Hello from Nationals Park. Yes, I’m back to work. In person. Many thanks to Bobby Blanco for jumping in to cover in my absence during what proved to be a very eventful week. And many thanks to all of you who offered well wishes while I was recovering from COVID.

The Nationals, as you know, are playing their best baseball of the year. Really, their best baseball in more than two years. They’ve gone 14-8 over the last 3 1/2 weeks, and today they have a chance at their third series sweep in that time, having already disposed of the Giants and Reds.

To do the same to the Athletics, they’ll need a bounce-back start from Trevor Williams, who was roughed up in Philadelphia on Tuesday to the tune of six runs and eight hits in only 4 2/3 innings. The home run has become Williams’ biggest problem; he enters today’s start having surrendered 25 of them this season, second-most in the National League.

The Nats lineup came through with two big hits during Saturday night’s win – Lane Thomas’ game-tying RBI single in the eighth, Keibert Ruiz’s walk-off homer in the ninth – but overall that group went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position. That’s not usually a recipe for success. They’ll hope to convert in the clutch more this afternoon against A’s left-hander Ken Waldichuk, who enters with a 6.30 ERA and a whopping 5.2 walks issued per nine innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 11 mph left field to right field

SEATTLE – After being held to one run on two hits over six innings by right-hander Luis Castillo last night, the O’s face another tough righty tonight. George Kirby (10-8, 3.32 ERA) will make his 23^rd start for Seattle.

The Mariners hit three homers off Kyle Gibson in last night’s 9-2 win. Seattle (63-52) is now just half a game out of the final wild card spot in the American League.

Adley Rutschman, batting .314 in 13 games atop the batting order, is batting leadoff again tonight. Cedric Mullins, who hit fifth last night, bats second tonight. Jorge Mateo is starting at shortstop and Gunnar Henderson is not starting. 

Kirby ranks ninth in the American League in ERA and first in walks per nine innings (0.9) and first in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 8.86. On June 25 he gave up three runs (two earned) in 6 1/3 versus the Orioles.

Seattle has won eight in a row and 10 of 11 games and is 16-4 in the last 20. The M’s pitching has given up just seven runs the last five games, and 20 in the past eight.

The Orioles will attempt to rebound from last night’s 9-2 loss, their third in the last four games, by sending left-hander Cole Irvin to the mound for his first start since July 7 in Minnesota.

Irvin has made six relief appearances in a row. He’s inserted into a rotation now designed to provide more rest for the younger starters.

Irvin is 0-6 with an 8.42 ERA and 2.065 WHIP in six career games against the Mariners. He’s allowed 24 earned runs and 25 total with 41 hits in 25 2/3 innings.

Cedric Mullins is batting second tonight behind catcher Adley Rutschman. Gunnar Henderson is on the bench.

Ryan Mountcastle is the cleanup hitter, bumping first baseman Ryan O’Hearn to fifth. Mountcastle’s hitting streak ended last night at 12 games, but he’s reached base in 18 straight to set a career high.

The Nationals have won seven of their last 11 games after last night’s 8-2 win over the Athletics while continuing to play well at home. They have won 10 of their last 12 games on South Capitol Street and have a chance today to clinch their fifth straight home series.

Jake Irvin will look to provide some length after Joan Adon only lasted three innings Friday night due to leg cramps. The right-handed rookie is 3-5 with a 4.93 ERA and 1.440 WHIP over his first 17 major league starts. He has pitched into the sixth in three of his last four outings but only made it to the fifth last weekend in Cincinnati.

The A’s will send out their own right-handed rookie Luis Medina for tonight’s game. The 24-year-old is 3-8 with a 5.47 ERA and 1.532 WHIP over 16 big league appearances, 12 starts. He, too, has been able to provide solid length in his recent starts, but only made it to the fourth in his last outing against the Giants.

Update: Lane Thomas has been scratched from tonight's lineup. He was hit by a pitch in the right wrist last night. Stone Garrett is now in right and batting sixth.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

The Nationals are back home after a successful 4-3 road trip to Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Now they welcome the Athletics, who own the worst record in the majors at 33-82.

The Nats themselves are at 50-66, only five games back of their final 2022 record. They’ll have a chance to surpass that mark on this nine-game homestand.

Joan Adon, recently added as the sixth man in this rotation, will make his second start since rejoining the Nats last week. If you didn’t hear by now, he took a perfect game into the sixth inning before giving up a two-out single Saturday against the Reds. He finished with a quality start and seven strikeouts, earning him more opportunities to pitch at the major league level.

Veteran right-hander Paul Blackburn starts for the A’s in the opener. The 29-year-old is 2-5 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 12 games (11 starts) this year. He has been strong over his last three starts, pitching to a 1.56 ERA over 17 ⅓ innings including six shutout innings in his last outing against the Giants.

Blackburn has never faced the Nationals, nor has he faced any current Nats hitters. Same goes for Adon against the A’s.

PHILADELPHIA – “It's only one game, right? Come back tomorrow and go 1-0.”

That’s what Davey Martinez said last night after the Nationals were no-hit for the first time in team history by the Phillies’ Michael Lorenzen. And that’s what the Nats will try to do tonight in the series finale.

Looking for a four-game split, the Nats send Patrick Corbin to the mound for his 24th start of the season. He’s 7-11 with a 5.03 ERA and 1.496 WHIP and will try to get his ERA back under 5.00 for the first time since July 16. The southpaw hasn’t faced the Phillies yet this season, but he’s 6-9 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.467 WHIP in 19 career starts against them and 1-4 with a 7.30 ERA and 1.672 WHIP in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park.

The Nats offense will try to get a hit off Aaron Nola to shake off yesterday’s outcome. The veteran right-hander is 9-8 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.137 WHIP in 23 starts. Nola has also avoided the Nats so far this year, but brings a 7-8 record, 3.94 ERA and 1.220 WHIP against them in 28 career starts

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Thunderstorms clearing, 73 degrees, wind 7 mph out to right-center field

Orioles reliever Danny Coulombe was placed on the 15-day injured list this morning with left biceps tendinitis. The move is retroactive to yesterday.

Reliever Joey Krehbiel, optioned on Monday, is recalled because he’s replacing an injured player. Krehbiel has a new locker set up at Camden Yards.

Coulombe is 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.103 WHIP in 47 games. He’s an important high-leverage reliever for a bullpen that’s slipped to seventh in ERA in the majors at 3.71 after allowing 10 runs the past two nights.

Coulombe, who’s averaging 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, hasn’t allowed a run in his last five appearances. He pitched Saturday and surrendered two hits in the eighth.

Krehbiel has retired all five batters faced with the Orioles, striking out two.

PHILADELPHIA – Two games down, two to go in this four-game set in the City of Brotherly Love.

After splitting yesterday’s doubleheader, the Nationals have won five of their last six games, six of their eight and seven of their last 10. Don’t look now, but they are only 1 ½ games back of the Mets in the National League East and down to single digits in the Wild Card race at only nine games back of the Reds and Cubs for the final playoff spot.

Don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but just for comparison’s sake, they were 13 ½ games behind the fourth-place Marlins and 24 ½ games out of the final Wild Card spot at this time last year.

MacKenzie Gore will get his shot at some of the Phillies’ left-handed power hitters tonight. The southpaw is 6-8 with a 4.34 ERA and 1.420 WHIP in 22 starts. He too will be tasked to keep the Phillies in the ballpark after they hit five home runs between the two games yesterday. Gore has allowed 1.4 home runs per nine innings on the year, but has allowed four longballs over his four starts since the All-Star break.

He’s also looking for a little payback after getting knocked around for seven runs in just 2 ⅔ innings in his start here in early July.

PHILADELPHIA – Now let’s play two!

The Nationals lost to the Phillies 8-4 in Game 1. Josiah Gray will try to get them back on the winning track, mainly by keeping the ball in the yard after the Phillies hit four home runs in the opener.

Gray is 7-9 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.426 WHIP over his first 22 starts. He has only surrendered 15 homers so far for a 2.8 home run rate, much better than the 38 homers and 5.9 homer rate he allowed last year. 

He is, however, coming off one of his worst starts of the season when he allowed five runs and couldn’t get out of the fourth inning last week against the Brewers. The good news is the right-hander has been good at bouncing back from tough outings this year and he pitches well at Citizens Bank Park. Gray has allowed two runs or less in two of his three career starts in Philly with 23 combined strikeouts.

Ranger Suárez starts the nightcap for the Phillies after he was originally scheduled to start yesterday’s postponed opener. He’s 6-1 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.336 WHIP in 13 appearances (six starts) against the Nats. The left-hander is 14-8 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.325 WHIP in 62 career games (30 starts) at Citizens Bank Park, but he’s 0-2 with a 5.70 ERA and 1.459 WHIP in seven home starts this year.

PHILADELPHIA – Let’s try this again, shall we?

The heavy rain is gone, but the strong winds that came through Philly last night are still here. Regardless, the weather is much more suitable for not just one, but two baseball games today.

The Nationals are sticking with Monday’s scheduled starter Trevor Williams for Game 1 of the doubleheader. The right-hander should be plenty rested after throwing 89 pitches in just four innings in his last start against the Mets. The only concern may be if there’s any rust as that outing was nine days ago.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are saving Ranger Suárez for the nightcap while Zack Wheeler, their originally scheduled starter for Tuesday, gets bumped up to the first game. Wheeler is 8-5 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.107 WHIP in 22 starts. He has pitched to an impressive 2.36 ERA over his first four starts of the second half, though he has given up 11 runs in 8 ⅔ innings (11.42 ERA) in two starts against the Nats this year.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 14 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Joey Meneses
1B Dominic Smith
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Jake Alu
3B Ildemaro Vargas
LF Blake Rutherford
CF Alex Call

PHILADELPHIA – Hello from Citizens Bank Park for the start of what has turned into a highly anticipated four-game series between the Nationals and Phillies.

The Nats are coming off an impressive three-game sweep in Cincinnati and are now owners of an 11-5 record since July 21. The Phillies just won two of three against the last-place Royals and have won five of their last seven games while tied with the Giants for the first National League wild card spot.

Tonight’s pitching matchup is a rematch of the July 2 game here when the Nationals sealed a series win in Philly: Trevor Willams vs. Ranger Suárez.

Williams, who was officially activated off the bereavement list yesterday, has had a bit of an odd schedule so far this second half. He’s only pitched 17 ⅔ innings over his four starts since the break, limited to just 2 ⅔ in St. Louis because of rain and only lasting four in his last start on June 30 in New York before going on bereavement leave. He did complete five innings while giving up three runs and earning the win here last month.

On the other side, Suárez has been able to eat up a little more innings for the Phillies, going at least five in each of his second-half starts. He only gave up one run over 6 ⅓ innings in his previous start against the Marlins, but the left-hander gave up five in 5 ⅓ when he faced the Nats in July.

CINCINNATI – Well, well, well. Look at what we’ve got here. The Nationals have won 10 of 15 for the first time since June 2021. They’ve won four of their last five series, three of those coming against playoff contenders San Francisco, Milwaukee and Cincinnati. And they have a chance today to pull off their second three-game sweep in less than a month, if they can beat the Reds one more time.

Jake Irvin gets the start, facing the same Cincinnati club he held to three runs over six innings last month in D.C. The rookie right-hander continues to give his team a chance most times he takes the ball, even if his 4.86 ERA doesn’t exactly scream high-quality. Davey Martinez is probably going to need some length from Irvin today, because the back end of his bullpen may be burned up and unavailable, with Kyle Finnegan, Jordan Weems and Andrés Machado each having pitched each of the last two days.

It would help, then, if the Nationals lineup can score runs in bunches and provide some cushion for the pitching staff. That group will be facing an unfamiliar foe today in Lyon Richardson, a 23-year-old right-hander making his major league debut. A second-round pick in 2018, Richardson missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery. He burst through the Reds organization this year, producing a 1.86 ERA and a whopping 81 strikeouts in only 58 innings across three levels of the minors. But he made only one start at Triple-A before getting this promotion, and he has yet to pitch more than four innings at a time. So look for the Reds to pull him early, regardless of the result, and go to their bullpen.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 1:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, wind 14 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Joey Meneses
C Keibert Ruiz
1B Dominic Smith
2B Jake Alu
3B Ildemaro Vargas
LF Blake Rutherford
CF Alex Call

CINCINNATI – Don’t look now, but the Nationals are playing some pretty good baseball. Seriously. They’ve won nine of their last 14 games, and they’re 19-16 since June 24, when they opened up a solid West Coast trip in San Diego and Seattle. That’s actually the sixth-best record in the National League during that time frame, 11th-best in the majors.

They’ll look to keep the good vibes going tonight and capture another series against a quality opponent if they can defeat the Reds again, though they’ll do so with something of a surprise starter on the mound: Joan Adon.

This was supposed to be Trevor Williams’ turn in the rotation, but the right-hander isn’t expected back from bereavement leave until Sunday, so the team needed a fill-in for this game. That fill-in is Adon, who makes his first big league start of the season, his third overall appearance. The 24-year-old right-hander wasn’t exactly tearing it up at Triple-A Rochester (3-5, 4.62 ERA, 1.506 WHIP in 17 starts) but his strikeout numbers of late (13 in his last 11 innings) have been good, so maybe that’s a sign of something.

The Nationals face a good young left-hander in rookie Andrew Abbott, a University of Virginia alum who enters with a 6-2 record, 2.35 ERA and 1.031 WHIP over his first 11 big league starts. Davey Martinez counters with a right-handed-heavy lineup that includes Joey Meneses at first base, Keibert Ruiz as DH, Riley Adams behind the plate and Stone Garrett in left field.

One other note: To clear a spot on the active roster for Adon, the Nats placed Mason Thompson on the 15-day injured list with a left knee contusion. The reliever hadn’t pitched since Monday, but IL moves can only be backdated three days, so that means he’s eligible to return Aug. 17.

CINCINNATI – Hello from Great American Ball Park, where the Nationals come to town with some new faces and a new look to their lineup after Wednesday’s surprising roster moves.

Blake Rutherford is your new starting left fielder, the 26-year-old set to make his major league debut after getting called up from Triple-A Rochester to take Corey Dickerson’s spot. A former first-round pick of the Yankees, Rutherford produced a .978 OPS in the minors this season and now will finally get his shot at this level. A left-handed hitter, it would appear he’ll join Stone Garrett in the left field platoon.

Jeter Downs also was called up from Triple-A, though he’s not in tonight’s lineup. Instead, Jake Alu moves to second base to take Luis García’s spot, with Ildemaro Vargas starting at third base. We’ll see what Davey Martinez has to say about the infield plan now.

Patrick Corbin, meanwhile, gets the ball against a Reds lineup that roughed him up for six runs and 10 hits in five innings back on July 4 in D.C. He’ll have his hands full against the likes of Elly De La Cruz and this exciting young Cincinnati club, which swept that four-game holiday series last month. 

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Great American Ball Park
Gametime: 6:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 3 mph out to left field

A very quick homestand comes to an end this afternoon for the Nationals, who still have a chance to keep their positive vibes going on South Capitol Street. They’ve actually won eight of their last 10 home games, not to mention their last three home series. A victory today over the Brewers would continue that trend.

After watching Josiah Gray labor through 3 2/3 innings during Tuesday’s loss, the Nats could really use something better from MacKenzie Gore. The young lefty has been alternating between good and bad starts for more than a month now. If the pattern holds, he’s due for a good one. These final two months are big for Gore, who has already topped the 100-inning mark and is likely to be shut down at some point in September. He would love to finish both healthy and effective.

The Nationals lineup gets to face a lefty this afternoon in veteran Wade Miley. The 36-year-old continues to pitch well in his 13th big league season, entering this one with a 3.06 ERA and 1.153 WHIP in 13 starts. This is, however, his first outing since July 9, after which he landed on the 15-day IL with a sore left elbow.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 3 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Joey Meneses
LF Stone Garrett
1B Dominic Smith
C Riley Adams
CF Alex Call
3B Jake Alu
2B Michael Chavis

It’s Trade Deadline Day, which means people all around baseball will be glued to their phones, computers and TVs awaiting the big moves being made throughout the day up until the 6 p.m. deadline.

For the Nationals, that means keeping an eye on names like Lane Thomas and Kyle Finnegan after Jeimer Candelario was traded to the Cubs for two prospects last night. Jake Alu was officially recalled from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon to take Candelario’s roster spot.

Thomas is in tonight’s starting lineup … for now. Keep an eye out for any lineup changes leading up to the deadline.

A guy who we know isn’t going anywhere and was acquired two years ago at the deadline is tonight’s starter, Josiah Gray. The young right-hander is 7-8 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.411 WHIP over his first 21 starts this year. After a shaky start to the second half, Gray has pitched seven innings of one-run ball and six shutout innings in his last two outings.

Freddy Peralta makes the start for the Brewers, who could be busy today as they are in a tight battle with the Reds at the top of the National League Central. Peralta is 6-8 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.248 WHIP in 20 starts this season. In five games (three starts) against the Nats, the right-hander is 2-2 with a 7.29 ERA and 1.381 WHIP.

This is a weird portion of the Nationals schedule. They just went on the road for only four days. Now they’re back home for only three days before leaving town again.

This quick homestand comes against the Brewers, who are locked in a tight race with the Reds atop the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches well, so it’s going to be a challenge for a Nats lineup that totaled four runs in its three losses to the Mets over the weekend (while scoring 11 runs in their lone win).

Jake Irvin gets the ball, facing a Brewers lineup that has never seen him before. The rookie right-hander has done a nice job giving his team innings recently, completing at least six in each of his last two starts, but he did surrender four runs in two of his last three outings.

One roster move to announce here on Trade Deadline Eve: With Trevor Williams officially placed on bereavement leave, the Nationals have recalled right-hander Hobie Harris from Triple-A Rochester. Harris gives them a ninth reliever for a few days until Williams returns.

Although he's not in the starting lineup, Jeimer Candelario is still in the Nationals clubhouse and in uniform before tonight's game.

The Orioles begin a four-game series in Toronto tonight with Adley Rutschman settled in as the leadoff hitter and Gunnar Henderson behind him.

Rutschman has reached base six times in two games, including three singles and a walk last night.

Colton Cowser is in center field, flanked by Austin hays in left and Anthony Santander in right.

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter. He’s a career .306/.368/.613 hitter with 15 home runs in 45 games against the Blue Jays.

Kyle Gibson is 9-6 with a 4.68 ERA and 1.323 WHIP in 22 games, and the one starter who isn’t an innings concern to the Orioles. He’s totaled 127 this season, with his career high 196 2/3 in 2018.

NEW YORK – It’s been quite a weekend here at Citi Field, with two rain delays, two wins for the Mets, one win for the Nationals and one massive trade of a New York pitcher who will forever be better known for pitching for Washington. Now it’s the finale of this four-game series, the Nats with a chance to head home with a split and rub some more salt in the Mets’ wounds.

Neither team released its starting lineup early, which is no surprise given the presence of the trade deadline in two days. No reason to unveil something that could change before gametime. But as far as we know, Jeimer Candelario is playing for the Nationals and Justin Verlander is starting for the Mets.

Verlander could be on his way out at some point in the next 48 hours, perhaps back to Houston, where he’d suddenly be going up against Max Scherzer and the Rangers in the American League West pennant race. If he does start today, he’ll be facing the Nats for the first time this season. The 40-year-old has been very good of late, with a 1.46 ERA in his last six starts.

Trevor Williams, meanwhile, faces his former team for the third time this season. The right-hander gave up four runs in five innings here in April, then allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings in a May start that was cut short by a long rain delay.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 1:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 77 degrees, wind 9 mph in from left field

NEW YORK – It’s been a rough week at the plate for the Nationals. Even in their victories over the Rockies at home, they needed to rally in the eighth and ninth to pull ahead. In fact, they have scored only three runs (two of those unearned) in the first six innings of their last five games. That’s got to change at some point, right?

Perhaps it will tonight against Carlos Carrasco, who enters with a 5.82 ERA, having just been roughed up by the Red Sox for five runs and 10 hits in only 2 1/3 innings six days ago. The Mets right-hander has yet to face the Nationals this season, so there’s no recent track record in either direction.

Davey Martinez has two changes to his lineup: Stone Garrett starts in left field, even against the righty, instead of Corey Dickerson. And Riley Adams gets the nod behind the plate, with Keibert Ruiz resting and presumably set to start Sunday’s series finale.

Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nats, and he could use a good one after allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits his last time out against the Rockies. Corbin did pitch well against the Mets earlier this season, allowing two runs over six innings. His biggest challenge tonight: Keeping Pete Alonso in the yard. The New York slugger (who blasted two home runs Friday night) is 14-for-40 with five homers in his career against Corbin.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 88 degrees, wind 14 mph out to right field