Watching the Nationals slog their way through Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Rockies, and contemplating a lineup that has been held to a grand total of 14 runs over its last six games (five of them losses), it was hard not to look forward and ask the question surely on everyone’s minds right now.

When is the rest of the calvary coming?

The Nats have been fielding a lineup for a while that does feature several potential young building blocks: James Wood, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., Keibert Ruiz, Jacob Young. The rest of the lineup, though, continues to feature placeholders, some of whom could theoretically be part of the long-term plan, though the odds are still against that actually coming to fruition.

So it’s not wrong to end each night looking not only at the major league box score, but at the Triple-A Rochester box score to check in on the big-name prospects who are still waiting for the call. Most notably, Dylan Crews and Brady House.

Crews is one of the top rated prospects in the sport, the second overall pick in last summer’s draft considered one of the surest bets in recent history. While the two players drafted directly before (Paul Skenes) and after (Wyatt Langford) have been big leaguers for months now, Crews remains a minor leaguer. One with good-but-not-great numbers.

Not that the Nationals have fielded an imposing lineup often this season, but the group Davey Martinez currently has at his disposal isn’t exactly going to leave opposing pitchers quaking in their boots.

Tonight’s batting order against the Rockies included a leadoff hitter with a career .696 OPS, a 7-8-9 triumvirate with a combined four homers this year and a No. 3 hitter who has been in the majors for all of one week and wasn’t a highly rated prospect at the time of his promotion.

So, as uninspired as the Nats’ 3-1 loss this evening was, it could not have taken very many by surprise. What, exactly, was this particular lineup expected to produce beyond CJ Abrams’ solo homer in the sixth?

The Nationals didn’t produce anything else of consequence against Rockies starter Austin Gomber or the two relievers who followed. And in the process, they wasted another solid outing by DJ Herz, who overcame an unsightly top of the first to actually put together one of his best starts in a while.

"We try to get guys in a position for them to be successful, because they've done it in the minor leagues," said Martinez, who had Alex Call leading off, Andrés Chaparro batting third and a 7-8-9 of Riley Adams, José Tena and Jacob Young. "Up here, it's a little different. I think it's more or less trying to get experience on the pitcher, the guys they're facing. Perfect example today: This guy threw three breaking balls in a row. A lot of guys didn't think he would do it, when a lot of times he did do it. ...

It’s been more than two months since Joey Gallo last played for the Nationals, a significant hamstring strain having brought his season to an immediate halt on July 11 in Detroit. The team’s lineup that evening included a host of names no longer affiliated with the organization: Lane Thomas, Jesse Winker, Eddie Rosario, Nick Senzel.

Finally activated off the 10-day injured list today, Gallo is healthy but not in the Nats lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Rockies. The lineup instead includes a host of names playing at Triple-A two months ago: James Wood, Juan Yepez, Alex Call, Andrés Chaparro, José Tena.

“It’s funny, because when I was down there, a lot of these guys I met down there. And now they’re up here,” Gallo said “I actually know everybody really, really well. I don’t know if it’s a good thing that I know everybody, because I was hurt. But it’s cool. It’s a new clubhouse, but it’s the guys I already knew and was hanging out with down there.”

Gallo spent the last two weeks at Rochester on an extended rehab assignment, during which he hit three homers, drove in eight runs, walked 11 times, struck out 12 times and saw action both at first base and in right field.

The extra work, he believes, was necessary after the long layoff.

The last week was not especially kind to the Nationals, who went 2-4 on their road trip to Baltimore and Philadelphia, at times looking overmatched by two of the best teams in baseball. The good news: They’re back home and facing a team with a worse record in the Rockies. At 46-79, Colorado is tied with Miami for the worst record in the National League, with only the wretched White Sox even worse than them across the majors.

The Nats still need to play well the next three days, of course, and they’ll hope DJ Herz can keep up what he’s been doing the last few weeks on the mound. After a midseason hiccup, Herz has gotten back on track, with a 3.04 ERA over his last five starts, including a quality start last week at Camden Yards. He struggled a bit at Coors Field earlier this summer, though, lasting just 3 2/3 innings in the thin mountain air.

The Nationals did not see Austin Gomber in that late-June series in Colorado. The left-hander enters with a 4.82 ERA and 24 homers allowed in 125 innings but did produce quality starts in two of his last three outings. The Nats have a big bat back in the lineup, with Joey Gallo finally activated off the 10-day injured list after a two-week rehab stint at Triple-A Rochester. He replaces Travis Blankenhorn, who was optioned to Triple-A.

The Nats also activated Robert Garcia off the bereavement list and optioned Orlando Ribalta to Rochester, giving them three lefties in the bullpen for the first time this season.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 73 degrees, wind 11 mph in from left field

BALTIMORE – The smile on Orlando Ribalta’s face was still there Wednesday afternoon, some 19 hours after he made his major league debut in the ninth inning of the Nationals’ 9-3 victory over the Orioles.

It was far from a perfect debut; he retired only two of the five batters he faced and had to be pulled when his pitch count got too high. But the experience nonetheless was one Ribalta will never forget.

“I obviously had a lot of adrenaline going, but I know it’s part of the environment, being the first time,” he said. “It was the best thing. It was really cool.”

Promoted from Triple-A Rochester along with first baseman Andres Chaparro, Ribalta was thrown right into the proceedings, handed the ninth inning with the Nats holding a comfortable lead. Davey Martinez hoped the 26-year-old right-hander could record the final three outs of the game, but the manager ultimately had to summon Derek Law to finish it off.

Ribalta, whose head admittedly was spinning under the circumstances, will continue to get opportunities now that he has arrived in the big leagues. The Nationals hope to learn more about the physically imposing reliever over the season’s final seven weeks, determining if he looks like he could be part of the 2025 bullpen or not.

BALTIMORE – The Nationals have not yet closed the gap with the Orioles that has existed for multiple seasons now. One of these teams is headed for its second straight October appearance. The other is spending the next seven weeks identifying which players will be part of a team attempting to win in 2025 and which players will not.

But the gap is shrinking, and the four head-to-head matchups between the two interleague rivals this year underscored that. After getting swept by Baltimore last season and scoring a grand total of one run in the process, the Nats split the Battle of the Beltways this season and actually outscored their opponents by five runs along the way.

Tonight’s finale was right there for the taking, as well, and could’ve given the Nationals their first series victory over the Orioles since 2018. But a lack of offense doomed them on a night when DJ Herz pitched well but took a hard-luck, 4-1 loss at Camden Yards.

Herz allowed just two runs over six strong innings, both runs scoring on one swing in the bottom of the first. His teammates couldn’t match those numbers, though, one night after busting out for nine runs on 15 hits during a lopsided victory.

Tuesday’s big win, coupled with a 3-0 victory back in May in D.C., allowed the Nationals to go 2-2 against Baltimore for the season. And the two losses were highly competitive: a 7-6, 12-inning loss in May, then tonight’s tightly contested affair.

BALTIMORE – Davey Martinez gathered his entire coaching staff together on the Nationals’ off-day and told the group he had an announcement to make: Every one of them was being invited back for the 2025 season.

Prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Orioles, all of them – pitching coach Jim Hickey, hitting coach Darnell Coles, bench coach Miguel Cairo, first base coach Gerardo Parra, third base coach Ricky Gutierrez, catching and strategy coach Henry Blanco, bullpen coach Ricky Bones, pitching strategist Sean Doolittle and assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson – signed their new contracts. And this afternoon, Martinez made it public, ensuring his full staff not only will return for another season but was made aware long before the current season ends.

“I really wanted to get it done now,” Martinez said. “This way, there’s a little bit of unity, and all the guys know they’ll be back, instead of doing it at the end of the year. I really feel like this is a good corps, and we work really good together. And they’re doing a great job with the kids. For me, it was important to get it done as soon as possible.”

This was a significant departure from the 2023 season, when Martinez (who signed his contract extension in late-August) didn’t make decisions on his coaches until October, making several changes to what had been a tight-knit staff.

With all of the current coaches on one-year deals, speculation had been growing there could be more changes coming this fall, most notably at the hitting coach position. Ultimately, Martinez – with the blessing of general manager Mike Rizzo and Nationals ownership – gave a vote of confidence to everyone, and didn’t make anyone – including the players – have to sweat out the season’s final seven weeks before learning who would be back in 2025.

BALTIMORE – The Nationals have not exactly enjoyed much success against the Orioles in recent years. They entered 2024 having lost 10 of their last 11 to Baltimore, having scored a grand total of one run in four head-to-head games last season. Well, the narrative appears to have flipped at last. The two teams split the series in D.C. back in May. And then the Nats won handily, 9-3, Tuesday night here at Camden Yards. Which means at worst they’ll split the season series, with a shot at winning it for the first time since 2018 if they can win tonight’s finale.

Davey Martinez would love to keep the offense going from 24 hours ago. The Nationals not only scored nine runs, they rapped out 15 hits, 10 of which featured an exit velocity in triple digits. Boy, have they been waiting for something like that. Now, how much of Tuesday’s output was familiarity with Trevor Rogers, and how much was something else? Perhaps we’ll find out tonight when they face Dean Kremer, who enters with a 4.70 ERA but has won each of his two previous career starts against the Nats, including 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball last year.

The Orioles have never seen DJ Herz before, because the left-hander made his major league debut several weeks after the two teams met earlier this season. Herz’s last start was disrupted by rain, so it’s hard to evaluate that performance. He was solid in each of his three previous starts, going five innings each time and never allowing more than two runs.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Camden Yards
Gametime: 6:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 84 degrees, wind 6 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
DH Juan Yepez
LF James Wood
1B Andrés Chaparro
2B Luis García Jr.
C Keibert Ruiz
RF Alex Call
3B Ildemaro Vargas
CF Jacob Young

BALTIMORE – When the Nationals signed Harold Ramirez to a minor league contract on June 15, then called him up to the majors a week later, the intention was clear: Add a proven big league hitter to a lineup and bench that could use more of them, the kind of bat that could help a team win more games and perhaps even keep itself in a wide-open National League wild card race.

When the Nats designated Ramirez for assignment prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles, the intention was also clear, if dramatically altered from two months prior: It’s time to prioritize young players who may have a future with the organization than older ones who don’t.

It wasn’t so much about Ramirez’s production. The soon-to-be 30-year-old hadn’t been great, but he hadn’t been awful, either. It was about creating a roster spot – and playing time – for Andres Chaparro, a 25-year-old rookie acquired two weeks ago from the Diamondbacks for Dylan Floro who theoretically could figure into the team’s long-term plans.

Chaparro, let’s be clear, is not a top-rated prospect. He was the return for two months of a veteran setup man, not two years of a productive everyday player. But his Triple-A numbers over the last two seasons – a .282/.363/.500 slash line with 51 doubles and 48 homers in 242 games – were hard to ignore.

And given the current state of the Nationals, who are sorely lacking in power, especially from the corner infield positions, it made all the sense in the world to get Chaparro up here now and get an extended look at him.

BALTIMORE – In their season-long search for more offensive punch, the Nationals tonight found plenty of it from one key piece of their long-term plan and one unexpected new piece of the puzzle who might just play his way into the long-term plan if he keeps this up.

Behind the second four-hit night of James Wood’s young career and a record-setting three-double night from Andrés Chaparro in his major league debut, the Nats busted out at the plate during a 9-3 victory over the Orioles.

Facing a Baltimore pitching staff that held them to a grand total of 15 runs in their last nine head-to-head matchups, the Nationals put forth one of their best offensive showings in a while, their highest scoring output against the Orioles since May 22, 2021, when their lineup included Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman.

The names involved tonight can’t come close to comparing to that trio, but given how inexperienced they are, who can say with any certainty what they will become when it’s all said and done?

Wood, the top-rated prospect in baseball not long ago, continued to hit the ball extremely hard with three singles and a double that all boasted an exit velocity of at least 99.5 mph. Chaparro, a power-hitting corner infielder stuck at Triple-A the last two seasons but acquired two weeks ago from the Diamondbacks for reliever Dylan Floro, put on the kind of power display the Nats have dreamed of getting all year from their first basemen.

BALTIMORE – As this season transitions from one of early dreams of a surprise run to one that’s still primarily focused on the future, the Nationals decided to make a pair of transactions today that will give them a chance to look at two more young players at the expense of veterans.

The Nats promoted first baseman Andrés Chaparro and reliever Orlando Ribalta from Triple-A Rochester prior to this evening’s series opener against the Orioles and cleared space for both by designating designated hitter Harold Ramírez and reliever Jordan Weems for assignment.

“We want to take a look at some of these young kids,” manager Davey Martinez said. “Both have done really well at Triple-A.”

Indeed, Chaparro and Ribalta have been knocking on the door, performing at a level worthy of consideration. Now each will get an opportunity to make his major league debut.

Acquired just two weeks ago at the trade deadline in a last-minute deal with the Diamondbacks for Dylan Floro, Chaparro went on a tear at the plate in 10 games with Rochester. The 200-pound corner infielder hit four homers with 10 RBIs, a .419 on-base percentage and 1.076 OPS, picking up right where he left off with Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate in Reno, where he batted .332 with 19 homers and 75 RBIs in 95 games.

BALTIMORE – Hello from Camden Yards, where the Battle of the Beltways wraps up over the next two nights. The two teams split their two-game series in D.C. back in May, so it’s anybody’s game here this week.

The Nationals are still looking for consistency from their rotation, and that includes Jake Irvin, who gets the ball tonight. The right-hander has put together a couple of quality starts since the All-Star break, but he’s still pitching as well as he did during the season’s first half, and is coming off a game in which he allowed five runs in five innings to the Giants, including three home runs surrendered.

The Nats lineup will actually be facing a familiar foe in Trevor Rogers, the former Marlins left-hander acquired by the Orioles at the trade deadline. Rogers took the loss in each of his two starts against the Nationals earlier this season, but it wasn’t really his fault. He allowed only five runs in 12 innings, but his teammates provided only two runs of support. The Baltimore lineup, suffice it to say, is a bit more productive than the Miami one, so he may not have to worry about support as much tonight.

The Nats made a couple of roster moves before tonight's game, selecting the contracts of infielder Andrés Chaparro and right-hander Orlando Ribalta, and designating Harold Ramírez and Jordan Weems for assignment

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Camden Yards
Gametime: 6:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 6 mph in from left field

Anthony Rendon’s long-awaited return to D.C. over the weekend served as a reminder how lucky the Nationals are not to have re-signed one of the stars of the 2019 World Series run, assuming he would’ve experienced the same injuries and drop in production here as he has in Anaheim.

But it also served as a reminder how the Nats have spent the last five years searching in vain for Rendon’s long-term replacement at third base.

A mindboggling 20 different people have played the hot corner for the franchise since 2020. Some (Carter Kieboom, Trey Lipscomb) were supposed to be the future at the position. Some (Jeimer Candelario) were productive stopgaps who were traded at peak value. Some (Starlin Castro, Maikel Franco, Nick Senzel) were unproductive stopgaps who lost all value during their time here. And some (Ildemaro Vargas, Josh Harrison, Asdrubal Cabrera) were and are still quality utilitymen pressed into more regular playing time because of the struggles of others.

What have they all had in common? An inability to seize the job for themselves and ensure the organization no longer needed to find its third baseman of the future.

The Nationals arguably are in no better shape now at third base than they were five years ago. Sure, there’s a highly touted prospect, a former first round pick, waiting to make his major league debut in the near future. But can anyone say with certainty Brady House will be the next Rendon and not the next Kieboom?

He entered the season as the Nationals’ most promising, highest ceiling, young starter. And two months in, MacKenzie Gore was building himself a case for an All-Star selection and the designation of staff ace.

Two-plus months later, the Nats are left wondering what in the world happened to make Gore’s season devolve this much. And what they’re supposed to do about it now.

With another laborious, abbreviated start featuring a lack of command, an inability to put away hitters and one back-breaking hit, Gore was roughed up yet again and left the Nationals in a hole they tried to climb out of but ultimately could not in a 6-4 loss to the Angels.

The left-hander lasted only four innings, giving up five runs (albeit five unearned runs) while letting 11 batters reach base, six via walk. His bullpen only poured more fuel on the fire, the team ultimately issuing 13 total walks during the affair, establishing a club record for a game of any length.

"If one guy walks, or you get a guy in scoring position, you're trying not to give up that hit or that run. You put a lot of pressure on yourself," manager Davey Martinez said. "That's the only thing I can think of. You're forcing yourself to get the ball over the plate. And that's when all the balls start happening. We've got to focus on just getting to the next pitch, and focus on that one batter, not try to get ahead of ourselves." 

The Nationals would probably prefer not to play extra innings today. They’ve gone to the 10th three days in a row, and the thought of another long game with an overtaxed bullpen can’t be real appealing at the moment. The good news: They’ve won the last two nights, which means they have a shot at a rare series sweep this morning.

Yes, this morning. Pre-noon baseball in the District of Columbia is no longer confined to July 4. The Nats and Angels today are playing on the relatively new "MLB Sunday Leadoff on Roku" package. That means it’s only available via online streaming, not conventional TV. But it is free, with no special subscription required. Click on this link for instructions, then enjoy the game with a mixed broadcast crew featuring Bob Carpenter on play-by-play alongside Angels analyst Mark Gubicza, with Dan Kolko serving as the on-field reporter.

MacKenzie Gore gets the start for the Nationals, and boy do they need some innings out of him today. Gore has been slightly better each of his last two starts, but he’s still nowhere close to the peak form he displayed earlier this season. This would be a wonderful time for the lefty to make a bigger step in that direction and give his team some sorely needed length.

The Angels have their own pitching issues right now, and today they’re sending rookie Jack Kochanowicz to the mound for only his third career start. The 23-year-old right-hander has given up 12 runs and 14 hits in only seven major league innings to date, suffering blowout losses to both the Mariners and Athletics.

The Nats are without CJ Abrams for the third straight game, at least in the starting lineup. Abrams did pinch-run in the 10th inning Saturday, but it appears there's still concern about his ability to bat with back spasms. With the team off Monday, he may just be playing it safe and gearing up to return Tuesday in Baltimore.

Upon reaching the dugout steps following a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, Kyle Finnegan caught Davey Martinez’s eye and told his manager he wanted to return to the mound for the top of the 10th.

To which the Nationals manager replied: “Well, I want to win right here and not send you back out. But if we have to, yeah.”

Much to Martinez’s chagrin, the Nats did not win Friday night’s game in the bottom of the ninth, so he did ultimately have to send his closer back out there for a second inning of work, one day after he’d thrown 28 pitches during a disastrous outing that resulted in three runs crossing the plate.

This time, Finnegan posted a zero, stranding the go-ahead runner at third base and giving his teammates another opportunity to walk-off the Angels. Which is exactly what they did, thanks to Alex Call’s game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th.

“I’m happy they had trust in me to go back out there and try to strand that leadoff runner on base,” he said.

The Nationals already have enough trouble scoring runs and hitting for power when at full strength. Remove their All-Star leadoff hitter from the equation, and the task can feel impossible.

So, when word came down about an hour before first pitch tonight that CJ Abrams had been scratched because of back spasms, even the most optimistic Nats fan had to be concerned this could turn into a long night at the plate.

It was. Until the home team made it worth the wait with a late rally and a rare extra-inning win.

Alex Call’s line drive single just past drawn-in second baseman Luis Guillorme brought Jacob Young home from third and gave the Nationals a rousing, 3-2 victory in 10 innings to avenge Thursday’s 10-inning loss to the Giants.

"The boys wanted it," manager Davey Martinez said. "They wanted it tonight. You could tell. They didn't want another extra innings and not win. They wanted to celebrate."

What kind of memories flooded Anthony Rendon’s mind when he walked into Nationals Park today for the first time in five years?

“I mean, there’s a big sign, right when you get off the bus,” he said with a laugh. “You can’t miss it.”

That sign, located just outside the home clubhouse, is the 2019 World Series champions logo. It probably would not exist if not for Rendon, whose litany of clutch hits that October made him perhaps the Nats’ most valuable player throughout their postseason run.

That Rendon hadn’t been back to see that sign, or anything in this ballpark, until today involved quite the odd combination of events over the last five years.

He of course signed a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Angels a little more than a month after the World Series parade. And when COVID forced Major League Baseball to keep all interleague games regional in 2020 and 2021, that prevented the Nationals and Angels from playing each other. The Nats did go to Anaheim in 2022 and again in 2023 (when MLB debuted its new schedule including one series against every team from the opposing league).

Twenty-eight major league teams have come to D.C. to face the Nationals at some point during the last two seasons. The only one that hasn’t: the Angels, who remarkably haven’t played here since 2017. That streak finally ends tonight with the opener of a three-game series (weather permitting), and that means the long-awaited return of one of the most important players from the 2019 World Series roster.

Things haven’t gone so great for Anthony Rendon since he left Washington for Anaheim about a month after hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. He hasn’t come anywhere close to playing at the same level for the Angels, and he’s dealt with a smorgasbord of injuries on top of that. But he’s healthy now and will finally get the chance to get the ovation he deserves from the Nationals Park crowd.

The Nats, meanwhile, really need a quality start out of Mitchell Parker tonight after four consecutive subpar outings from the rest of the rotation against the Giants. The bullpen is pretty gassed at this point, so a minimum of five innings – preferably six – from Parker would be much appreciated from Davey Martinez.

The Nationals lineup faces an unfamiliar foe in José Soriano. The 25-year-old right-hander was exclusively a reliever last season and didn’t appear in the series in Anaheim. He’s done well as a full-time starter this season, entering with a 3.47 ERA and 1.206 WHIP despite a relatively low strikeout rate (7.4 per nine innings).

UPDATE: CJ Abrams has been scratched from tonight's lineup for reasons not yet disclosed. Nasim Nuñez will get a rare start at shortstop in his place. 

Some stats and thoughts as everyone tries to forget Thursday’s rain-soaked, 10-inning loss to the Giants and looks ahead to tonight’s series opener against Anthony Rendon and the Angels …

* What’s the biggest reason the Nationals haven’t played as well over the last month as they did earlier this summer? The quality of the performances by their starting pitchers has gone dramatically downhill.

The emergence of a young rotation was the top storyline of the season’s first half, and there was a lot to like about the way MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz were not only pitching well but also pitching relatively deep into games. Over a 40-game stretch from May 22-July 4, the Nats had 17 quality starts (three or fewer earned runs over six or more innings). Unsurprisingly, the team’s record during that stretch was 20-20.

What’s happened since? Over their last 29 games, the Nationals have only five quality starts. Their record, unsurprisingly, is only 12-17 during this prolonged stretch.

Abbreviated outings have especially become a problem in recent weeks, with starters failing to complete five innings in 10 of the last 29 games. In other words, the Nats have been twice as likely to get fewer than five innings than a quality start for the last month.