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July 6, 2026 / Nat Anacostia

‘Just to be able to keep it there’: Nats June in review

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June was a mixed bag for the Nationals. They opened the month with a 31–29 record, in second place in the NL East trailing the first-place Braves by nine games. By mid-month, their record was four games over .500 for the first time since 2019. But they also experienced several heart-breaking bullpen meltdowns and wound up going 13–14 for the month, finishing it just one game over .500. While they finished the month only seven games behind the slumping first-place Braves, they had dropped to fourth place in the divisional standings, surpassed by the surging Phillies and Marlins.

June began with the Nats in the middle of a home stand getting ready to face the Marlins in a three-game series. In the first game, the Nats took a 3–1 lead into the sixth inning when the bullpen took over and, presaging a chronic problem for the rest of the month, gave up three home runs for a 7 to 3 loss. The Phillies took over second place in the NL East race with the Nats dropping to third. The Nats then lost the next two games for a series sweep by the Marlins. For the home stand as a whole (which had begun with a two-games-to-one win over the Padres), their record was 2–4.

Their next road trip took them to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks and to San Francisco to play the Giants. When the series opened, the Diamondbacks were tied for the second wild card spot. The Nats won their first game against the D-backs, slugging five home runs in a 14-to-1 blowout. They also won the second game but lost the third one. In their first game against the Giants, it was the Nats’ turn to overcome a deficit as they scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 4 to 3 win. They also won the second game, but in the third game the bullpen suffered a historic meltdown. Ahead 9 to 1 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Nats surrendered five runs. In the top of the ninth, the Nats responded with one insurance run, giving them a 10 to 6 lead. But in the bottom of the ninth, Gus Varland and Mitchell Parker couldn’t get anyone out, as they combined to surrender two doubles and two walks followed by a walk-off grand slam home run hit by Giants rookie Bryce Eldridge. The Nats won the series two games to one and had a 4–2 record on the road trip.

Back home, the Nats faced the Mariners, who were in first place in the AL West. The Nats lost the first game 10 to 2 but won the other two games, nailing down the series win with a 10-to-1 victory in game three. Their next series was against the Royals, and they won the first two games. At this point (June 16), the Nats were four games over .500 and had moved into the third spot in the NL wild-card race. For the first time in years, fans were seriously asking whether they could actually make a playoff run this season. The published playoff probabilities indicated that it was still unlikely (9.5% probability according to Fangraphs), but fans could still hope and dream. The Nats lost the third game but still won the series and finished the home stand with a 4–2 record.

The Nats’ next road trip was a brief three-game series in St. Petersburg against the Rays, who had the second-best record in the American League and were in line for the first wild-card berth. It would be the start of a demanding span of games on 13 consecutive days in four cities. They lost the first game but held on to win the second game 4 to 3. In the third game, they led 3 to 2 after six innings but gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 4 to 3 loss, losing the series (and the road trip) two games to one.

They next went home for a four-game series against the Phillies, who were in line for the first NL wild-card spot. The Nats took the first game handily behind a strong outing by Foster Griffin. Ahead 5 to 2 after six innings, they appeared to be in line to win the second game as well, but the bullpen gave up one run in the seventh and three more in the eighth to fall behind 6 to 5, with Clayton Beeter charged with the blown save. But the Nats came back and retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a 3-run homer by Jorbit Vivas, leading the Phillies 8 to 6. Five relievers had already been used when Blake Butera called on Brad Lord to pitch in an unusual (for him) save situation. He proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced, but then he couldn’t get anyone out. When, six batters later, Butera finally pulled him from the game, the Nats were trailing 11 to 8. The Phillies ultimately scored eight runs in the top of the ninth and won the game 14 to 9.

The next two games were similar stories. In game 3, the Nats were ahead 4 to 3 after eight innings, then Richard Lovelady gave up a two-run home run, and the Nats lost 5 to 4. The Marlins passed the Nat in the NL East standings, as the Nats fell to fourth place. In game 4, the Nats were ahead 5 to 2 after six innings, but the bullpen gave up three runs in the top of the seventh for the team’s fourth blown save in three games. The tie went into the top of the ninth when former Nat Bryce Harper hit a 2-run homer to put the Phillies ahead, with the Phillies winning the game 10 to 5. Even though the Nats led all four games going into the late innings, they lost the series (and the homestand) 3 games to 1.

The month concluded with three-game series in Baltimore and Boston. They lost the first game against the Orioles, with their record dropping back below .500 for the first time since June 3. But the Nats came back to win the second game 4 to 3 in ten innings and also won the third game and the series. Going to Boston, they lost the first game against the Red Sox but won the second 8 to 1 behind a superb pitching performance by Cade Cavalli, the best so far of his career. However, Cavalli’s great pitching performance was overshadowed by a brawl that started when Willson Contreras charged the mound after Cavalli shouted an insult at him. Though Cavalli was allowed to finish the game, he (and teammate Miles Mikolas) would face suspensions for their roles in the brawl.

In June, the Nats offense slowed from its red-hot pace in April and May as the Nats were tied for 11th in MLB in runs scored with 136 and ranked 19th in wRC+ with 100. The earned run average of the pitching staff for June was 4.69, which ranked 24th among MLB teams. But the average cloaked a large difference between the five pitchers who formed the pitching rotation, whose ERA in June was 3.60, and the other pitchers who were relievers or openers, whose ERA was 6.19. During June, the Nats’ pitching problem was really a bullpen problem.

Roster moves

On June 24, 25-year-old left-handed pitcher Carson Palmquist debuted with the Nationals, pitching 3⅓ innings as an opener for Miles Mikolas. He had been drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the second round of the 2022 amateur draft and pitched 9 games for them (including 7 starts) in the 2025 season. His record was 0–4 with 27 strikeouts and 25 walks in 34⅓ innings pitched, with an 8.91 ERA and a 2.04 WHIP. In May, the Nationals purchased his contract from Rockies.

On June 27, 31-year-old right-handed relief pitcher Justin Lawrence debuted with the Nats. He was drafted by the Rockies in the 12th round of the 2015 amateur draft. Over six seasons, from 2021 to 2026, he pitched in 229 games for the Rockies, Pirates, and Twins, going 13–15 with 248 strikeouts in 239⅔ IP, with a 5.37 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. The Nats selected him off waivers from the Twins on June 24.

On June 29, the Nats placed Richard Lovelady on the 15-day injured list with a left triceps strain. On the same day, they placed Mitchell Parker on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. Two days later, when it became clear that Parker would probably need Tommy John surgery, he was moved to the 60-day injured list.

On June 15, the Nationals organization cut ties with pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara when he was released by the Harrisburg Senators. He then signed with the Yomiuri Giants to pitch in Japan. The first Japanese player signed by the Nats directly from Japan, he signed a two-year contract in the 2024–25 offseason. In 2025 he pitched in 23 games for the Nats, including 2 starts, going 38⅔ innings with a 1–1 record, 30 strikeouts, a 6.98 ERA, and a 1.55 WHIP.

On June 17, the Nats released right-handed pitcher Julían Fernández. During 2025 and April 2026, Fernández pitched 6 games for the Nats, going 7 innings with a 1–0 record, 7 strikeouts, a 2.57 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP. Despite a good pitching record in limited time with the team, he was unable to stay healthy.

Record:

13–14 (.481)

Pythagorean Record:

14–13 (5.04 R/G – 4.74 RA/G)

June MVP:

  • Foster Griffin (2–0, 1.44 RA/9, 5 G, 5 GS, 31⅓ IP, 9.5 K/9, 0.80 WHIP, 1.7 RA9-WAR, 0.9 fWAR). He never had a bad outing—the game scores in his five starts this month were 63, 61, 60, 75, and 76.

Position player of the month:

  • Luis García, Jr (.306/.352/.776, 11 HR, 17 R, 27 RBI, 91 PA, 202 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR). He was named National League Player of the Week for the week of June 22 to June 28 after going 10 for 19 with 2 doubles, 6 home runs, 3 walks, 9 RBI, and 8 runs scored in 6 games played. He became just the fourth MLB player since 2022 to hit 6 home runs in a 6-game span. (The others were Kyle Schwarber, Eugenio Suárez, and Aaron Judge).

Relief pitcher of the month:

  • PJ Poulin (0–0, 1.86 RA/9, 8 G including 3 GS as an opener, 9⅔ IP, 4.7 K/9, 0.83 WHIP, 3.73 RE24, 2 shutdowns, 0 meltdowns, 0.4 RA9-WAR, 0.2 fWAR). His performance was a bright spot in a pretty dark month for the Nats bullpen.

Worst month:

  • Mitchell Parker (1–1, 10.13 RA/9, 9 G, 10⅔ IP, 7.5 K/9, 2.34 WHIP, –7.56 RE24, 1 shutdown, 3 meltdowns, –0.7 RA9-WAR, –0.3 fWAR). It was a dreadful month for him that ended with news that he will probably need Tommy John surgery.

Best start:

  • Cade Cavalli (June 30, 8–1 win over the Red Sox in Boston) pitched 7 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 1 hit and no walks while striking out 13 for a game score of 86. That was the highest game score for a Nats pitcher since Jake Irvin pitched 8 scoreless, one-hit innings against the Mets on July 4, 2024, for a game score of 87. Cavalli became the third Nats pitcher to get at least 13 strikeouts while allowing one or fewer hits in 7+ innings, joining Max Scherzer (who did it twice) and Stephen Strasburg. The last time it was done by a Nats pitcher was Scherzer’s second no hitter on October 3, 2015.

Worst start:

  • Zack Littell (June 12, 10–2 loss to the Mariners at home) gave up 5 runs on 4 hits and 1 walk in 1⅔ innings with no strikeouts for a game score of 26.

Tough losses:

  • None

Cheap wins:

  • None

Biggest shutdown:

  • Justin Lawrence (June 27, 4–3 win over the Orioles in Baltimore in 10 innings). Making his debut with the Nationals, Lawrence was thrust into one of the more difficult save situations for a pitcher—pitching the bottom inning of an extra inning game with a one-run lead and the automatic runner on second base. In that scenario, the home team scores at least one run about 60 percent of the time. The first batter Lawrence faced grounded out to first, which advanced the runner to third. The second batter grounded to shortstop and CJ Abrams was able to gun down the runner at home, preventing the tying run from scoring. Lawrence then gave up a single followed by a walk, loading the bases. But Lawrence then got Samuel Basallo to ground out to second, ending the game and giving the Nats the win. (Win probability added/WPA +.443).

Worst meltdown:

  • Mitchell Parker (June 10, 11–10 loss to the Giants in San Francisco). When Parker got the call, it was not a happy situation for the Nats. Having entered the bottom of the eighth ahead of the Giants 9 to 1, they had given up 5 runs in the bottom of the eighth. Then, after scoring one more insurance run in the top of the ninth, Gus Varland had been called on to close the ninth inning with a 10 to 6 lead. He faced three batters and gave up two doubles and walk. So, when Parker came to the mound, the Nats’ lead was 10 to 7 and there were runners on first and second and no outs. Still, the odds favored the Nats. The two runners didn’t matter—all Parker needed to do was to ensure that no one other than the two runners already on base would score. Parker gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Jung Hoo Lee, loading the bases. The next batter, Giants rookie Bryce Eldridge, then belted a grand-slam home run into deep right field for a walk-off win by the Giants. (WPA –.824).

Walk off:

  • None

Clutch hit:

  • Jorbit Vivas (June 23, 14–9 loss to the Phillies at home). When Vivas came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Nats were trailing 6 to 5, and there were runners on first and second with no outs. Vivas walloped the ball over the center field fence, giving the Nats a 8 to 6 lead that we thought would be enough to secure a win. (WPA +.399). However, it wasn’t enough. The Nats bullpen would have a huge meltdown in the top of the ninth, giving up eight runs to the Phillies for a 14–9 loss.
  • For a clutch hit in a game the Nationals won, we have Daylen Lile (June 8, 4–3 win over the Giants in San Francisco). In the top of the ninth, CJ Abrams had just tied the game at three runs apiece with a two-run single. Lile came to bat with two outs. After Abrams stole second, Lile was able to hit a line drive single to center field, scoring Abrams and putting the Nats ahead 4 to 3. (WPA +.356)

Choke:

  • Curtis Mead (June 2, 7–3 loss to the Marlins at home). Trailing the Marlins 4 to 3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Luis García had just hit a one-out triple, and it was Mead’s job to get him home. Mead hit a pop fly to second base, and García was not able to score. (WPA –.174)

Memorable fielding plays:

Leaderboard watch:

The following Nationals players ended the month of June ranked among the top five players in the National League in the specified statistical categories. I also indicate when any player was ranked first in MLB.

  • James Wood – fifth in on-base plus slugging (.899), first in games played (tied for first in MLB) (87), fourth in at bats (335), first in plate appearances (MLB) (405), first in runs scored (MLB) (73), second in total bases (172), third in home runs (21), first in bases on balls (64), tied for first in strikeouts (MLB) (124), fourth in adjusted OPS+ (150), tied for first in extra base hits (MLB) (42), first in times on base (156), second in intentional bases on balls (8) , fifth in weighted on-base average (.385), fifth in win probability added (2.23), third in RE24 (26.69)
  • Luis García Jr. – fourth in slugging percentage (.542), fifth in isolated power (.261), tied for fifth in runs batted in (57), third in win probability added (2.42)
  • CJ Abrams – tied for first in runs batted in (60), fourth in hit by pitch (10), tied for first in errors committed (12), fifth in RE24 (21.75)
  • Nasim Nuóez – first in stolen bases (MLB) (32), tied for third in sacrifice hits (6), second in assists (219), tied for third in errors committed (11)
  • Jacob Young – fifth in total zone runs (9), fourth in outs above average (11), fourth in fielding runs value (9)
  • Foster Griffin – fifth in walks & hits per IP (WHIP) (1.037)
  • Cade Cavalli – tied for first in games started (MLB) (18), first in hit by pitch (12)
  • Zack Littell – first in home runs allowed (22)
  • Clayton Beeter – tied for first in wild pitches (MLB) (6)
Filed under Month in review

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