. It’s fair to say Parker needs a strong finish to the season to make sure he’s still in the running for a rotation spot in 2026. If he keeps heading down this path, his case won’t look so great.

The Nationals lineup once again includes Paul DeJong in a prominent spot: batting cleanup and playing third base. DeJong’s two homers the last three days precipitated that, but it means Brady House is sitting for the second straight day, not ideal for one of the organization’s top prospects.

On the other hand, Robert Hassell III is back in the lineup, starting in center field alongside James Wood and Daylen Lile. That bumps Jacob Young to the bench against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha, though you have to assume Miguel Cairo would insert Young for defensive purposes late if the Nats hold a lead.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Kauffman Stadium
Gametime: 7:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 7 mph left field to right field

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Hello from Kauffman Stadium, which still looks great 52 years after it first opened. The Nationals are here for the first time since 2023, looking to pick up where they left off Sunday in San Francisco, having won two in a row from the Giants.

First things first: Dylan Crews is not here. He has not been activated off the 60-day injured list yet, even though he played nine innings each of the last two days with Triple-A Rochester. It sure seems like the Nats will wait until they return home Thursday to bring him back, but hopefully we’ll get more information here shortly.

As for who is here tonight, Cade Cavalli is on the mound, making his second big league start of the season, the third of his career. Cavalli’s return last week could not have gone much better: 4 1/3 scoreless innings on 88 pitches. He’ll try to be a little more efficient tonight, but more important is the quality of his stuff and the health of his arm.

Luis García Jr. returns to the Nats lineup after missing the entire weekend series with tightness in his back. He’s batting all the way down in the No. 8 spot against Royals left-hander Bailey Falter, which means Paul DeJong is again batting third, this time playing third base in place of Brady House. DeJong has been hot. Miguel Cairo will try to keep getting him at-bats.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Kauffman Stadium
Gametime: 7:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Thunderstorms, 77 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

SAN FRANCISCO – Amazing what a difference a day makes. The Nationals showed up at Oracle Park on Saturday morning reeling from back-to-back shutout losses. Then James Wood led off the game with his first homer in a month, and they were on their way to a 4-2 victory over the Giants that featured power (three solo homers), a quality start by Brad Lord and solid bullpen work. And just like that, they now have a chance to win the weekend series this afternoon.

It will require a major bounceback performance from MacKenzie Gore, though. The left-hander is in a bad place right now, having allowed six or more runs in three of his last four starts, including eight runs on 12 hits last time out against the Athletics. During that stretch, Gore has seen his ERA skyrocket from 3.02 to 4.29.

Would you believe that’s actually identical to Justin Verlander’s ERA? The veteran right-hander has not enjoyed a good season here in San Francisco, and there’s pressure on him to get himself back on track before it’s too late. The Nationals will try to jump on him today and give their ace an early lead. Miguel Cairo’s lineup once again features Wood in the leadoff spot, but it also once again is missing Luis García Jr. (still dealing with back tightness).

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Oracle Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 67 degrees, wind 13 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
SS CJ Abrams
DH Josh Bell
2B Paul DeJong
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Riley Adams
RF Daylen Lile
3B Brady House
CF Jacob Young

The Orioles are shuffling their outfield again today for the series finale against the Athletics.

Jordyn Adams gets his first start, playing center field and batting ninth. He’s made six appearances in center and two in right.

Greg Allen is playing left field and Jeremiah Jackson is in right. Dylan Carlson, who's in an 0-for-34 slump, goes to the bench.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter. Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman, with Coby Mayo on the bench.

Alex Jackson is batting seventh and catching.

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s a beautiful day by the bay. Will it be beautiful for a Nationals lineup that has been ice-cold at the plate?

The Nats have been shut out in back-to-back games, and even when you add Wednesday’s win over the Athletics to the mix, they’ve still scored only two runs on 11 hits and two walks over their last 27 innings. That simply won’t cut it. And now they face a quick turnaround to a day game against an opposing left-hander. That’s pretty much been a recipe for disaster this season: The team OPS in day games against lefties: .563, tied with the Rangers for worst in the majors. (Against righties, it at least goes up to .676.)

Today’s lineup is once again missing Luis García Jr., whose back tightened up Friday during batting practice. Hopefully we’ll get an update on his status shortly. It’ll be up to the rest of the group – most notably James Wood and CJ Abrams – to get something going against the Giants’ Carson Whisenhunt, a 24-year-old making his third career start.

Brad Lord gets the ball for the Nationals, looking to continue what he’s done since rejoining the rotation. In three starts, the rookie right-hander has a 3.21 ERA, issuing only three walks over 14 innings. And after throwing 92 pitches last time out, he should be good to reach the 100 mark if needed today, meaning he’s fully stretched out as a starter now.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Oracle Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 69 degrees, wind 12 mph out to center field

SAN FRANCISCO – Hello from beautiful Oracle Park on the shores of McCovey Cove. The Nationals may be playing bad baseball these days, but at least they’ll be spending the next three days playing in a gorgeous ballpark. And maybe the cool Bay breeze will inspire them to play better this weekend against a Giants club that isn’t exactly on fire, either.

After a fantastic start to the season, San Francisco has collapsed this summer. Owners of a 40-28 record on June 11, the team has gone 18-29 since and found itself trading away several big-name players at last week’s deadline. The Giants have picked things up a bit since, going 4-2 in New York and Pittsburgh, but their postseason hopes have probably disappeared.

A Nationals lineup that was shut out Thursday by Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez will face another lefty tonight in Matt Gage. The difference: Gage is merely an opener, likely to throw only an inning or two before handing it over to another pitcher. So we’ll see if the top of the Nats lineup can get something going early and set a more positive tone for the evening.

Jake Irvin takes the mound looking for a bounceback performance of his own. The 27-year-old had another ragged first inning in his most recent start against the Brewers, raising his ERA in the opening frame to an unsightly 9.39. If he can navigate his way through a clean bottom of the first tonight, he has a chance to have a good night overall. And the Nats will have a chance to get this road trip off on the right foot.

UPDATE: Luis García Jr. has been scratched from the lineup with back tightness, according to the Nationals. José Tena will now start at second base and bat eighth.

What a wild win the Nationals got themselves last night in walk-off fashion to snap a six-game losing streak. You could tell during the on-field celebration the boys needed that one.

And now they have a chance to win a series here this afternoon against the Athletics, which would be another feel-good moment that is desperately needed around these parts.

The Nats turn to Mitchell Parker for this matinee series finale. The left-hander is 7-11 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.470 WHIP over his 22 starts. He really needs a strong bounceback performance after giving up eight runs on 12 hits over four innings in a loss to the Brewers his last time out.

The offense will have to deal with Jacob Lopez to start. The left-hander is 4-6 with a 3.99 ERA and 1.343 WHIP over his 17 games (13 starts) this season. But that ERA is inflated with four tough relief appearances. Over his 13 starts, Lopez is 4-5 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.304 WHIP. And he’s pitched a combined 9 ⅓ shutout innings over his last two starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ATHLETICS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:05 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: Partly cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

There haven’t been a lot of things to get excited about recently involving the Nationals, so perhaps tonight’s game provides a long-awaited reason to feel better about the state of things. Cade Cavalli makes his return to the major leagues, nearly three years removed from his one and only major league start. It’s been a long road back from Tommy John surgery and inconsistent performances in the minors, and it’s not like the 26-year-old has been in peak form at Triple-A Rochester leading up to this one. But he's here regardless, and the hope is he’s here to stay at last.

What to watch for with Cavalli: Can he get outs on pitches in or near the strike zone? One criticism of him coming up through the minors was that he relied too much on getting opposing hitters to chase out of the zone. It’s much harder to get big league hitters to do that, so Cavalli needs to be precise with his command. The good news: Even though he was giving up hits at Triple-A, he was recording a good number of strikeouts while keeping his walk total low.

The Nats would love to provide their still-rookie starter with some run support. And that doesn’t mean ninth-inning run support with the team already trailing by a bunch. Early support to give him a lead to work with. Of course, at some point Miguel Cairo is still going to have to hand over the rest of the game to this bullpen. Who knows how that’s going to go?

ATHLETICS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 75 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field

ATHLETICS
C Shea Langeliers
1B Nick Kurtz
DH Brent Rooker
RF JJ Bleday
LF Tyler Soderstrom
SS Darell Hernaiz
CF Lawrence Butler
3B Gio Urshela
2B Max Schuemann

The Nationals’ weekend series against the Brewers could not have gone any worse. Perhaps the arrival of the homeless Athletics this week will help turn things around. The A’s – who are playing in Sacramento for three seasons but are officially not allowed to be called by any city name for reasons unclear – come to town playing decent baseball, having gone 14-13 since July 1. And they’ve got one of the hottest hitters in baseball in rookie Nick Kurtz (1.420 OPS over his last 25 games).

So this is no cakewalk for MacKenzie Gore, who needs a bounceback performance after three straight shaky starts that included either six runs allowed or six batters walked. The left-hander has seen his ERA jump to 3.80, and his strikeout rate is down as well. Now that the tension of the trade deadline is behind him, the lefty needs to get himself locked in and finish out the season strong before it falls apart on him.

The Nationals have a couple of new arms in the bullpen tonight: They officially called up right-hander Clayton Beeter and left-hander PJ Poulin, optioning both Ryan Loutos and Zach Brzykcy to Triple-A Rochester. Don’t be surprised if one or both of the new guys is used in a high-leverage spot tonight if the situation arises.

ATHLETICS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left field

ATHLETICS
C Shea Langeliers
1B Nick Kurtz
DH Brent Rooker
CF JJ Bleday
RF Colby Thomas
SS Darell Hernaiz
LF Tyler Soderstrom
3B Gio Urshela
2B Max Schuemann