OAKLAND, Calif. – It’s days like this, performances like this, that make you realize why the Nationals were so high on MacKenzie Gore all along.

The Nats have had promising young left-handers over the years. They’ve had guys with good fastballs. They’ve had pitchers determined to be the best.

But they’ve never had all of that wrapped into one package. Gore has everything going for him; he just needs to start putting it together on a regular basis. And on this day, he did.

With an unhittable fastball that overwhelmed the Athletics lineup, Gore struck out 11 in five scoreless innings, leading the Nationals to a 3-1 victory in one of the signature starts of his burgeoning career.

“It’s beautiful,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He goes out there and attacks the strike zone. He goes out there and competes. Hopefully, we can now see that consistency.”

OAKLAND, Calif. – Things you don’t expect to see when you come to California: a tarp covering the infield. Yes, it’s raining here today, and it’s supposed to rain on and off all day. We can only hope it doesn’t prevent the Nationals and Athletics from playing as scheduled, or at least with minimal delay. Because the idea of a Sunday doubleheader, with a flight to Los Angeles at the end of that, can’t be appealing to anyone.

The Nats got a really good start Friday night out of Jake Irvin, who gave up one hit (alas, a homer) in six innings. They’ll hope for more good stuff today from MacKenzie Gore, who was very strong last time out against the Phillies and now faces what on paper looks like a far less imposing lineup. (I know, I know. Careful what you wish for.)

The Nationals also could use a much better offensive showing than they put forth Friday night, when they managed only one run (Jesse Winker’s ninth-inning homer) and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The good news: They don’t have to face Paul Blackburn again. It’s right-hander Joe Boyle, a rookie making his sixth career start. He was beat around by the Red Sox but then shut out the Tigers over five innings last time out.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Where: Oakland Coliseum
Gametime: 4:07 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Rain, 53 degrees, wind 11 mph right field to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Jesse Winker
1B Joey Gallo
LF Eddie Rosario
2B Luis García Jr. 
3B Trey Lipscomb
C Riley Adams
CF Jacob Young

OAKLAND, Calif. – As the Nationals looked up at the massive scoreboards at Oakland Coliseum, they saw the number one listed in the Athletics’ hit column most of the night. It would be changed to a two late in the evening, but that’s not exactly a big number, either.

And yet here the Nats were, coming up to bat in the top of the ninth, trailing the game because one of Oakland’s hits off Jake Irvin was Lawrence Butler’s third-inning homer and none of their own hits had produced a run.

Jesse Winker, at long last, took care of that annoying situation.

Winker’s leadoff homer in the top of the ninth off A’s closer Dany Jiménez finally got the Nats on the board and Irvin off the hook. But when they couldn't take the lead, the game moved into extra innings, at which point Trey Lipscomb made a baserunning blunder and Kyle Finnegan surrendered a walk-off single to Lawrence Butler for a tough 2-1 loss.

"We created some opportunities; just couldn't get that run in," said manager Davey Martinez, whose team went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. "Winker was our offense today."

OAKLAND, Calif. – The revolving door that is the 26th man on the Nationals roster stopped on a new name today: Amos Willingham. The club wanted to carry an extra reliever for this weekend’s series against the Athletics, so Willingham got the call to replace catcher Drew Millas, who flew to San Francisco for one game Wednesday before getting sent right back to Triple-A Rochester.

Turns out the Nats might have preferred to keep Millas around a little longer, because Keibert Ruiz remains sick with flu-like symptoms, leaving the team with only one healthy catcher tonight in Riley Adams.

Ruiz hasn’t played since Monday’s series opener against the Giants. Adams caught the following night, then Millas was called up for Wednesday’s game, which he started before being optioned back to Rochester at the end of the day.

Millas’ spot went to Willingham, recalled from Rochester this morning to give the team an eighth reliever.

“We thought we needed another guy in the bullpen,” manager Davey Martinez said. “So he’s going to be with us until otherwise noted. But I really felt like we could use another guy in the bullpen to help us out a little bit. They’ve been out there quite a bit already, so having another guy in the bullpen helps.”

OAKLAND, Calif. – For only the third time in club history, the Nationals are playing at the Oakland Coliseum. They were here in 2014. They were here again in 2017. And now they’re back in 2024. And sadly, this appears to be the last time they’ll be coming here, with the Athletics announcing plans to relocate to Sacramento for three seasons while they wait for their proposed new ballpark to open in Las Vegas. It all makes for a sad situation here for a once-proud franchise and its loyal fan base.

The Nats will look to keep things going in a positive direction tonight after taking two of three across the bay in San Francisco. They’ve got Jake Irvin on the mound for his third start of the season, seeking his first truly good start. (He actually pitched pretty well against the Phillies last week but was done in by one bad pitch to J.T. Realmuto, which turned into a three-run homer.)

Keibert Ruiz once again sits, so he must still be feeling sick. That’s not ideal, because the Nationals sent Drew Millas back to Triple-A Rochester after Wednesday’s game and called up reliever Amos Willingham this morning. So it’s Riley Adams behind the plate, with no real help unless Ruiz feels well enough to play in an emergency.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Where: Oakland Coliseum
Gametime: 9:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 57 degrees, wind 15 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
1B Joey Gallo
DH Joey Meneses
LF Jesse Winker
CF Eddie Rosario
C Riley Adams
2B Luis García Jr.
3B Trey Lipscomb

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals were off Thursday, which may have been a good thing because enough happened the previous few days to make 24 hours of rest welcome for everyone. There have been injuries big and small, lots of stolen bases, some impressive home runs, a wild ninth-inning escape, a bunch of roster moves and more wins than losses.

Now, before the trip continues with a short drive over the Bay Bridge for this weekend's series in Oakland, let's take some time to consider all that's happened already this season. If you have a question you'd like answered, just leave it in the comments section below, then check back later for my responses.

Keep in mind, of course, that I'm on Pacific Time right now. So my first response won't be coming quite as early in the morning as it usually does!

SAN FRANCISCO – The most surprising thing about the Nationals’ 7-1 loss to the Giants on Wednesday? Nobody on the team stole more than one base during the game.

This wouldn’t normally qualify as any kind of surprise. Except the 2024 Nationals have made such feats on the basepaths so commonplace, it’s suddenly shocking when it doesn’t happen on any particular day.

The season is only two weeks old as of today, so much could still change. But at this early juncture on the baseball calendar, the Nats lead the majors with 25 stolen bases. And they’ve been caught only twice, making for a 93 percent success rate that dwarfs anything they’ve done before.

“They’re playing with their hair on fire,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And I like it.”

This was a point of emphasis from Martinez and his coaches to their players throughout spring training. They knew this lineup’s shortcomings (power) and strengths (young athleticism). Instead of lamenting what they didn’t have, why not take full advantage of what they do have?

SAN FRANCISCO – A wild, eventful, successful opening series to this long West Coast trip gave way to an entirely undramatic loss in this afternoon’s finale.

A Nationals club that did so many things well – and overcame a sudden string of injuries – to take two straight from the Giants the previous two nights, did little well during a 7-1 loss at Oracle Park. And because of it, there was no first sweep of 2024, nor a return to .500 for now.

Patrick Corbin could not make enough pitches to prevent San Francisco from racking up seven runs and 11 hits off him, the left-hander’s worst of three starts to begin the year.

Corbin’s defense did him few favors, failing to make several plays that could have bailed him out and ended innings much sooner.

And the Nats lineup inflicted very little damage against Jordan Hicks, who was all over the place yet somehow allowed only one run on four hits and two walks in six innings.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Nationals swapped a pitcher for a catcher prior to today’s series finale against the Giants, optioning Joan Adon back to Triple-A Rochester following his fill-in start Tuesday night and calling up Drew Millas to give them an extra position player for the time being.

With no need for a fifth starter again until next week in Los Angeles, the Nats decided to demote Adon, who tossed four innings of one-run ball in place of the injured Josiah Gray. Rather than call up another pitcher, they opted to add Millas, who will catch today’s game with Keibert Ruiz under the weather and Riley Adams sitting after starting Tuesday’s game.

Millas played in 11 games with the Nationals late last season, going 8-for-28 with a homer and six RBIs. He was sent to Rochester to begin this season but like the rest of his teammates had to deal with four consecutive postponements due to bad weather and thus has played in only four Triple-A games to date.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You’ve got to push yourself, hold yourself accountable in those scenarios. Honestly, I’ve never been through anything like that before, four straight days of not even remotely having a chance to play.”

Millas was enjoying the solar eclipse Monday afternoon with his fiance when Rochester manager Matt LeCroy called and informed him he needed to pack his things and fly to San Francisco to join the big league club.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Nationals have a chance today to sweep a road series, extend their winning streak to four games and reach the .500 mark. Not a bad position to be in, especially considering all the other stuff that’s been going on in recent days.

Despite the injuries, the Nats are playing good baseball right now. And another win this afternoon over the Giants would further solidify that notion.

After using up five relievers, including Hunter Harvey (who had to depart after getting hit on the left hand with a line drive), the bullpen could be thin today. So look for Patrick Corbin to get his 100 pitches in, whether it takes him four or seven innings to get there.

The Nationals made a roster move early this morning, promoting Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester and optioning Joan Adon back down one day after he gave them four innings in place of the injured Josiah Gray. The move gives the team an extra position player (not to mention three catchers) for the time being. Eventually, they’ll need to call up another starting pitcher, perhaps Jackson Rutledge.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Oracle Park
Gametime: 3:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 67 degrees, wind 7 mph out to center field

SAN FRANCISCO – The 2024 Nationals aren’t constructed to win games with power. More often than not, they’re going to need to manufacture runs when presented with the opportunity.

Of course, nobody said they can’t do both on the same night, and emerge victorious because of it.

Thanks to an early blast from CJ Abrams, some patented small ball late and then a major escape act from Kyle Finnegan in the ninth, the Nats pulled off a 5-3 win over the Giants tonight at Oracle Park, taking the first two games of this series and securing their first three-game winning streak of the young season.

"I just think that's kind of the way we're built," said rookie center fielder Jacob Young, who became the third member of the team already this year to steal three bases in a game. "We have a bunch of guys who can do a lot of different things. ... We have a lot of ways we can hurt you."

Abrams’ two-run homer in the third – a 423-foot missile to deep right-center that nearly cleared the bleachers to reach McCovey Cove – gave the Nationals an early lead and served as a hearty welcome back for the young shortstop, who missed the previous three games with a bone bruise on his left pinky finger.

SAN FRANCISCO – Though he’s now on the injured list for the first time in his major league career, Josiah Gray was encouraged to learn the strain in his elbow and forearm is not likely to keep him out as long as a more serious injury he believes he avoided.

Gray, who officially went on the 15-day IL today with what the Nationals have termed an elbow/forearm flexor strain, said an MRI taken in recent days showed his elbow ligament is intact, as well as all other forearm muscles. The right-hander doesn’t know a precise timetable yet for his absence, but he did not suggest it will be a prolonged absence.

“Overall, a positive outlook,” he said. “It sucks to miss time and not be out there helping the guys winning games. But it’s a part of what pitchers are and what we do. I’m just going to take it on the chin and take it day-by-day.”

Gray said he first noticed an issue following Thursday’s start against the Pirates, when he “just felt a little more banged-up than usual.” He attempted to throw his standard between-starts bullpen session over the weekend and still didn’t feel right, so he alerted the Nationals training staff and had tests taken.

The strain that was discovered via MRI was muscular in nature, affecting the flexor-pronator mass, not his ulnar collateral ligament. Given the recent spate of major pitching injuries throughout the sport, with a number of prominent big leaguers needing Tommy John surgery, Gray was relieved to learn his prognosis.

SAN FRANCISCO – This was supposed to be a big outing for Josiah Gray, who would have been looking to bounce back from two ragged starts to begin his season. Instead, Gray is on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow/forearm flexor strain and Joan Adon instead will make this start against the Giants.

Adon is no stranger to the big leagues; this is his 26th career start. And he pitched here at Oracle Park two years ago, suffering a 9-3 loss. He made only one start for Triple-A Rochester, though, and that was 11 days ago when he gave up four runs (two earned) in only 2 1/3 innings. The challenge will be even tougher tonight.

The Nationals lineup does get a boost with CJ Abrams returning after three days off with a bone bruise in his left pinky finger. The shortstop took batting practice and fielded grounders prior to Monday’s game, so it appears he’s good to go. The Nats will happily welcome him back to the top of their lineup tonight as they face Giants lefty Kyle Harrison in his 10th career start.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Oracle Park
Gametime: 9:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 60 degrees, wind 11 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Joey Gallo
1B Joey Meneses
LF Jesse Winker
C Riley Adams
2B Ildemaro Vargas
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

SAN FRANCISCO – Josiah Gray is going on the injured list and won’t make his scheduled start tonight against the Giants.

The Nationals announced today Gray was placed on the 15-day IL with what the club termed a right elbow/forearm flexor strain. Joan Adon will start in his place tonight at Oracle Park.

The severity of Gray’s injury isn’t clear yet, but the Nats were concerned enough to have Adon join them in San Francisco on Monday as part of the taxi squad they’re allowed to carry during road trips. The 25-year-old right-hander opened his season at Triple-A Rochester, allowing four runs (two earned) in 2 1/3 innings 11 days ago. He hasn’t pitched since.

Gray was named the Nationals’ Opening Day starter for the first time this spring but struggled in each of his first two outings, allowing a total of 13 runs and 15 hits in 8 1/3 innings against the Reds and Pirates. He last pitched April 4, but IL moves are allowed to be backdated only three days, so he officially goes on the IL as of April 6.

This is the first time Gray has gone on the IL in a major league career that began in 2021 with the Dodgers. Despite his at-times erratic performances since joining the Nationals that summer, his durability has never come into question.

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s the difference between a rookie that starts his career on a high note but then fades away with time and one who proves he can sustain success over the long haul, learning and adapting along the way.

It’s still far too soon which category Trey Lipscomb will fall into, but there’s no doubt the Nationals rookie infielder wants to prove he can be the type of player who adapts and grows and thus maintains success long-term.

“I think that’s the fun part about baseball: The adjustments you have to make day by day,” he said. “Not every day you’re going to get three hits. Some days you might go 0-for-3, 0-for-4. But come back to the ballpark, and the guys around this clubhouse make you feel like you’re going to go out there and get three hits every game. I think that’s the thing I’ve been going through, and I feel good.”

Lipscomb said this late Monday night after his latest notable performance in the big leagues, this one coming on the heels of his first mini-slump.

The 23-year-old took the Nats by storm his first three days with the club, going 5-for-11 with a homer and a walk. Then came the inevitable downturn, which in his case looked like a 1-for-18, five-strikeout funk over the next five days.

SAN FRANCISCO – Not that their offensive issues could be whittled down to one thing, but the Nationals hadn’t exactly been a patient bunch through the season’s first nine games. Too often, Davey Martinez found himself lamenting the fact an opposing starter had made it through the fifth inning on 60-some pitches, thanks to an overaggressive lineup that wasn’t drawing walks and wasn’t scoring runs.

The message entering tonight’s series opener against the Giants had to be an obvious one: Make Blake Snell work. The veteran left-hander, in his much-anticipated season debut, is notoriously wild. And because he signed so late this spring, he never had a chance to build his arm up and would have to be on a tight pitch count.

Consider the message received and, more importantly, implemented. The Nats took full advantage of Snell’s situation, knocked him out after three innings and coasted to their easiest win of the young season, opening this West Coast trip with an 8-1 victory at Oracle Park.

"I sat with them yesterday for a little while, just talking about getting the ball in the zone, taking your walks and extending some innings," manager Martinez said. "And we did a great job today. We came in, we had a plan."

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner held out all winter for a nine-figure contract, but his reputation – he led the league in walks despite also leading it in ERA – scared away a number of suitors. In the end, he settled for what amounts practically to a one-year, $32 million deal with the Giants only one week before Opening Day and then rushed to get himself ready to make his debut tonight.

SAN FRANCISCO – CJ Abrams is out of the lineup for the third straight day, but the Nationals shortstop appears to be progressing from an injured finger well enough to think he will be ready to return Tuesday night.

Abrams, who suffered a bone bruise in his left pinky sliding into second base Friday night, was due to take a full round of batting practice and fielding drills prior to tonight’s series opener against the Giants. Barring any setbacks, he could be available to come off the bench tonight and then return to the lineup Tuesday.

“He felt better today,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’s going to go out and do all baseball activities. Hopefully he’ll be available to pinch-run, pinch-hit, whatever we need him for. But if he goes through everything well, he’ll probably be back in the lineup tomorrow.”

The bone bruise is on Abrams’ glove hand, so it doesn’t really impact him in the field. The larger issue is at the plate, but he’s made progress the last few days and should be able to play through it soon.

“Right now, it’s his swinging,” Martinez said. “He said he swung the bat better today in the cage. But it is his top hand. Every time he goes to turn like that, it kind of catches him. But they taped him up; he said the tape helped. Hopefully he’ll go out there today, take batting practice and get out in the field.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Unfortunately, there were no eclipse sightings here on the West Coast today. Fortunately, the view at Oracle Park is awe-inspiring enough, despite the absence of any celestial bodies.

The Nationals open a nine-game West Coast trip tonight, the first six of which take place in the Bay Area, with a nicely scheduled San Francisco-Oakland pairing all week before they head to Los Angeles. And they’ve arrived here just in time to be part of a big debut for the home team.

Blake Snell, the top free agent pitcher who sat around unsigned all winter and spring, finally makes his Giants debut tonight. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner with the Padres is ready to go after his late start to spring training, but you’d have to think the lefty will be limited to some extent in his first start.

Trevor Williams starts for the Nationals, and if you forgot, he actually delivered the best start of anyone in the rotation the first time through, holding the Pirates to two runs and three hits over 5 1/3 innings Wednesday in D.C. This is a great pitcher’s park, so perhaps Williams (who has been known to serve up a homer or two) will benefit from it, though the Giants have quietly assembled a really nice lineup as they try to catch the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the NL West.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: Oracle Park
Gametime: 9:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 61 degrees, wind 13 mph out to center field

The Nationals and Stephen Strasburg have finally reached agreement on financial terms of the right-hander’s contract that allowed him to officially retire from baseball today.

A formal announcement is still forthcoming, but two sources familiar with the agreement confirmed it has been finalized with terms amenable to both the pitcher and the organization, ending a long and protracted negotiation that threatened to ruin the Nats’ relationship with one of the most important players in club history. Major League Baseball's official transactions log shows Strasburg retired today.

Strasburg has not been able to pitch since June 9, 2022, when he made his one and only major league start of that season, giving up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in Miami. Unable to fully overcome the symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, even after his 2021 surgery, he finally conceded last year another comeback would not be possible.

Strasburg and the Nationals had plans to formally announce his retirement in early September 2023, but those plans were scrapped only days before the expected ceremony when the two sides couldn’t agree on the financial details of the arrangement.

Strasburg, who signed a seven-year, $245 million extension in December 2019, less than two months after winning World Series MVP honors, is still owed a little more than $100 million over the next three years. His contract, like all long-term major league contracts, was guaranteed, but the Nationals wanted to alter those terms, or at least spread out his remaining payments over a longer period of time, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

An early home run by the opposition left the Nationals in yet another early hole. A big blast of their own a few minutes later brought some life back into the park and left ample opportunity for them to make up the rest of the deficit before day’s end.

Alas, it’s kind of tough to mount a comeback – even if one requires only two runs to complete – without recording a single hit. And for the Nats, just one hit was a major chore.

Held scoreless and hitless the rest of the way following Joey Gallo’s two-run homer in the bottom of the third, the Nationals never even gave themselves a chance to mount a comeback against the Phillies, who rode their early offense to a 5-2 victory in the second game of a weekend series.

Despite getting a string of zeros from starter Jake Irvin and relievers Derek Law and Robert Garcia from the fourth through eighth innings, the Nats lineup was again shut down by a Phillies pitching staff that allowed only two hits Friday night during a 4-0 win.

All of which leaves the Nationals at 2-6 overall and now needing a win Sunday to avoid a series sweep and a hugely disappointing season-opening homestand before embarking on a long West Coast trip.