The All-Star break has come to a close, and that means it’s time for real baseball to once again commence. A 3-game sweep courtesy of the New York Yankees left a sour taste in the mouths of Nats’ fans going into the break, despite an otherwise productive month of July to date, and now it’s time for the club to kick it into second gear and push for a playoff berth. They start their second-half journey to October on the West Coast, with 3 games against the Athletics on tap for this weekend.
While Washington is looking to bounce back from their series against New York, the A’s are attempting to fully turn the page and leave their prior July performance behind them. They took down the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 to begin the month, but have since lost 9 consecutive games dating back to July 3rd. Coming off 3 straight sweeps is never an ideal spot, and the Nats will be tasked with continuing to bury them in the standings.
Game One – Friday 9:40 PM EST
ATH: LHP Gage Jump (3-4, 3.51 ERA)
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (5-4, 3.83 ERA)
It’s been a splendid rookie campaign thus far for Jump, elevating him quickly to the status of one of their rotation’s most reliable arms. His egregious 2-game skid to end June and kick off July raised his ERA by over 1.5 points, but he settled down and held the White Sox to just 1 run across 5.2 innings his last time through the rotation.
Questions about Cavalli’s workload may arise in the near future, but for now, it’s full steam ahead for the 27-year-old. He will be leaned on heavily to stabilize the rotation, and the Nats’ coaching staff likely pushes him to take another step forward in his development. The righty has yet to toss a scoreless outing this year, albeit being an objectively solid starter, and it would be a great sign for him to go out there and set the tone for the second half.
Game Two – Saturday 10:05 PM EST
ATH: RHP JT Ginn (7-6, 3.67 ERA)
WSH: RHP Zack Littell (7-6, 4.90 ERA)
Speaking of taking a step forward, that’s exactly what Ginn has managed to do through 21 appearances in 2026. His season numbers are heavily swayed by the 8 runs he surrendered to Chicago in his last start, and the Nats’ lineup will look to force a repeat of that blowup outing.
Littell’s ERA has been lowered in each of his last 4 starts, a trend that will need to continue if Washington is to make a legitimate run at the postseason. He’s missed more bats as of late, and his ability to limit walks has also been a noticeable improvement from his early-season struggles.
Game Three – Sunday 4:05 PM EST
ATH: LHP Jacob Lopez (4-3, 6.83 ERA)
WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (10-2, 2.77 ERA)
Lopez’s numbers are certainly indicative of the pitcher he’s been (or hasn’t been able to be), with neither his stamina nor his effectiveness emerging as particularly impressive traits. He tossed 1.2 scoreless innings as an opener in Chicago, and that role may be more fitting for the southpaw who has yet to throw 6.0 innings in a start.
The Nationals’ “alpha dog” of their pitching staff takes the hill in the series finale, fresh off his first career All-Star Game selection. He put up an undeniably All-Star-level first half, and he’s the best bet to lead the Washington rotation down the stretch, assuming he isn’t moved before the August 3rd trade deadline.
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