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June 2, 2025 / Nat Anacostia

‘There’s always going to be a tomorrow’: Nats May in review

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The Nationals started the month of May playing well but then fell into a 7-game losing streak. But after the streak broke, they won 11 of 15 and ended the month with their first winning month since August 2023.

As May began, the Nats were in Philadelphia playing the last game of a three-game series against the Phillies, having lost the first two. They won the game and went to Cincinnati for three games against the Reds. The Nats lost the first game but won the next two for a series win and for a 3–3 record on the road trip.

Back home, the Nats first faced the Guardians. The first game was rained out, forcing a doubleheader the next day. The Nats won the first game, a wild back-and-forth game in which the Nats ultimately held on for a 10–9 win. They were blown out 9–1 in the second and went on to lose the third game the next day, having played three games in less than 24 hours. Michael Soroka returned to the rotation for the third game after five weeks on the injured list, bumping Brad Lord into the bullpen. The next team the Nats faced was the Cardinals. In the first game the Nats were blown out and shut out, 10–0, with the shutout delivered by ex-Nat Erick Fedde. Their offensive woes continued in the next two games, both of which were losses, as they were outscored 20–3 in the three-game sweep. The Nats had a 1–5 record on the home stand, finishing it with a five-game losing streak.

Their next road trip began with a four-game series against the Braves in Atlanta. In the first game the Nats rallied to score two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but the bullpen gave up the walk-off run in the bottom of the inning. They also lost the second game, extending their losing streak to seven games. But they finally turned things around in third game. Trailing 4–1 after 6, they scored two in the 7th and another two in the 8th to take a 5–4 lead, which the bullpen was able to hold for the win. The next day they lost the finale, giving them a 1–3 record for the series. 

Their next stop was in Baltimore to play the Orioles. In the first game, the Nats again rallied from behind, tying the game in the top of the eighth and scoring a run to put them ahead in the top of the ninth, resulting in a 4–3 win. They beat the Orioles again in the next two games, hitting 5 home runs in game 3 with Michael Soroka recording his first win since July 2023. These victories gave them a sweep of the three-game series and a 4–3 record on the road trip.

Back home, the Nats again faced off with the Braves. They won the first game, then the second game was rained out, scheduled to be made up on September 16 in a day-night doubleheader. The Nats also won the final game. The victory came after the Braves tied it in the 9th inning, but the Nats managed to walk it off in the 10th. Also, the parents of Keibert Ruiz had their first opportunity to watch their son play in person in America, and he hit a double to drive in the Nats’ first run. The win gave the Nats a sweep of the two-game series as well as a five-game winning streak.

Next came the Giants. The Nats were shut out 4–0 in the first game but shut out the Giants 3–0 in the second. In the final game, the Nats were unable to overcome a 3–2 deficit and lost the game and the series. For the home stand, their record was 3–2.

The month ended with the Nats on a west coast road trip. In the first game against the Mariners in Seattle, the Nats were blown out 9–1. But the next night, it was the Nats’ turn to win a blow out, 9–0. The final game was a close one, still tied 2–2 after 9 innings. But for the first time in Nationals history, they scored 7 runs in extra innings to beat the Mariners 9–3.

The month of May concluded with the Nats in Phoenix playing the first two games of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks. The first game was a slugfest, which the Nats won 9–7. The second game was one for the record books, as the Nats’ first 11 batters all reached base (the first time this has happened since the Red Sox did it in 2003), and as the Nats scored 10 runs in the first inning (a club record). Furthermore, their four consecutive games scoring 9 or more runs was another club record. Nevertheless, despite their 11–0 lead after two innings, the Diamondbacks came back to make the game uncomfortably close, and the Nats’ final margin of victory was 11–7.

For the month of May, the Nats had a 15–12 record, their first winning month since August 2023 when they went 17–11. They had started the month in fourth place, 8 games behind the division-leading Mets. At the end of the month, with a 28–30 overall record, they were in third place (having slipped ahead of the Braves), 8 games behind the Mets and the Phillies, who were tied for the lead in the divisional race.

The improved Nats record in May reflected improvements in their batting. In May they ranked 5th in the NL in runs scored (with 133), 7th in home runs (with 27), 5th in slugging (.409) and 6th in weighted runs created, or wRC+ (105). The relief pitching was much improved, with team relief pitcher ERA improving from 7.41 (last in the NL) in March/April to 4.62 (9th in the NL) in May. The starting pitching, however, got worse, with its ERA going from 4.04 (9th) in March/April to 4.91 (14th) in May. 

The roster underwent a number of changes during the month. On May 1, reliever Colin Poche was designated for assignment. His record with the Nats was 1–2 with an 11.42 ERA and 2.538 WHIP in 13 games, 8⅔ innings. After he elected free agency, he signed a minor league contract with the Mets. As a replacement, the team signed Andrew Chafin, a 34-year-old lefty reliever who had pitched 601 games over 11 seasons with a 3.42 ERA and 1.275 WHIP with the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Athletics, Tigers, Brewers, and Rangers. On May 10 the Nats released reliever Lucas Sims, whose record with the Nats was 1–0 with a 13.86 ERA and 2.270 WHIP in 18 games, 12⅓ innings. He went on to sign a minor league contract with the Phillies.

On May 22, 23-year-old left-handed center fielder Robert Hassell III made his major league debut, taking the place of Dylan Crews, who went on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Hassell was drafted by the Padres in the first round, 8th overall, of the 2020 amateur draft and came to the Nationals system in the 2022 Juan Soto trade (the fourth prospect from that trade to make it to the majors). His arrival was delayed by injuries—a fractured hamate bone in 2022 and another hand injury in 2024. In 37 plate appearances in May with the Nats, Hassell hit .270/.270/.351 with 1 home run, 6 RBI, and some superb defense.

The next evening, 22-year-old lefty-batting right fielder Daylen Lile made his major league debut, taking the place of Jacob Young, who went on the IL with a left shoulder AC sprain. Lile was drafted out of high school by the Nationals in the second round of the 2021 amateur draft. In 28 plate appearances in May with the Nats, Lile hit .208/.286/.375 with 2 RBI.

On May 31, reliever Jorge Lopez was designated for assignment. His record with the Nats was 6–0 (though 2 of those wins came after blown saves, the quintessential “vulture wins”), with a 6.57 ERA and 1.297 WHIP in 26 G, 24⅔ innings. With the departures of Poche, Sims, and Lopez, all of the veteran relief pitchers signed during the off-season (other than the re-signed Kyle Finnegan) are gone with nothing in return, with the team still responsible for paying them their full salaries—$1.4 million to Poche, $3 million to Sims, and $3 million to Lopez (assuming he clears waivers).

Record:

15–12 (.556)

Pythagorean Record:

13–14 (4.93 R/G – 5.00 RA/G)

May MVP:

  • James Wood (.330/.410/.604, 7 HR, 19 R, 23 RBI, 6 SB, 1 CS, 122 PA, 177 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR). For the month of May, he ranked 5th in the NL in RBI, 4th in slugging percentage, and 3rd in fWAR.

Starting pitcher of the month:

  • MacKenzie Gore (0–2, 2.63 RA/9, 5 GS, 27⅓ IP, 13.8 K/9, .333 opp OBP, 1.0 RA9-WAR, 0.8 fWAR). For the month of May, his 42 strikeouts were tied for 3rd in the NL, and he led the league in K/9.

Relief pitcher of the month:

  • Cole Henry (0-0, 0.00 RA/9, 12 G, 14 IP, 7.1 K/9, .231 opp OBP, 6.38 RE24, 3 shutdowns, 0 meltdown, 0.7 RA9-WAR, 0.2 fWAR).

Worst month:

  • Mitchell Parker (1–3, 7.94 RA/9, 5 G, 22⅔ IP, 7.9 K/9, .371 opp OBP, –0.5 RA9-WAR, 0.1 fWAR). Others who could have won included Keibert Ruiz (54 wRC+, –0.5 fWAR), Nathaniel Lowe (63 wRC+, –0.5 fWAR), and Jackson Rutledge (–8.57 RE24, –0.5 RA9-WAR).

Best start:

  • Jake Irvin (May 24, 3–0 win over the Giants at home) pitched 8 scoreless innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 for a game score of 81.

Worst start:

  • Jake Irvin (May 30, 9–7 win over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix) gave up 6 runs on 10 hits and 1 walk in 5 innings with no strikeouts for a game score of 22. When he left the game, the Nats and D-backs were tied 6–6, but the Nats scored 2 runs in the top of the sixth to get the lead and credit Irvin with the win.

Tough losses:

  • Brad Lord (May 6, 9–1 loss to the Guardians at home) pitched 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 for a game score of 57.
  • MacKenzie Gore (May 11, 6–1 loss to the Cardinals at home) pitched 6⅔ innings and gave up 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7 for a game score of 52.
  • MacKenzie Gore (May 23, 4–0 loss to the Giants at home) pitched 6 innings and gave up 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9 for a game score of 70. The run charged to Gore was an inherited runner who scored after Gore left the game.
  • Michael Soroka (May 25, 3–2 loss to the Giants at home) pitched 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 2 for a game score of 51.

Cheap wins:

  • Trevor Williams (May 3, 11–6 win over the Reds in Cincinnati) pitched 5⅓ innings and gave up 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 for a game score of 36.
  • Mitchell Parker (May 20, 5–3 win over the Braves at home) pitched 5⅓ innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 for a game score of 47.
  • Jake Irvin (May 30, 9–7 win over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix) – see “Worst start” above.
  • Michael Soroka (May 31, 11–7 win over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix) pitched 5⅓ innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3 for a game score of 42.

Biggest shutdown:

  • Jackson Rutledge (May 22, 8–7 win over the Braves at home). Rutledge was brought in in the top of the tenth with the score tied 7–7 and an automatic runner at second. He got the first out on a fly to center, then gave up an infield single that advanced the runner to third. He then induced a ground ball double play to end the inning without a run scoring. (Win probability added/WPA +.309). The Nats scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the inning.

Worst meltdown:

  • Jorge Lopez (May 29, 9–3 win over the Mariners in Seattle). Lopez entered in the bottom of the seventh with the Nats leading 2–0. The umpire, who had been missing calls all night, missed the calls on about three pitches that should have been strikes, resulting in a walk to the first batter and Lopez barking at the umpire. Davey Martinez went out to the mound to settle Lopez down, and Lopez retired the next two batters on a strikeout and a groundout. But those were followed by a run-scoring single, a stolen base, a wild pitch advancing the runner to third, and another RBI single to tie the game before Lopez was taken out (WPA –0.351). The game went to extra innings, and the Nats rallied in the top of the 10th to score 7 runs and win the game. This game would be the last appearance by Lopez as a National. 

Walk offs:

  • Amed Rosario (May 22, 8–7 win over the Braves in 10 innings at home). The Nats entered the bottom of the tenth with the game still tied 7–7, and Robert Hassell III, in his first major league game, was the designated runner at second. Alex Call hit a sacrifice bunt to move Hassell to third, then Rosario came into the game as a pinch hitter and hit a walk off single to left to end a wild game. (WPA +.174)

Clutch hit:

  • Nasim Nuñez & José Tena (May 16, 4–3 win over the Orioles in Baltimore). Nuñez came to bat in the top of the ninth with two outs, Tena at second, and the score tied 3–3. He hit what appeared to be a routine grounder to the first baseman, but by speeding down the line, he beat the pitcher to the bag and was called safe. Meanwhile, Tena rounded third and kept running home, and not only did Tena beat the pitcher’s throw, but the ball sailed into the dugout and Nuñez was able to advance to third. (WPA +.372)

Choke:

  • CJ Abrams (May 12, 4–3 loss to the Braves in Atlanta). Trailing the Braves 3 to 1 in the top of the eighth, there were runners on first and second and no outs when Abrams came to bat. He grounded into a double play. (WPA –.203).

Memorable fielding plays:

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