You have to give the Nationals credit. After the disaster that was the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Tigers, the Nats rallied for one of their best come-from-behind wins of the season in the nightcap, setting themselves up tonight for a chance to win this series against one of the best teams in baseball.

We are one day shy of the one-year anniversary of Jake Irvin’s best start of his career. Last year on the Fourth of July, the right-hander shut out the Mets over eight innings of one-hit, one-walk ball with eight strikeouts. It’s not Independence Day yet and it’s not the Mets, but Irvin will look to repeat his holiday dominance tonight against a tough Tigers lineup.

Meanwhile, the offense will look to carry over their late-inning fireworks from last night into tonight’s finale against Dietrich Enns. The left-hander has only made 12 major league appearances (two starts) over parts of the 2017, 2021 and 2025 seasons. After having his contract selected from Triple-A Toledo on June 26, he shut out the Athletics over five innings with one hit, two walks and four strikeouts in his lone big league start of the year.

The Nationals would love to start the holiday weekend with early fireworks ahead of tonight’s postgame show.

They also made a pregame roster move, reinstating Andrew Chafin from the 15-day injured list and optioning Ryan Loutos to Triple-A Rochester.

James Wood has been making headlines locally all season as the Nationals’ budding young superstar. Today he made national headlines with a special announcement.

Wood announced today that he will participate in the Home Run Derby on July 14 during All-Star Week at Truist Park in Atlanta.

The 22-year-old phenom became the third player to officially join the yearly event the night before the Midsummer Classic, joining Ronald Acuña Jr. of the host Braves and the major league home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Mariners.

“I just got the invite. I can't remember when, really. But it's just something cool to be part of,” Wood said at his locker ahead of tonight’s finale against the Tigers. “I was watching it a lot growing up, so it should be a lot of fun.”

The announcement comes just 367 days after Wood made his major league debut at Nationals Park last summer. He said he will have third base coach Ricky Gutierrez throw to him as he does during batting practice.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood has been selected to participate in the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby taking place on Monday, July 14, at Truist Park in Atlanta. Wood will be the third different Nationals player (2005-pres.) to participate in the Home Run Derby, joining Juan Soto (2022) and Bryce Harper (2013 and 2018). 

Wood, 22, is hitting .283 with 19 doubles, 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 56 walks and 55 runs scored in 86 games this season. Entering play on Thursday, he ranks first in OPS (.934), home runs (22) and RBI (65), second in both slugging percentage (.547) and walks (56) and third in on-base percentage (.387) among all National League outfielders.

Wood ranks second in Major League Baseball with 12 home runs hit harder than 110 MPH behind only Shohei Ohtani (13), and he leads Major League Baseball with four home runs that travelled longer than 445 feet ahead of Aaron Judge (3). Additionally, he paces MLB with 52 batted balls hit harder than 108 MPH ahead of Aaron Judge (51).

Combined with his nine home runs in 2024, Wood’s 31 career home runs tied for the most in Nationals history (2005-pres.) through a player's first 162 games with Bryce Harper (31) and ahead of Juan Soto (31).

The outcome of Wednesday afternoon’s game had long since been decided by the time Andry Lara took the mound in the top of the seventh. The Nationals were well on their way to an 11-2 loss to the Tigers, a result that felt preordained the moment Trevor Williams was roughed up for six innings during a torturous top of the first.

None of that, of course, mattered to Lara. When the lanky right-hander trotted in from the bullpen, the score of the game was insignificant. The fact he was pitching in a major league game was.

“It’s incredible,” he said, via interpreter Mauricio Ortiz. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid, me and my family. I just don’t have any words.”

Lara’s major league debut, in which he tossed three scoreless innings and struck out four, was probably the lone bright spot of Wednesday’s lopsided loss. But it helped keep the rest of the Nats bullpen fresh heading into the nightcap of the doubleheader, and it gave Lara a long-awaited opportunity to face big league hitters.

Six years after the Nationals signed him out of Venezuela for $1.25 million, with a rocky path in front of him, Lara finally made his debut. The 22-year-old actually had been called up for the team’s Easter Sunday doubleheader in Colorado, but neither game presented the right situation for him to pitch, so he returned to Triple-A Rochester afterward.

Their ace had labored through 5 1/3 innings of 111-pitch ball. Their lineup had gone dead silent since an early rally against the opposing starter. And their bullpen had turned a slim lead into a slim deficit, giving the crowd of 16,0965 at Nationals Park reason to believe the nightcap of today’s doubleheader against the Tigers was going down an all-too-familiar path.

And then Detroit manager A.J. Hinch turned to the usually reliable Tommy Kahnle for the bottom of the eighth, and the top half of the Nats lineup sprang back to life with one of its most impressive rallies of the season.

Scoring five runs before making an out in the eighth, then adding another after that, the Nationals took a 9-4 lead and then handed over the ninth to Kyle Finnegan, who closed out a most impressive, come-from-behind victory over one of the best teams in the majors.

That ninth inning, by the way, including a leaping catch at the wall by Jacob Young, who appeared to rob Riley Greene of a homer.

"I think we all had the same reaction, which was: Holy smokes!" designated hitter Josh Bell said. "I just held my finger up pointing. I think everybody did for about 15 seconds. Probably the best catch that I've seen in person."

As ugly as the opener of today’s doubleheader was, there are some saving graces from the Nationals’ perspective. They’ve now got their ace taking the mound in the nightcap. And thanks to six innings of relief from Jackson Rutledge, Eduardo Salazar and especially Andry Lara after Trevor Williams was knocked out early, they’ve got all of their top bullpen arms fresh and available in search of a win this evening.

All eyes will be on MacKenzie Gore to do his usual thing, and to do it against a tough Tigers lineup that leads the American League in runs scored. Gore, of course, has never been one to back down from a challenge, and he’s coming off an outstanding start in San Diego that nevertheless resulted in a 1-0 loss (his eighth of the season despite his 3.09 ERA).

So the Nationals will need to provide some run support for their No. 1 guy tonight. They face Jack Flaherty, the enigmatic 29-year-old who at times during his career has looked like a true frontline starter and at other times has looked lost. It’s been a rough season for him so far, as evidenced by his 5-9 record and 4.80 ERA. Flaherty’s biggest issue: He has surrendered 16 homers in 84 1/3 innings, seventh-most in the AL. The Nats need to hit the ball in the air against him tonight.

DETROIT TIGERS 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: Partly cloudy, 85 degrees, wind 5 mph right field to left field

TIGERS
DH Justyn-Henry Malloy
2B Gleyber Torres
LF Jahmai Jones
1B Spencer Torkelson
CF Matt Vierling
RF Wenceel Perez
C Dillon Dingler
SS Javy Báez
3B Zach McKinstry

The Nationals didn’t need a gem out of Trevor Williams today. They needed length. And, ideally, a minimal amount of damage sustained to keep the opener of today’s day-night doubleheader against the Tigers within reach.

Eight batters into the game, the second half of that preferred equation had already been thrown out the window. But Davey Martinez had no choice but to try and at least get length out of his No. 5 starter, which explains why Williams was still on the mound in the top of the first throwing his 54th pitch of the most laborious inning of his life.

And why Williams retook the mound for the top of the second and top of the third before Martinez finally decided enough was enough. When he needed length from his starter, he got three innings, 86 pitches and a massive hole en route to an 11-2 thrashing that set a decidedly negative tone to this long day and night of baseball on South Capitol Street.

The Nats could not have drawn up a worse script for this unexpected matinee, the result of Tuesday night’s rainout. They’ll try to lick their wounds, regroup and split the doubleheader behind ace MacKenzie Gore later this evening.

"It's an unfortunate spot. I put us in a really big hole in the first game of a doubleheader," Williams said. "But I know the guys are going to come out in the second game ready to win." 

Paul DeJong always knew he’d be back playing for the Nationals again. He just couldn’t fully appreciate the process of returning from his frightening injury until he actually completed the process.

“It’s been a humbling experience for me to go back to square one and just pray to get healthy and recover from a traumatic injury,” he said. “But that process went about as good as it could have gone for me.”

It’s been 2 1/2 months since DeJong was struck by a fastball on the left side of his face during the Nationals’ April 16 game in Pittsburgh. He fractured his nose and multiple bones near his left eye, requiring surgery. He spent several weeks holed up in his apartment, watching old movies with his grandfather, who came to D.C. from Florida to help take care of him.

Then the rehab process finally began, slow and steady. DeJong, who fortunately did not suffer any vision impairment, built up to the point where he could face live pitching again. And two weeks ago, he headed off to Double-A Harrisburg for a rehab stint, his first opportunity to play competitive baseball since the injury.

Over the course of 12 games with the Senators – only four fewer than he played for the Nats before going on the 10-day IL – DeJong went 11-for-40 with a double, a homer and six RBIs. He was hit by a pitch (in the foot). And he became comfortable standing in the batter’s box again, now wearing an extended ear flap to protect the left side of his face.

Alright, what do you say we give this another shot? And then play another game after that?

Unable to commence this week’s homestand on time due to a vicious line of thunderstorms that rolled through the area Tuesday afternoon and evening, the Nationals now face the prospect of a day-night doubleheader against the Tigers this afternoon and evening. The nightcap will be the previously scheduled 6:45 p.m. game, with MacKenzie Gore starting as planned all along against Jack Flaherty (who was supposed to start Tuesday’s game).

That means today’s 1:05 p.m. game (the rescheduled game, available to anyone who had tickets to Tuesday’s rainout) will now feature Trevor Williams against Detroit left-hander Tyler Holton. Holton is not a starter. He’s an opener, specifically chosen by manager A.J. Hinch to face the top of the Nationals’ lineup in the first inning. So we’ll have to see if CJ Abrams, James Wood and Co. can throw a wrench into those plans and get on the board first.

Williams will be even more rested than he already was, hoping to keep the Tigers’ lineup in check and provide some length. Though the Nats get to carry an extra reliever today, they’ve still got another game to worry about tonight, so Davey Martinez has to be careful not to burn up too many games in the opener.

DETROIT TIGERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 80 degrees, wind 5 mph in from right field

After a week and a half of gorgeous weather in Southern California, the Nationals returned home and must now deal with the harsh reality of summer life back on the East Coast: Heat, humidity and rain.

Tonight’s homestand opener against the Tigers has been postponed, the club announced, due to the significant line of thunderstorms passing through the region this afternoon and evening. They’ll now play a day-night doubleheader Wednesday, with the rescheduled game at 1:05 p.m. in advance of the originally scheduled game at 6:45 p.m.

The Nats never had to consider any weather issues during their nine-game trip to Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim, with temperatures generally in the 70s and nothing but sunshine pouring down from the sky. It’s a different story back here in D.C., where temperatures have been in the 90s and dew points in the 70s, ingredients ripe for thunderstorms.

The first round of rain already blew through Nationals Park this afternoon, canceling batting practice for both teams. Though there is currently a break in the precipitation, several inches more are expected the rest of the evening and into Wednesday morning.

Fans who held tickets to tonight’s postponed game can use them for admittance to Wednesday’s 1:05 p.m. game. A separate ticket is required for the originally scheduled 6:45 p.m. game. The series still wraps up Thursday at 6:45 p.m., with a postgame fireworks show planned in advance of Friday’s traditional 11:05 a.m. Independence Day game against the Red Sox.

Tonight’s game has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be played as part of a split doubleheader tomorrow Wednesday, July 2.

Game 1: (the rescheduled game from tonight) will begin at 1:05 PM ET

Game 2 (the originally scheduled game) will remain at 6:45 PM ET

The Washington Nationals returned infielder Paul DeJong from rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day Injured List on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, infielder Andrés Chaparro was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

DeJong, 31, hit .275 (11-for-40) with a double, a home run, 6 RBI, four walks and four runs scored in 12 rehab games for Double-A Harrisburg while working his way back from a nasal fracture sustained on April 15. He had hits in eight of the 12 games including a 4-for-4 effort with a double and an RBI on June 19.

After signing with Washington as a free agent this offseason, DeJong hit .204 with four doubles, two RBI, two walks, two stolen bases and three runs scored in 16 games before his injury. He reached base in his last three games, going 3-for-10 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Chaparro, 26, hit .091 with a double and a walk in four games for the Nationals this season.

We’re not in California anymore. The Nationals at long last are back home after a nine-game trip west that featured a 4-5 record and a whole lot of beautiful weather days. That’s not the case anymore. It’s disgusting back here in the nation’s capital, with temperatures in the 90s, dew points in the mid-70s and heat indexes well over 100. And now there’s a massive line of storms headed this way, putting tonight’s series opener against the Tigers in serious jeopardy.

We’ll see how that all transpires, but in the meantime let’s assume they play as scheduled. The Nats will look to hold their own against the surprisingly best-in-baseball Tigers. At least they don’t have to face Tarik Skubal, who pitched another gem Sunday night and won’t pitch again until this weekend.

Jack Flaherty is no slouch, though, and the Nationals will need to put together quality at-bats against the 29-year-old, whose bottom-line numbers (5-9, 4.80 ERA) aren’t great but peripherals are much better (1.233 WHIP, 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings).

Trevor Williams, meanwhile, keeps chugging along for the Nats. At this point, you know what you’re going to get from the veteran right-hander. At best, he’s going to keep them in the game for five-ish innings. They just have to hope he keeps Detroit’s lineup to three or fewer runs along the way.

The Nats also made a pregame roster move: Paul DeJong has been activated off the 10-day injured list about 2 1/2 months after getting hit in the face by a fastball. Andrés Chaparro was optioned to Triple-A after he went just 1-for-11 in limited playing time.

James Wood could only chuckle when presented with the news he had just become the first major leaguer to be intentionally walked four times in the same game since Barry Bonds.

“That’s pretty cool,” the Nationals left fielder. “I mean, if you’re getting put in the same sentence as him, that’s pretty cool.”

Bonds, for the record, achieved his four-intentional-walk game in 2004, at age 40, during a season in which he hit 45 homers to go along with an insane slash line of .362/.609/.812. Of his all-time-record 232 walks that year, an astonishing 120 of them were intentional. He had long since established himself as the most feared hitter in baseball by then.

Wood, on the other hand, is 22 years old. Sunday was the 163rd game of his big league career. He is only beginning to establish his place in the sport, and yet the Angels’ actions over the weekend spoke volumes about the respect he already commands.

“It stinks, because I like to watch him hit. But it’s pretty crazy that they’re already taking those measures against him,” teammate Jacob Young said. “But it makes sense. He’s carried our offense for a lot of the year, and he’s special when he’s up there.”

The Nationals today made a historic announcement for the franchise, introducing AARP as the team’s inaugural jersey patch sponsor and an official community impact partner.

With media, members of the Nats front office and executives from AARP gathered in the Terra Club at Nationals Park, franchise legend Ryan Zimmerman helped announce the partnership alongside Nationals vice president of corporate partnerships Matt Lemire and AARP chief digital officer Sami Hassanyeh.

The AARP logo will appear on all team jerseys during the regular season, postseason and spring training, making its on-field debut tomorrow, July 1, when the Nationals start a six-game homestand with an opening matchup against the Tigers at 6:45 p.m. In addition to the jersey patch sponsorship, the partnership also includes community activities and activations at Nationals Park.

“When looking for our inaugural jersey patch sponsor, it was important for us to work with an organization that aligns with our values, one that embraces not just the ‘Next Gen Natitude’ on the field and in the clubhouse, but also brings together all generations of Nationals fans,” chief operating officer of Lerner Sports Group Alan Gottlieb said in a statement. “Whether you remember bringing your kids or grandkids to our inaugural season in 2005, or you’re bringing your family to the ballpark for the first time this year, this partnership is exciting for fans of all ages, and we’re proud to welcome AARP to the Nationals family for years to come.”

“Baseball is more than a game — it’s a tradition that connects us across generations,” AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan said in a statement. “This community-based partnership with the Nationals, and seeing the AARP logo on the Nationals’ jerseys, are powerful reminders of the memories we create with the people we love, from attending a first game with a parent to building a future with the next generation. We’re proud to team up with the Nationals to celebrate those connections here in Washington and on the road in every community across the country.”

Washington Nationals right-handed pitching prospects Travis Sykora and Marquis Grissom Jr. have been selected to represent the organization in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park in Atlanta on Saturday, July 12. Major League Baseball made the announcement Monday on MLB Network. The 26th All-Star Futures Game features the top Minor League prospects competing as part of All-Star Saturday.

Sykora, 21, is the Nationals No. 1 prospect and the No. 46 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America, and the No. 54 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. After making his season-debut on May 3 until his promotion to Double-A on June 26, he led all of Minor League Baseball in opponents’ batting average (.107), WHIP (.0.61), hits per 9.0 innings (3.10), opponents’ slugging percentage (.137) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings (15.49). Sykora also ranked among all qualified Minor League pitchers in ERA (2^nd, 1.09) and strikeouts (T2^nd, 70) during that span.

A third-round pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas, Sykora is 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 11 games this season between the Florida Complex League, Single-A Fredericksburg, High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg. Despite pitching in his first game in May this year, Sykora’s 76 strikeouts rank third in the Nationals Minor League system.

The hard-throwing, 6-foot-6, 232-pound righty was named the Nationals organization’s Pitcher of the Year and the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year in 2024 after he led the Fredericksburg Nationals to the league title.

Grissom Jr., 23, is the No. 21 prospect in the Nationals organization according to MLBPipeline.com. He ranks third in Washington’s Minor League system with six saves this season. His 15 saves over the last two seasons are the most by any current Nationals farmhand.

The Washington Nationals and AARP today announced a multi-year agreement that makes AARP the Club’s inaugural jersey patch sponsor and an official Community Impact Partner. The AARP logo will appear on all team jerseys during the regular season, Postseason and Spring Training, making its on-field debut Tuesday, July 1, when the Nationals face the Detroit Tigers at 6:45 p.m. In addition to the jersey patch sponsorship, the partnership also includes community activities and activations at Nationals Park.

“When looking for our inaugural jersey patch sponsor, it was important for us to work with an organization that aligns with our values, one that embraces not just the ‘Next Gen Natitude’ on the field and in the clubhouse, but also brings together all generations of Nationals fans,” said Alan Gottlieb, Chief Operating Officer, Lerner Sports Group. “Whether you remember bringing your kids or grandkids to our inaugural season in 2005, or you’re bringing your family to the ballpark for the first time this year, this partnership is exciting for fans of all ages, and we’re proud to welcome AARP to the Nationals family for years to come.”

“Baseball is more than a game — it’s a tradition that connects us across generations,” said AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan. “This community-based partnership with the Nationals, and seeing the AARP logo on the Nationals’ jerseys, are powerful reminders of the memories we create with the people we love, from attending a first game with a parent to building a future with the next generation. We’re proud to team up with the Nationals to celebrate those connections here in Washington and on the road in every community across the country.”

Beyond the jersey patch, the collaboration is a symbol of the two Washington, D.C.-based organizations’ shared commitment to community. The partnership amplifies AARP’s key pillars of health, wealth and self through a series of initiatives, including the Nationals’ participation in AARP’s Wish of a Lifetime program. The Club will help fulfill wishes for older adults by granting exclusive access and experiences across our shared community, while also using the partnership to support and educate fans of all ages with fraud prevention tools, brain health resources, special content and more.

Through this multifaceted partnership, a multi-generational Nationals fan base can also look forward to special on-site activations, a dedicated AARP Night at the ballpark, player and mascot appearances and more. On-field and in-park signage, as well as digital and social content, will remind Nationals fans and baseball fans everywhere that AARP is “on your team and in your community,” while AARP members will have the chance to enjoy special benefits like early ballpark access, reserved parking spaces and seat upgrades into the PNC Diamond Club at every home game.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – For eight innings, the Nationals did just enough to keep today's series finale against the Angels close, overcoming missed opportunities, missed calls and missed locations to at least put themselves in position to win.

It was, quite frankly, the kind of game they lost too many times over the last week and a half during a Southern California road trip that featured as many one-run losses as wins of any margin (three apiece).

And then when it really mattered, a Nats team wrapping up a miserable month found a way to deliver and head home finally feeling better about itself for the first time in a long time.

With a ninth-inning rally against future Hall of Fame closer Kenley Jansen, then a three-run rally keyed by several youngsters in the 11th and the first three-inning relief appearance of Kyle Finnegan's career, the Nationals pulled off a rousing, 7-4 victory at Angel Stadium that felt as significant as any other during this disappointing season.

"We haven't done as well as we'd like in the wins department this road trip," Finnegan said. "But I feel like we've played pretty good baseball. So to win a game like this - last game of a long road trip away from home, guys away from their families, grind one out in extra innings - I feel like it's good for our morale."

ANAHEIM, Calif. – As he watched from the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh Saturday night, helpless to do anything about the nightmare inning his teammates were suffering through, Kyle Finnegan tried to think of any good that could come from the situation.

The Nationals’ closer would’ve rather been on the mound himself. But that wasn’t going to happen that early in the game. So he could only watch Zach Brzykcy, Eduardo Salazar and Ryan Loutos combine to give up six runs and turn a one-run lead over the Angels into a five-run deficit, then try to help them have some perspective at the end of the night.

“When you find yourself struggling for whatever reason, watching from the outside, you want to go out there and try to help or tell them what to do,” he said. “But as a young player, I think it’s important to learn on your own. Unfortunately, in this game you learn from mistakes a lot of times. I hope these guys learn from things that have hurt them and always remember the things that have gone well.”

Finnegan has been doing a lot of watching from the bullpen in recent weeks. The Nationals today play the ninth and final game of this extra-long trip through Southern California. Their closer has appeared in only two of those games, each of them coming in San Diego, where he faced only one batter each time, entering in a non-save situation each time.

The Nats have won three games on the trip, one apiece over the Dodgers, Padres and Angels. But in each case, they won by at least four runs. So there hasn’t been a save situation for Finnegan to enter.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Nationals arrived in Southern California way back on July 19, fresh off a walk-off win over the Rockies that finally snapped their losing streak at 11 games. Today, they finally wrap up this nine-game trip through all three major league cities in the region, having lost two of three to both the Dodgers and the Padres and needing a win today against the Angels to avoid the same fate.

The good news: Davey Martinez should have his top bullpen options available to him after not having them Saturday night. So if Mitchell Parker can get the Nats through five or six quality innings, Brad Lord, Jose A. Ferrer and Kyle Finnegan are all raring to go, with Finnegan in particular available for more than one inning given how little he has pitched during this road trip.

The Nats also need to score more than the two runs they scored Saturday, only one of them coming off starter Kyle Hendricks. Today they face right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, who is 3-8 with a 5.49 ERA in 16 starts. The key: He has walked 4.2 batters per nine innings while striking out only 6.5. Patience, patience, patience from a lineup that includes all of the recent regulars with one exception: Drew Millas gets the start behind the plate after Riley Adams caught the majority of five straight games following Keibert Ruiz's head injury.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Where: Angel Stadium
Gametime: 4:07 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 85 degrees, wind 8 mph out to center field

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