The Nationals, plain and simple, have not played good baseball this week. It’s not just the fact they’ve lost three straight to the Reds, it’s the way they’ve looked in losing those three games. Sloppy defense. Bad pitching. An inability to deliver at the plate with runners in scoring position. It’s been ugly.

One win in today’s series finale won’t change all that, but it sure wouldn’t hurt. Success would start with MacKenzie Gore, who needs a bounceback performance of his own after giving up seven runs in only 2 2/3 innings his last outing at Philadelphia. The lefty would love to go into the All-Star break on a better note, not to mention an ERA lower than the 4.48 mark he brings into today’s start.

The Nats face another unfamiliar pitcher today in Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson, who makes his 10th career start. The 25-year-old left-hander enters with a 5.56 ERA, but he did hold the Padres to two runs over five innings in his last appearance.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 89 degrees, wind 6 mph right field to left field

NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
3B Jeimer Candelario
1B Joey Meneses
LF Stone Garrett
DH Keibert Ruiz
2B Ildemaro Vargas
C Riley Adams
SS CJ Abrams
CF Alex Call

For all the trouble they had when the Reds were at bat Wednesday night, the Nationals might actually have given themselves a chance to win the game had they simply converted some golden scoring opportunities in their first two innings at the plate.

Instead, another failure to pounce on a struggling opposing starter set the tone for what became a 9-2 rout rather than a competitive ballgame.

Seven of the Nationals’ first nine batters actually reached base against Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft, who entered with a 6.66 ERA. Only one of those seven (Lane Thomas) would score, and he only did so via wild pitch.

Thomas opened the bottom of the first with a walk, the 30th time he has reached base in the 61 games he has led off the first inning. Luis Garcia followed with a single, but Jeimer Candelario grounded into a killer double play that moved Thomas to third but left the Nats with two outs. Even so, they still proceeded to load the bases when Joey Meneses walked and Dominic Smith was hit by a pitch.

Ashcraft’s wild pitch scored Thomas and moved everybody else up one base, but Keibert Ruiz then grounded out to end that rally with only the one run across the plate.

Whether it was a display of gamesmanship meant to rattle a talented rookie or genuine concern about the device Elly De La Cruz had wrapped around the knob of his bat, Davey Martinez and the Nationals’ actions in the top of the second this evening didn’t produce anything close to a desired result for the home team.

Not only was De La Cruz ultimately allowed to use the device, he used it while launching a gargantuan home run to right-center and then immediately pointed at it before circling the bases, the defining moment of the Nats’ ugly, 9-2 loss to the Reds on a long, muggy night of unsightly baseball on South Capitol Street.

De La Cruz, the sport’s top-rated prospect one month ago and now the face of Cincinnati’s sudden resurgence to the top of the National League Central division, had his way with the Nationals for the second straight day.

The Nats? They lost their third straight to open this four-game series, not to mention their 13th loss in their last 14 home games despite having gone 6-3 on the road in between all that.

"We can't give teams those extra outs," Martinez said after watching his team commit two errors and allow four stolen bases. "Every time we do that, it comes back and bites us."

The Nationals’ continued search for a productive center fielder while Victor Robles is on the injured list landed on a familiar face today: The club recalled Alex Call from Triple-A Rochester and designated struggling Derek Hill for assignment.

Call rejoins the Nats only three weeks after he was demoted because of his own struggles, plus Robles’ initial return from a back injury. When Robles had to go back on the 10-day IL with a recurrence of the injury, Hill was given the promotion over Call.

Hill never found offensive success in D.C. Though he had a robust .914 OPS at Triple-A, the 27-year-old outfielder batted just .170 with one extra-base hit, three walks, 11 strikeouts and a .411 OPS in 13 big league games. He finally recorded his first RBI in his 48th plate appearance during Tuesday’s 8-4 loss to the Reds.

“When you’re not seeing the results, you start pressing a little bit,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We talked to him about shortening his swing a little bit, and it felt like he was getting long. We worked with him, and just nothing came out of it.”

Having already played for the Tigers in parts of the previous three seasons, Hill was out of options and couldn’t be demoted without first being exposed to waivers. Hence today’s move to designate him for assignment. If he goes unclaimed, he could wind up back in Rochester.

The Nationals tonight look to bounce back from two uninspired losses to the Reds to begin this homestand, and they’ll have a new face patrolling center field. (Though he’s not actually new, he’s just back for the first time in a few weeks.) Alex Call has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester, with struggling Derek Hill designated for assignment after a particularly rough game Tuesday.

Call, who didn’t exactly set the world on fire at the plate while filling in for the injured Victor Robles, gets another chance to prove his worth until Robles is ready to return from his lingering back issues. He’ll bat ninth tonight, behind CJ Abrams. Joey Meneses returns to the cleanup spot, with Dominic Smith bumped down to the No. 5 position against Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft.

Josiah Gray makes his final start before heading to Seattle for his first All-Star Game. The young right-hander is coming off one of his best outings of the season in Philadelphia, and surely he would love to keep the positive vibes going before he joins his fellow All-Stars out West next week.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 89 degrees, wind 4 mph right field to left field

NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
2B Luis García
3B Jeimer Candelario
DH Joey Meneses
1B Dominic Smith
C Keibert Ruiz
LF Corey Dickerson
SS CJ Abrams
CF Alex Call

CJ Abrams came up to bat four times during Tuesday’s game at Nationals Park, and he was legitimately pleased with both the process and the results of three of those plate appearances.

There was a third-inning double to right. There was a fifth-inning double to left. And there was a ninth-inning leadoff walk.

The common theme with those plate appearances? Abrams swung at pitches in the zone and took those outside the zone. He took two pitches off the plate and then doubled on a changeup right over the heart of the zone in the third. He took three straight pitches, two of them called balls, before driving a sinker at the knees the other way for a double in the fifth. And he took five straight pitches in the ninth, the first of them called a strike, the others all called balls.

“I was swinging more at my pitch today,” he said. “Swinging at good pitches I can handle. I was seeing in the zone, going fastball the other way, pulling the changeup and reacting.”

The ninth-inning walk, in particular, pleased Abrams’ manager.

The home runs surrendered – all three of them – were bad. They accounted for five of the eight runs the Nationals allowed today during an 8-4 loss to the Reds.

If you’ve paid any attention to this team this year (or recent years, for that matter), you know that matters less to Davey Martinez than the quality of baseball his team plays. Which is why this Independence Day performance, in which the home club made just about every manner of fundamental mistake possible in the sport of baseball, was far more alarming than the glare of the bombs bursting in air rocketed off the Reds’ bats.

There were extra bases taken by Cincinnati and extra bases handed over by Washington. There was a successful pickoff attempt that turned into one of six Reds stolen bases after Dominic Smith's throw tailed past Luis García's reach. There was a popup into shallow left-center that fell in between three fielders. There was an uncontested steal of third that put the runner in position to score moments later on a sacrifice fly, then another uncontested steal of third the following inning that mercifully didn't cost them in the end.

"We've got to play better," Martinez said. "We came off a (6-3) road trip that we played really, really well. We've got to get better. ... Today, the defense wasn't there. We couldn't hold their runners on. They were stealing everywhere. We've got to get better holding runners on. We can't let them just get out there and run."

All of that made for a frustrating game to watch for a Fourth of July crowd of 30,434 that desperately wanted to see better play from the home club, but instead could only watch the young and aggressive Reds win for the 18th time in their last 22 games and wish the Nationals played like that.

From the moment last summer he learned he would need Tommy John surgery, Tanner Rainey established his goal for recovery: Return to the Nationals in one year.

The right-hander now finds himself one month away from that target date, and though he believes he could be pitching in a major league game come early August, he understands why the Nats are purposely slowing him down a bit.

“It’s still a goal,” Rainey said. “I would like to be ready to face hitters full-on around that one-year mark. It’s not something I want to get too tied up in. I’d rather be completely healthy and ready to go than just hit a goal. But obviously that one-year mark is still on my mind.”

After spending the majority of the season rehabbing in West Palm Beach, Fla., Rainey is in Washington this week, invited back by manager Davey Martinez to throw in front of the major league coaching and training staffs and spend some quality time with teammates as he enters the final phase of his recovery process.

Rainey had his elbow ligament replaced August 3. He’s had no setbacks since then and is currently throwing two 45-pitch bullpen sessions per week. He has not faced live hitters yet, but he’s likely to cross that important threshold next week.

It’s Independence Day in the nation’s capital, and that means morning baseball. It’s become a great tradition here, the 11:05 a.m. first pitch at Nationals Park. It can be a rush for everyone to get to the park and get prepared for the game, but once it starts it’s always a fun atmosphere. And everyone loves being able to head home early and enjoy the rest of the holiday.

The Nationals will be hoping for more fireworks at the plate than they produced during Monday night’s 3-2 loss. They’re going to have to be better with runners in scoring position (1-for-9). If not, they’re going to have to hit the ball out of the park with some runners on base for a change.

Patrick Corbin gets the start, and he’s coming off his best outing of the season, in which he shut out the Mariners over seven innings. The Reds have a potentially tough lineup, but we saw Jake Irvin and Co. hold them to three runs Monday night, so there is a path to success for Corbin.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 11:05 a.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv, MLB Network
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, wind 8 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
2B Luis García
3B Jeimer Candelario
1B Dominic Smith
DH Joey Meneses
LF Corey Dickerson
C Riley Adams
SS CJ Abrams
CF Derek Hill

Facing baseball’s hottest team, the Nationals turned to four of their least-experienced pitchers tonight, then watched as Jake Irvin, Jordan Weems, Joe La Sorsa and Amos Willingham did everything in their power to minimize damage and give their teammates a chance to beat the Reds.

Presented with that opportunity, the Nats lineup faltered, leaving the biggest crowd of the season on South Capitol Street to watch a postgame fireworks show frustrated following a 3-2 loss.

The game was there for the taking all night long, if only somebody standing at the plate in a Nationals uniform was willing to take it. Alas, they managed only hit with a man in scoring position, misfiring just about every time they had a shot at tying the game or even taking the lead.

"We were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. That hurt us from the first inning on," manager Davey Martinez said. "I talk about it all the time: Drive in that runner from third with less than two outs. We've got to find a way to do that. It's a different ballgame if we do that."

Returning home from a highly successful, 6-3 trip to San Diego, Seattle and Philadelphia, the Nats reverted back to the form that has plagued them all year long in this ballpark. They are now an inexplicable 13-28 at home, worst in the National League despite a very respectable 21-22 record on the road.

After spending the majority of the season to date with zero left-handers in their bullpen, the Nationals are going to keep two for the time being after making another roster move today, but not the one that seemed the likeliest.

With Patrick Corbin returning from the bereavement list, the Nats placed Thaddeus Ward on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, keeping both Jose A. Ferrer and Joe La Sorsa in a bullpen that suddenly includes two lefties.

Ferrer just made his major league debut Saturday after his promotion from Triple-A Rochester. The 23-year-old pitched a scoreless inning against the Phillies, then did it again during Sunday’s 5-4 victory. He’ll now get a chance to stay and prove he can enjoy continued success at this level.

“He’s throwing the ball well,” manager Davey Martinez said. “The biggest thing I like is he’s throwing strikes. It’s something I talked to him about when he got here: ‘It doesn’t matter how hard you throw, or what you throw. It’s about throwing strike one.’ And so far, he’s done that.”

La Sorsa, who made two appearances for the Rays earlier this season before the Nationals claimed him off waivers and called him up late last month, impressed in his first two outings but allowed four runs while facing only five batters during Saturday’s 19-4 loss in Philadelphia.

When they left town a week and a half ago, the Nationals were reeling, having just gone 1-6 during one of the worst homestands in club history. They return tonight having completely reversed that trend, going 6-3 on a long trip that included stops in San Diego, Seattle and Philadelphia. What should we expect now as they open the final week of the first half with seven games in seven days against two of the majors’ most surprising teams?

It begins tonight with the first of four against the Reds, who only three weeks ago were 29-35 and in third place in the National League Central. Since then, with top prospect Elly De La Cruz leading the way, they’ve gone 16-4 and now are tied with the Brewers atop the division.

It’ll be up to Jake Irvin to try to hold that exciting Cincinnati lineup down. The rookie right-hander has looked quite impressive since returning from a brief hiatus to rest and work on his mechanics. He’s got a 2.70 ERA in those three starts, issuing only five walks while striking out 14. He’s still looking for his first win since May 8, though.

Veteran right-hander Luke Weaver starts for the Reds, and things have not gone well for him. Weaver enters tonight with a 6.96 ERA and 1.608 WHIP, though curiously he hasn’t received a decision either way in his last nine starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Thunderstorms, 84 degrees, wind 8 mph out to center field

We are now only nine days from the 2023 Draft, one that not only features some of the best top-tier talent the sport has seen in a long time, but one that also sees the Nationals with one of the top picks for the first time in a long time.

The Nats don’t own the No. 1 pick like they did in 2009 and 2010, but if there’s ever a year to be satisfied with not owning the No. 1 pick, this is it. As many as five players are viewed by experts as No. 1 talents: LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, LSU right-hander Paul Skenes, Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford and high school outfielders Walker Jenkins and Max Clark.

Because they pick second, the Nationals are at the mercy of the Pirates, who have their choice of the entire field. Most experts believe Pittsburgh will take one of the two LSU stars who just won the Men’s College World Series, but there remain valid rumblings they could prefer Langford or one of the high schoolers because of the money they’d save and be able to apply to later-round picks.

The Nats have been widely connected to both Skenes and Crews, with maybe an outside chance they take Langford instead. There’s little buzz about them drafting a high school player with this pick.

So in all likelihood, general manager Mike Rizzo, longtime vice president of scouting Kris Kline and their team of evaluators are going to be selecting someone who played in last weekend’s much ballyhooed national championship series in Omaha. All possess elite skills, all are experienced and all are expected to reach the major leagues in short order.

SEATTLE – Throughout an often frustrating season at the plate, Nationals coaches have needed to remind Keibert Ruiz that his process has been good, even if the results didn’t suggest it. He was hitting the ball well, just not getting hits.

At some point, though, talk is cheap. Doesn’t a hitter need to actually see positive results to justify the process?

“Yes,” Ruiz said with a wide smile when asked that question Wednesday afternoon. “I need to see a lot of results. Everybody wants to get results.”

Then the Nationals catcher got serious again and finished his answer with the standard company line.

“But I’ve got to control what I can control: Having good at-bats, and that’s it,” he said.

SEATTLE – On another day in which the Nationals were on the wrong end of a baserunning call by an umpire, another day in which Davey Martinez was ejected after arguing the aforementioned baserunning call, victory was still assured thanks to the dominant performance from a source that has been anything but dominant for the better part of 3 1/2 years now: Patrick Corbin.

As his manager and other teammates went ballistic over plate umpire Derek Thomas’ controversial sixth-inning call on Keibert Ruiz for running out of the baseline to avoid a tag at the plate, Corbin stayed above the fray and pitched his best game of the season, leading the Nats to a 4-1 win and a series victory over the Mariners.

"Look, you can say whatever you want about Patrick," Martinez said of his beleaguered veteran lefty. "What I know about Patrick is he's going to take the ball every five days. For me, that's awesome. And I love him for that."

Corbin tossed seven scoreless innings, scattering five singles without issuing a walk. He struck out nine, and needed only 102 pitches to complete those seven zero-filled frames to emerge with his fifth win of the year while lowering his ERA under 5.00 in the process.

"That's the end goal: Get as many wins as we can, and have everybody do their job," Corbin said. "Sometimes, it does get frustrating, but you've got to continue to grind and try to focus on the positives and learn from mistakes. I'm not going to get too high after this one, just look at some of the things I did well and try to improve and get ready for my next one."

SEATTLE – The Nationals wrap up the West Coast portion of their nine-game road trip this afternoon with a matinee against the Mariners. They’ll do so without two regular members of their lineup starting, each for different reasons.

CJ Abrams is sitting after getting hit by a pitch on his right elbow in the top of the seventh Tuesday night. It was actually the second time the young shortstop was hit in that location during this trip, and this time it swelled up enough to warrant departing the game.

Abrams did initially remain in Tuesday’s game and proceeded to steal second after reaching. On the slide, he appeared to get spiked on his right hand. When the inning ended, he remained in the dugout, with Ildemaro Vargas taking over at shortstop for the final five frames of an 11-inning victory.

Abrams was walking around the clubhouse this morning with his right arm in a sleeve after receiving treatment. He didn’t sound concerned about missing any length of time.

“He’s a little sore; he’s getting worked on this morning,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He should be available to pinch-hit, play some defense later on in the game. Just giving him a little breather. He’s a guy who got hit twice in the same spot in a week. He woke up today a little sore.”

SEATTLE – The Nationals have spent an inordinate amount of time on the West Coast this season. Today, they play their 25th road game against West division opponents. Compare that with only six road games against Central teams and only nine road games against East teams. They’ve made four separate trips to California in three months.

The good news: Today is the last time the Nats will play west of St. Louis this season. And they would love to head back east with another win, not to mention a 4-2 record in San Diego and Seattle before departing for Philadelphia.

Davey Martinez’s lineup for the finale against the Mariners does not include CJ Abrams, who was hit by a pitch on the right elbow Tuesday night and had to depart. It does not include Joey Meneses, who gets a rare day off. It does include both Keibert Ruiz (who is DHing) and Riley Adams (who is catching).

Patrick Corbin gets the start, hoping for better results than his blowup start in San Diego to begin this trip (seven runs in five innings). The Nats could certainly use some length from the left-hander today after playing 11 innings Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SEATTLE MARINERS
Where: T-Mobile Park
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 70 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center field

SEATTLE – Luis García’s RBI single in the top of the 11th was a key moment in the Nationals’ wild, 7-4 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night. His play at second base throughout the game might have been just as significant, and certainly eye-opening to the team at large.

In what was arguably his best defensive game of the season, García turned two key late double plays. And he nearly turned a third one with an incredibly high degree of difficulty.

With runners on the corners and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh of what was a tie game at the time, Seattle’s Kolten Wong hit a chopper to short. Ildemaro Vargas fielded it and threw the ball to García at second base for the first half of what looked like a routine 6-4-3 double play that would concede the go-ahead run.

But instead of throwing to first, García turned against his body and fired to the plate, where Keibert Ruiz caught the throw and tagged a sliding Jarred Kelenic. Plate umpire Brennan Miller called Kelenic out, and the Nats thought they had just pulled off a rare 6-4-2 double play.

The Mariners, though, challenged the call. And upon replay review, it was determined Kelenic barely slid into the plate before Ruiz could apply the tag.

SEATTLE – The weirdest game of the Nationals’ 2023 season included four pitch clock violations, plus one that was overturned after the umpires huddled up. It included players and coaches from both benches coming onto the field to break up an argument over an accusation Jeimer Candelario was signaling pitch locations while leading off second base.

It included CJ Abrams departing with an injury after getting hit by a pitch on the right elbow. It included several jaw-dropping plays by Luis García, including one that nearly saved the day in the seventh … until umpires overturned their original call upon review and awarded the Mariners the go-ahead run.

It included Keibert Ruiz blasting a game-tying homer in the eighth, the young catcher finally rewarded for the loud contact he’s been making for several weeks. It included a no-doubles defense by the Nats that actually played a ball into a double.

And it ultimately included two desperately needed clutch hits from Lane Thomas and García to propel the Nationals to an exhausting 7-4 11-inning victory.

"They fought," manager Davey Martinez said. "This team is relentless. They don't give up. They stay focused. They stay in the game. And we come out victorious in the end, which was awesome."

SEATTLE – Davey Martinez’s tirade against Doug Eddings last week after the longtime umpire ejected the Nationals manager for arguing balls and strikes generated plenty of video clicks and chuckles from all who watched the replay. Martinez understood that would happen when he got down on his hands and feet and mockingly “caught” a pitch two inches off the ground to show Eddings just how low his strike zone was.

Martinez’s real concern in that moment, and in the days since, though, was how CJ Abrams would respond to it. It was a low strike three call to Abrams that initiated the firestorm in the first place, and Martinez worried his young shortstop would change his approach because of it.

After weeks of work to lay off pitches below his knees, Abrams was starting to show a better eye at the plate. Would that no longer be the case if he was taking those pitches and still striking out due to overeager umpires?

“He’s young, and whenever he gets a call that’s controversial, you see that he tends to expand a little bit more,” Martinez said. “We have to always tell him: ‘Do not let the umpires dictate what you’re trying to do up there. Understand who you are, and understand the pitch you’re looking for. And stay in the zone.’”

The evidence since last week’s incident has actually been encouraging. Abrams has continued to produce good at-bats during this West Coast trip, and he enters tonight’s game against the Mariners batting .393 (11-for-28) with three doubles and a homer over his last eight games.