ATLANTA – No matter how this final week finishes, Brad Lord has already entrenched himself as one of the Nationals’ best storylines in an otherwise disappointing 2025 season.

The former 18th-round pick out of the University of South Florida spent last offseason working at Home Depot before getting himself ready for what he thought was going to be another season grinding through the minor leagues. Instead, the 25-year-old broke camp with the Nats and spent the entire season in the majors.

Even while going back and forth between the starting rotation and bullpen, Lord has been one of the most consistent pitchers for the Nats. And that stayed true tonight despite him suffering a tough-luck 3-2 loss to the Braves in front of 37,322 fans at Truist Park.

Lord also faced off against fellow rookie Hurston Waldrep last week. And although he was credited with a no-decision, the Nats fell 9-4 after Lord departed the game with 3-0 lead in the sixth.

Tonight was a similar game, although this time Lord was saddled with the loss despite once again holding the Braves mostly in check.

ATLANTA – The Nationals ended the season for two more pitchers this afternoon, placing MacKenzie Gore and Mason Thompson on the 15-day injured list with only five games to go.

Gore landed on the IL with a right ankle impingement after it came about during his start last week on a rainy, cold Tuesday night at Nationals Park. He started last night’s series opener against the Braves, but only lasted two-plus innings. After allowing the first two batters in the third inning to reach while reaching 71 total pitches, interim manager Miguel Cairo thought that was enough for the 26-year-old left-hander, who had mentioned the ankle was still bothering him.

“It happened the last game when it was wet over there at home,” Cairo said during his pregame media session. “He felt it a little bit. He went through it. He toughened (through it) a little bit. And we didn't want to risk anything. It's not worth it right now. He had a really good season. Now it's time for him to just chill out and make sure this is fine. Just look forward to the offseason and have a great offseason, work hard and come back ready. He did really amazing things this year.”

Gore finishes the year 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA, 185 strikeouts, 1.353 WHIP and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 159 ⅔ innings over 30 starts. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career after going 4-8 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.196 WHIP and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings over his first 19 starts. But he ended the year 1-7 with a 6.75 ERA, 1.703 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 over his last 11 outings.

“He had a great year,” Cairo said. “Everyone goes through the ups and downs of the season. He had a really good first half. He went to the All-Star Game, pitched really well and came back. They all get a little tired and they go to rough spots, but he pitched unbelievable.”

ATLANTA – The Nationals and Braves will square off with another pitching rematch from last week in the second game of this three-game set. Brad Lord and Hurston Waldrep will take the mound again as they did in the Wednesday's finale of a four-game series at Nationals Park.

Lord held the Braves to two runs on six hits and one walk and notched four strikeouts over 5 ⅓ innings that day. He departed that game with a 3-0 lead in the sixth, but the bullpen collapsed behind him in the Nats’ eventual 9-4 loss to complete the four-game sweep on their home field. The Nats will hope the rookie right-hander can keep them in the game again and that they can hold onto a lead if they get one.

Something to look out for in what could be Lord’s last start of the season: If he can complete 5 ⅔ shutout innings, he would become just the second Nationals rookie pitcher to complete 120 innings with an ERA less than 4.00, joining John Lannan in 2008 (3.91).

Meanwhile, Waldrep was charged with three runs on five hits last week. But he did strike out eight over his five innings, so the Nats will look to be more patient against the right-hander and get him in the zone tonight.

The Nats also made some pregame roster moves. They placed MacKenzie Gore (right ankle impingement) and Mason Thompson (right biceps tendinitis, retroactive to Sept. 20) on the 15-day injured list, ending both their seasons. They recalled right-handers Julian Fernandez and Orlando Ribalta to take their roster spots.

ATLANTA – When the Nationals made Nasim Nuñez the No. 5 overall selection in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, they knew what they were getting. The infielder was the best defensive prospect in the Marlins system with very little offensive upside. Any production they got from the switch-hitter at the plate would be a bonus.

Nuñez spent all of last season with the Nationals at the major league level as part of his Rule 5 status. He appeared in 51 games, mostly as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner, and made only 78 plate appearances. He collected one RBI on 15 hits, with only one going for extra bases.

This year, Nuñez was able to be optioned down to the minors. He appeared in 23 major league games between April and June, this time collecting five RBIs on eight hits, two for extra bases.

But when Nuñez came back up to the majors at the beginning of the month when rosters expanded to 28 players, no one expected to see this power surge the 25 year old has put on over his last 12 games.

He hit his first two major league home runs in his first game back on Sept. 3 against his former team. He hit what would end up being the game-winning home run Sunday against the Mets, a two-run shot in the third inning, in the city where he was born. And then he led off last night’s series opener against the Braves in what he considers his actual hometown by hitting a first-pitch homer off the reigning Cy Young Award winner.

ATLANTA – It is usually meaningless to try to compare two opposing starting pitchers. With the universal designated hitter, they don’t face each other in the batter’s box anymore. And opposing lineups are constructed differently with different approaches.

But after the level of pitching MacKenzie Gore and Chris Sale put on display in the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Nationals Park – 13 ⅓ scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts between the left-handers – it was hard not to make comparisons between the two ahead of tonight’s rematch.

Unfortunately for Gore, there weren’t too many comparisons to be made between him and the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner after this 11-5 loss to open the Nats’ final road series of the 2025 season.

Gore lasted only two-plus innings tonight as the Braves drove up his pitch count by fouling balls off and drawing walks.

“He fell behind," interim manager Miguel Cairo said. "They take good pitches. And they fouled off a lot of pitches, so the pitch count went a little too high. And hey, they were able to lay off his good pitches. But they battled against him today."

ATLANTA – The Nationals get the unfortunate pleasure of facing Chris Sale for the second time in less than a week as they start their last road series of the season tonight at Truist Park. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner shut out the Nats over eight innings with three hits, no walks and nine strikeouts in the nightcap of Tuesday’s split doubleheader back in D.C.

So interim manager Miguel Cairo made some tweaks to his lineup Monday, some due to injuries and some due to the matchup against Sale.

Daylen Lile and James Wood (both left-handed hitters) are sitting to start tonight’s opener against the Braves, while CJ Abrams returns to the lineup as the designated hitter.

Lile suffered a left knee contusion yesterday while sliding into the wall in the left field corner at Citi Field attempting to catch a fly ball. The rookie outfielder was able to walk off the field under his own power and didn’t even require an X-ray when he returned to the clubhouse. But Cairo wants to make sure Lile feels better before playing him again.

“He's feeling fine. He said a little sore,” Cairo said during his pregame media session. “I just want to make sure he has a day and make sure he's fine. But he's doing well.”

ATLANTA – The Nationals’ last road trip of the 2025 season got off to an exciting start, when they won two of three against the Mets over the weekend in Queens to knock their division rivals out of a playoff spot. This final away series doesn’t carry as much importance – as both the Nats and Braves are out of the postseason hunt – but it may be a meaningful chance at revenge for the visitors after Atlanta swept a four-games-in-three-days series in D.C. last week.

This series will start with a rematch from last week of an intriguing pitching matchup between two left-handed All-Stars on the bump. When MacKenzie Gore and Chris Sale faced off in the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Nats Park, the two starting southpaws dominated their respective opposing lineups.

Gore held the Braves scoreless with two hits, three walks and five strikeouts over 5 ⅓ innings, while Sale shut out the Nats over eight innings with three hits, no walks and nine strikeouts. But in the end, neither had a say in the final score as the Braves put up five runs in the 10th inning for a 5-0 victory.

How will this rematch shape out?

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 7:15 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLBN (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 6 mph in from left field

All seasons are judged on final records. The Nationals were hoping their 2025 season would finish with a better record than they had in each of the previous two seasons. But unfortunately, that goal of improving upon 71-91 has long been out of reach.

Given the state of the team, the next-best thing would be to avoid a 100-loss campaign, which would be the Nats’ second since losing 107 in 2022.

But with this 5-0 extra-inning loss to complete a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Braves, the Nats still need to win one more game over their final 10 to ensure they will avoid that dreaded 100-loss season.

After the Nats spoiled a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth inning of a scoreless game (they had the winning run 90 feet away with only one out, but then popped out and had a hard-hit Luis García Jr. line drive — 101.4 mph off the bat with a .580 expected batting average — caught at the wall by Ronald Acuña Jr.), Mason Thompson entered for the 10th and immediately surrendered the first run. Pinch-hitter Drake Baldwin drilled a low slider off the right field wall to easily score the automatic runner at second, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.

But that wasn’t the worst of it, as Thompson proceeded to load the bases with a single and a walk and then give up a three-run triple to Matt Olson to turn this once 0-0 extra-inning game into a 4-0 Braves lead. An Ozzie Albies sac fly put the final nail in the coffin, sending the announced crowd of 19,216 home after a long, cold and wet day.

And we’re back! The Nationals will try to put this afternoon’s 6-3 loss to the Braves behind them and earn a split in this doubleheader with a victory tonight.

To do that, though, they’ll have to fare much better against another left-handed Atlanta starting pitcher. José Suarez held the Nats to two runs on five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over seven innings earlier today. The task only gets harder against Chris Sale in the nightcap.

Sale has followed up his 2024 National League Cy Young Award with another stellar campaign, posting a 5-5 record, 2.52 ERA, 1.121 WHIP and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings over 18 starts in his ninth All-Star season. He missed time between mid-June and late August with a fractured rib cage, but he has a 2.55 ERA over his three starts since returning from the injured list.

The Nats will counter with their own All-Star southpaw starter: MacKenzie Gore. In his return from the IL with left shoulder inflammation, Gore held the Marlins to two runs over five solid innings in a tough-luck loss last week. This will be his first start of the season against the Braves.

You’ll notice Miguel Cairo’s lineup for the second game looks very different from the usual. CJ Abrams and James Wood (who struck out four times in the first game to have 209 on the season) are on the bench, while Nasim Nuñez plays shortstop and hits leadoff (yes, leadoff!) and Dylan Crews gets bumped up to the No. 2 spot.

With the season series tied 3-3 and seven games scheduled between the two teams over a 10-day stretch in the season’s final two weeks, the Nationals entered this four-games-in-three-days series with a chance to close the gap between themselves and the Braves before the end of the year.

Last night’s 11-3 drubbing was a setback, but the Nats have not one, but two chances to get back in this long set with today’s split doubleheader. But by dropping the first game, which was rescheduled from a May 21 rainout, 6-3 on this Tuesday afternoon, the Nats now must win tonight to avoid the twinbill sweep and the possibility of a four-game sweep in tomorrow’s finale.

Much like Monday night’s starter Mitchell Parker, Jake Irvin entered this afternoon’s start looking to build any positive momentum before the offseason.

For a moment, it looked like Irvin had something going to start this one. With so much talk about his velocity being down this year (his four-seam fastball has averaged 92.3 mph this season), he struck out Matt Olson with a 95.1 mph heater and touched 94 mph during his strikeout of Drake Baldwin in the first inning, stranding Ronald Acuña Jr. after a two-out single.

Irvin then stranded runners on the corners with back-to-back strikeouts in the second, but his pitch count was already up to 41. And with a 2-0 lead in the third, he induced a double play ball and stranded Acuña again after the Braves slugger hit a comebacker off Irvin’s left foot and the 6-foot-6, 234-pound starter did a somersault while trying to field the ball and throw to first.

Cole Henry wasn’t sure if the opportunity would ever come. He wasn’t even sure his baseball career would continue following thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in August 2022, just two years after the Nationals made him their second-round selection out of LSU in the 2020 MLB Draft.

But after a long road back, the right-hander was cleared to resume a normal baseball workload, leading to his major league debut on April 13 in Miami. Unfortunately, Henry’s rookie season came to an end over the weekend when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a back strain with exactly 15 days left to go in the season.

“Yeah, it was pretty tough,” Henry said ahead of Tuesday’s split doubleheader against the Braves. “Obviously, you don't want to end that way at all, but sometimes it's just like that. It's been a long year. It's something that my body really hasn't been through before, so it just kind of happened at the end of the season, which if it were to happen, I'd rather happen now than at the beginning. So yeah, nothing major. I'll be good for a normal offseason. But yeah, it's been a great year. I felt like I had a pretty solid season. I'm just trying to look to get better this offseason. Kind of figure out where I need to improve and work on those things. And then come back next year ready to roll.”

Given Henry’s injury history with thoracic outlet syndrome, the back strain actually came as good news for the 26-year-old, who doesn’t require a serious rehab plan for the offseason and instead will just focus on strengthening for an increased workload in 2026.

“Yeah, definitely. It's nice to know that I won't have to rehab in the offseason at all,” Henry said. “Just kind of working on a couple of things and keeping my body in shape and ready to take on a bigger workload next year. So yeah, just normal wear and tear stuff that just happens throughout the season. And yeah, I'll be ready next year to go.”

Let’s play two! That’s right, the Nationals will have not one, but two chances to get back into this series against the rival Braves in today’s split doubleheader. This 1:05 p.m. game is a makeup from a rainout on May 21, which technically gave Washington a two-game series sweep over Atlanta.

After last night’s 11-3 drubbing, the Nats will look to put together better at-bats against a slew of Braves relievers, starting with opener José Suarez. The 27-year-old left-hander has spent most of this season with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate after making three major league relief appearances over the season’s first 12 games. He was charged with three runs (two earned) and seven walks with five strikeouts across 7 ⅓ innings.

The Nats typically don’t fare well when the opposition commits to a bullpen game, so it will be in their best interest to get to Suarez early and often.

Meanwhile, Jake Irivn will start the afternoon game for Miguel Cairo’s squad. The right-hander has been the losing pitcher of record in each of his last five starts and hasn’t won a game since his gem in his hometown of Minneapolis on July 27. The Nats have lost seven of the eight games he has started since. But he did toss a quality start against the Braves in Atlanta back on May 12.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLBN (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 70 degrees, wind 13 mph in from right field

C.J. Stubbs stood by his new locker in the Nationals clubhouse and greeted his new teammates and team staff. It was his first time in a major league clubhouse, so he had a lot to soak in and many new faces to meet.

The Nationals selected Stubbs’ contract from Triple-A Rochester yesterday to make him the backup catcher. He replaces Drew Millas, who landed on the 10-day injured list after having surgery to stabilize the fracture and repair the joint on his left index finger.

“I was definitely overwhelmed and shocked,” Stubbs said of when he heard the news. “I spent quite a few days in the minor leagues and got to the point where I wasn't sure if it was ever going to happen. And sometimes it doesn't happen the way you think it's going to happen, but however it does, I'm just so happy and humbled to be here.”

A 10th-round selection by the Astros in the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California, the now 28-year-old spent the last six seasons in the minor leagues, joining the Nats organization in May 2024 after Houston released him.

While savoring the moment and anticipating his hoped-for major league debut in the coming days, Stubbs reflected on seeing his brother, current Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, make his own big league debut with the Astros on May 28, 2019 in Houston.

The Nationals could have made a significant decision ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Rays. With Thursday’s off-day, they could have chosen to skip Mitchell Parker’s spot in the rotation while keeping the other four starters on normal rest, allowing the struggling left-hander to work on some things with some extra time before his next start.

Instead, they chose to keep him in his spot, with interim manager Miguel Cairo saying before the game Parker needs to pitch.

So he did pitch, and in fact he pitched very well, albeit in a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay.

“It was nice to see him pitch like competing," Cairo said of Parker. "He was throwing strikes. He was attacking the hitters. … It was nice to see him come back and be who he can be. And it was really good to see that.”

Parker entered tonight with a 12.00 ERA and 1.952 WHIP over his five August starts, with the Nats winless in all of those outings. But he at least kept his team in the game by turning in his first quality start since July 19 against the Padres.

The Nationals officially placed Drew Millas on the 10-day injured list with a fractured and dislocated left index finger (retroactive to Aug. 28) and selected the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon. Millas underwent successful surgery today to stabilize the fracture and repair the joint on his finger.

“I feel bad for him. It was sad,” said interim manager Miguel Cairo during his pregame media session ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Rays. “He was doing so good and he's one of the future of the team, catcher. And he was doing good hitting and catching and everything. So the surgery went well today. Hopefully we'll get to see him tomorrow, over here. He's gonna come in. But everything went well. They did some stuff with the fracture, but everything went well today.”

Millas hurt his finger when he was called for catcher’s interference in the third inning Wednesday during an Austin Wells at-bat, when the Yankees catcher’s bat made contact with the Nats backstop’s catching hand while swinging at a 97 mph fastball from Cade Cavalli. Following surgery, Millas is expected to be done for the rest of the season, but ready for spring training next year.

He finishes the season hitting .306 with five doubles, a triple, seven RBIs, two stolen bases and four walks in 18 games. The 27-year-old threw out 2-of-8 would-be basestealers.

To replace him, the Nationals chose Stubbs over Francisco Mejía and Brady Lindsly at Rochester. The 28-year-old catcher signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Astros released him in May 2024. He hit .161 with a .602 OPS, three doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs in 24 games with the Red Wings this year following a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg.

The Nationals’ nightmare in New York is over … at least until they go back to Queens in three weeks. But for now, they get to enjoy a six-game homestand, starting with three games against the Rays to start this holiday weekend.

Mitchell Parker will take the mound for the series opener after the Nats chose not to use yesterday’s off-day to skip his spot in the rotation and give him some extra time to work on some things. The struggling lefty is 7-14 with a 6.01 ERA on the season and the Nats are winless in his five August starts as he’s pitched to a 12.00 ERA this month. He’ll need to get back on track tonight to give his team a chance and start making a case for his rotation spot next year.

Adrian Houser makes the start for the Rays. Since coming over in a trade with the White Sox at the deadline, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA over his four starts with Tampa Bay and he’s given up four or more runs in three of those outings. So this might be a good opportunity for the Nats' offense to get back on track.

And the Nationals made an expected roster move official this afternoon, placing Drew Millas on the injured list with a fractured and dislocated finger and selecting the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly clear, 76 degrees, wind 11 mph from left to right field

When the pitching probables came out for the Nationals’ weekend series against the Rays, nothing was out of the ordinary. No new names appeared nor where there any TBAs listed:

* Friday – LHP Mitchell Parker vs. RHP Adrian Houser
* Saturday – RHP Jake Irvin vs. RHP Ryan Pepiot
* Sunday – RHP Brad Lord vs. LHP Ian Seymour

The only interesting factor was that Thursday’s off-day would have allowed the Nationals to skip Parker’s spot in the rotation and still have the other four starters make their next starts on normal rest.

Why would they have done that?

Parker has struggled the most out of the five starters currently in the Nats rotation. Some extra time in between starts may have helped the left-hander figure out some things in order to have a strong finish to the season.

NEW YORK – The Nationals left New York on Wednesday knowing they would need to make a roster move before Friday’s series opener against the Rays. Drew Millas departed yesterday’s 11-2 loss to the Yankees in the third inning after he was called for catcher’s interference during an Austin Wells at-bat against Cade Cavalli.

When Wells’ bat made contact with Millas’ catching hand while swinging at a 97 mph fastball from Cavalli, the backstop suffered a fracture and dislocation of his left second finger, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. So the Nationals will call up C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester to fill in as the backup catcher, a source familiar with the upcoming move confirmed.

The Washington Post was first to report the news yesterday.

Stubbs’ first appearance with the Nats will be his major league debut after spending the last six seasons in the minor leagues following his selection by the Astros in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California.

The younger brother of Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, the 28-year-old backstop signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Astros released him in May 2024. In 24 games with Rochester this year following a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg, he is hitting .161 with a .602 OPS, three doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs.

NEW YORK – The Nationals can’t get out of New York City fast enough. They entered this afternoon’s finale against the Yankees 0-5 in the Big Apple this year after being swept by the Mets in a three-game series at Citi Field in June and dropping the first two games of this set at Yankee Stadium.

And they will remain winless in New York until their next trip to Queens in September after an 11-2 blowout loss, their third straight to get swept by the Yankees and their fifth straight defeat overall.

Just about everything that could have gone wrong for the Nationals today did. They couldn’t manufacture runs. They couldn’t prevent the Yankees from scoring. And they suffered injuries along the way, adding salt to an already wide-open wound.

If the power differential between these two teams wasn’t on display enough earlier this week, it definitely was in this finale.

The Yankees entered today with a major league-leading 219 home runs, while the Nats only had a measly 125 for the third-fewest. New York had already hit four to score eight of their 15 runs over the first two games. Washington had scored four of their six runs on one swing, Jacob Young’s ninth-inning grand slam Monday night.

NEW YORK – In order for the Nationals to escape The Bronx with at least one win, they’ll need timely hitting and shutdown pitching. It may be too much to ask for both at this point, but either one should give them a decent shot to beat the Yankees this afternoon.

Getting timely hitting might be tough against Yankees starter Max Fried. The All-Star left-hander is 13-5 with a 3.14 ERA over 26 starts in his first season in New York. And he’s coming off an outing in which he shut out the Red Sox over six innings with seven strikeouts. The longtime Brave is 8-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 19 career games (18 starts) against the Nats.

Getting shutdown pitching, on the other hand, may be a real possibility with Cade Cavalli starting on the mound. The right-hander has turned in back-to-back quality starts against the Phillies coming into today. And he has a very nice 2.82 ERA over his first four starts since returning to the majors. The key for Cavalli will be limiting the longball and slugging against this dangerous Yankees lineup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK YANKEES
Where: Yankee Stadium
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 73 degrees, wind 11 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
SS CJ Abrams
DH Riley Adams
2B Luis García Jr.
RF Dylan Crews
1B Andrés Chaparro
C Drew Millas
3B Brady House
CF Jacob Young