It’s a hot, muggy, potentially stormy Saturday in the nation’s capital. In other words, classic July 4th weekend weather. Hopefully the storms hold off and allow the Nationals and Marlins to play as scheduled at 4:05 p.m. Stay tuned.

It’ll be Jackson Tetreault on the mound, making his fourth career start. The rookie right-hander was excellent in his last two outings against the Phillies and Rangers. We’ll see if he can keep that up against a Marlins club that has ransacked the Nats all season, having now won nine of their 10 head-to-head matchups.

The Nationals will be facing another young left-hander in Daniel Castano, who makes his 14th career start. They saw him in relief in May, with Castano pitching the ninth and 10th innings of that crazy game that included an appeal play at third after Jesus Sanchez potentially tagged up too soon.

I wanted to take an opportunity to thank everyone for your kind words (and even the criticism, too!) about my pinch-hitting appearance on the MASN broadcast Friday night. Kevin Frandsen was great doing emergency play-by-play and setting me up to analyze. Director Chip Winfield and producer Joe Matusek helped guide me through everything. And not that it needed to be said, but for the record: Bob Carpenter and Dan Kolko are true pros, and make a very difficult job look and sound easy. They’re both doing well and will be back soon. And finally, thanks to Tim Leonard for stepping in and writing a game story for the site while I was busy.

With all that said, I’m happy to be back in my usual seat in the writer’s press box today, covering the game the way I’m used to covering a game!

MINNEAPOLIS – Trey Mancini returns to the Orioles lineup today at Target Field after pinch-hitting last night. He didn’t start due to a sore right hand that required a cortisone injection.

Mancini’s eight-game hitting streak ended last night with his ground ball.

Mancini is playing right field and Anthony Santander is in left. Austin Hays is the designated hitter.

Robinson Chirinos is catching in a day game following a night game. Adley Rutschman is on the bench.

Tyler Nevin starts at third base.

We have reached the holiday weekend, which means a lot of earlier-than-usual baseball. The Nationals’ series opener against the Marlins is still a night game, but first pitch is at 6:05 p.m. to account for postgame fireworks (barring any excessive delays or a super-long game, fingers crossed).

The Nats have had all kinds of trouble with Miami this season, going 1-8, their only win coming May 18 in that wild, extra-inning game at loanDepot Park in which they initially thought they had won in the bottom of the ninth when Jesús Sánchez was called out for leaving third base too soon on a sacrifice fly to right, only to have the call overturned on review. (Sound similar to any other recent plays?)

Josiah Gray takes the mound tonight, and the young right-hander has been on some kind of roll lately. He’s got a 1.24 ERA, 0.966 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 29 innings over his last five starts, never allowing more than two runs in any of them. Alas, Gray has not received a decision in any of his last three outings due to a lack of run support.

The Nationals lineup will try to provide some support tonight against a Marlins rotation that has been elite against them this season. That includes tonight’s starter, left-hander Trevor Rogers, who despite a 5.86 ERA overall has held the Nats to three runs in 11 innings over two starts this season.

MIAMI MARLINS vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 89 degrees, wind 11 mph out to left field

The turnaround of the Nationals rotation over the last week-plus has been nothing short of remarkable. Over their last nine games, starters have delivered a 1.66 ERA, allowing only 10 total earned runs over 54 1/3 innings. Nobody has been charged with more than three earned runs in a start since Joan Adon in the opener of the June 17 doubleheader against the Phillies, a full 12 days ago.

So it’s up to Paolo Espino to keep the ball rolling today and potentially lead the Nats to a three-game sweep of the Pirates. Espino has been quite good since his move from low-leverage reliever to No. 4 starter, allowing three earned runs on nine hits over 10 1/3 innings. He’s yet to complete six innings in a game, and he’d love to get that far today if he can keep his pitch count down.

The Nationals would also love to get a clutch hit or two prior to the bottom of the eighth. That strategy, though it has worked the last two nights, probably isn’t sustainable over the long haul. So perhaps some early offense against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller would help today and take some pressure off Espino.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 83 degrees, wind 9 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
DH Nelson Cruz
SS Luis García
C Keibert Ruiz
LF Yadiel Hernandez
3B Ehire Adrianza
CF Victor Robles

Don’t look now, but the Nationals have won five of their last seven. Would you believe that’s their best seven-game stretch since June 2021, when they went on a month-long surge to give everybody false hope before it all came crumbling down in July? They’ll try to make it six of their last eight tonight when they host the Pirates in the second of this three-game series.

The rotation has been excellent during this run, with one notable exception: Patrick Corbin, who was knocked out after four innings Wednesday night in the rain-shortened game in Baltimore. The other starters have been doing their job recently. The Nats would love for Corbin to keep it going and join the others tonight.

The Nationals also would like to get more production in clutch situations than they did Monday night. Even though they wound up winning, 3-2, they had only one hit in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position: Maikel Franco’s game-winning homer in the bottom of the eighth. They could use more situational hitting tonight against veteran left-hander José Quintana, who had a 2.19 ERA over his first seven starts but has seen that number skyrocket to 5.18 over his last seven.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:055 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 79 degrees, wind 5 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS
LF Lane Thomas
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell 
DH Nelson Cruz
3B Maikel Franco
2B César Hernández 
SS Alcides Escobar
C Riley Adams 
CF Victor Robles

Rougned Odor has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight in Seattle, recovered from the back soreness that restricted him to one pinch-hitting appearance in Chicago.

Odor is batting seventh, two spots behind Adley Rutschman and one behind Ryan Mountcastle.

Jonathan Araúz is starting at third base after homering yesterday for his first hit as an Oriole.

Anthony Santander is playing left field and Austin Hays is in right.

Trey Mancini remains seventh among American League designated hitters in All-Star Game balloting. However, Hays has dropped out of the top 20 among outfielders. He was 19^th last week.

The Nationals have returned home from a rare five-game American League road trip. They went 3-2 this week, splitting the two-game Battle of the Beltways series in Baltimore and winning a three-game set against the Rangers. After a brutal 3-8 homestand a week ago, the Nats have now won four of their last six games as they welcome the Pirates for three games in D.C. 

Erick Fedde looks to build off one of his best starts of the season after shutting out the Orioles over six innings on Tuesday night. He is 5-5 with a 4.46 ERA over his 14 starts this season (with the Nats going 8-6 in those games) and 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA over his last four starts (with the Nats going 3-1 in those games).

Fedde earned the win in Pittsburgh on April 15 by allowing four hits, two runs and two walks while striking out six over five innings. 

Miguel Yajure is lined up to start tonight for the Pirates. The right-handed rookie is 1-0 with an 11.32 ERA over his six appearances this season, all coming out of the bullpen. Yajure gave up three runs in three innings of relief against the Nats on the same day Fedde started in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates are coming off their own interleague series, in which they were swept by the Rays in three games in St. Petersburg, Fla. 

CHICAGO – The Orioles waited to post their lineup until checking Rougned Odor’s back.

Odor worked out on the field and remained on the bench for the fifth game in a row - the last four due to injury.

Richie Martin is the second baseman and Jonathan Araúz is the third baseman, with Tyler Nevin among the reserves.

Trey Mancini stays in the lineup after being hit on his left hand yesterday. X-rays were negative.

Jordan Lyles has a 4.92 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 14 starts. He held the Nationals to two runs over 6 1/3 innings in his last appearance after going four consecutive starts without reaching the sixth.

ARLINGTON, Texas – We’ve reached the finale of what has proven to be a very competitive interleague series here at Globe Life Field. The Nationals won Friday night’s opener by one run. Then the Rangers won Saturday afternoon’s game by one run (via walk-off homer). What awaits this afternoon in the rubber match of the series?

The Nationals can only hope they continue to get the kind of quality pitching that has seemingly come out of nowhere over the last week. Starting pitchers have produced a sparkling 1.53 ERA over the last six games, with Josiah Gray responsible for both the front and the back end of this streak and everyone else contributing to varying degrees in between.

Today's game is Jackson Tetreault’s chance to prove his last start was legit. The rookie right-hander really impressed against the Phillies, allowing three unearned runs over seven innings, the last of which was especially notable because it began with Tetreault taking a comebacker off his leg but staying in there to record the final three outs.

A Nats lineup that continues to struggle to score runs in bunches will try to break through against Glenn Otto. Here’s the scouting report on Glenn Otto: He’s right-handed, and he’s the Rangers’ starting pitcher today. That’s as much advance information this brain was privy to, but upon further inspection, Otto had good numbers in the minors (3.02 ERA, 1.183 WHIP, 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings) but has yet to enjoy the same success in his first 14 major league starts (6.08 ERA, 1.492 WHIP, 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings). But he’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last four games.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Globe Life Field
Gametime: 2:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Nationals rotation has actually put together a nice run here lately. In four of the last five games, their starters have surrendered one total earned run (by Paolo Espino in his final inning Friday night). The lone outlier was Patrick Corbin, who despite his struggles still only gave up three runs in four innings Wednesday in Baltimore. So all told, the last trip through the rotation saw the Nats give up four total earned runs. Not bad. Not bad at all.

The run began with Josiah Gray shutting out the Phillies on Ryan Zimmerman Day in D.C., exactly one week ago. The young right-hander was pushed to a career-high 117 pitches, but he takes the mound today having been given two extra days of rest, so he should be plenty fresh when he faces the Rangers.

Speaking of the Rangers, their starter this afternoon is a reliever: Matt Bush, who pitched a 1-2-3 top of the seventh Friday night, striking out Maikel Franco and Victor Robles, on 10 total pitches. Chris Woodward is going with a bullpen game, so don’t expect Bush to go more than maybe two innings tops before we see a steady parade of countless other bullpen arms.

Update: Turns out Bush won't start after all because he reported soreness following Friday's outing. So it'll be left-hander Brett Martin, who threw 1 2/3 innings less than 24 hours ago (though he needed only 10 pitches to do it) getting the ball first for Texas.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Globe Life Field
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, FS1, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

CHICAGO – Some of the Orioles are playing catch on the field in a light rain. They’ll have to wait for first pitch, however.

Both teams have been informed that today’s game will begin in a delay, with the start time closer to 2 p.m. local time.

Jonathan Araúz is starting at second base today in his Orioles debut. He was a waiver claim from the Red Sox and had to stay in the minors a minimum of 10 days after being optioned.

The infield needed more versatility with Rougned Odor receiving treatment for back soreness and Ramón Urías on the injured list with a left oblique strain.

“It’s a guy that can play multiple positions,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’re a little banged up here with Roogie, Ramón’s still out. So, a guy that can play three spots in the infield, another left-handed bat, which we don’t have many of. It’s just a versatile guy that we’ll take a look at.”

CHICAGO – Adley Rutschman is catching Austin Voth tonight, as the Orioles plan on a bullpen game after putting Kyle Bradish on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

Rutschman is slashing .326/.370/.651 (14-for-43) with eight doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, seven runs scored and three walks over his last 12 games. He’s the fourth player in Orioles history with at least 12 extra-base hits in his first 27 career games, joining Trey Mancini (15), Curt Blefary (14) and Manny Machado (12).

Tyler Nevin is the third baseman again tonight. Richie Martin is the second baseman, with Rougned Odor day-to-day with back soreness.

Jorge López hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 13 appearances covering 16 innings. He owns a 35 1/3-inning homerless streak since Sept 6, 2021, and is the only pitcher in the majors with at least 35 innings this season and no home runs.

Félix Bautista hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 16 appearances over 14 2/3 innings.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Hello from Globe Life Field, the only active major league ballpark the Nationals have never previously visited (not to mention the only one your humble beat writer has never previously visited). For the first time in 17 years, the Nats face the Rangers on the road, and there are all kinds of connections to this matchup.

For example, Paolo Espino made six relief appearances for the Rangers in 2017, three years before making it back to the big leagues with the Nationals. The veteran right-hander gets the start tonight, his third since being added to the rotation. After throwing 89 pitches in five innings last week against the Phillies, Espino should be good to approach the 100-pitch mark tonight, making him a full-fledged starter.

Starting for the Rangers, meanwhile, is Dane Dunning, whose name may sound familiar. That’s because he was one of the Nationals’ first-round picks in the 2016 draft (along with Carter Kieboom) and then was included with fellow pitching prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López in that winter’s blockbuster trade with the White Sox for Adam Eaton. Dunning has had a bit of a winding path since, undergoing Tommy John surgery in the minors, making his major league debut for Chicago in 2020 but then getting traded to Texas for Lance Lynn. He’s now an established member of the Rangers rotation, entering tonight’s start with a 1-5 record, 4.38 ERA and 1.329 WHIP in 14 outings.

And then of course we can’t ignore the biggest connection between these franchises. At the end of the 1971 season, Senators owner Bob Short moved the club here to Texas and renamed it the Rangers, a decision that still stirs up all kinds of emotion from longtime D.C. baseball fans. But let’s at least acknowledge this: If not for that move all those years ago, the 2019 World Series would not have been won by the Washington Nationals, right?

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Globe Life Field
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

CHICAGO – Richie Martin is starting at second base and Rougned Odor is on the bench for tonight’s series opener against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Odor usually starts against right-handers, and the White Sox are sending Johnny Cueto to the mound.

Tyler Nevin is starting at third base. Anthony Santander is in left field and Austin Hays is in right after hitting for the cycle last night.

Hays leads the Orioles in hits (71), extra-base hits (27), total bases (119), batting average (.287), slugging percentage (.482), OPS (.829), RBIs (40) and runs scored (37), and he’s tied with Cedric Mullins for the lead in doubles with 16.  

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Trey Mancini DH
Anthony Santander LF
Austin Hays RF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Adley Rutschman C
Tyler Nevin 3B
Jorge Mateo SS
Richie Martin 2B

BALTIMORE – After a beautiful, unseasonably mild Tuesday evening here, it’s a very seasonable, hot and muggy and wet Wednesday afternoon here as the Nationals and Orioles prepare to wrap up their two-game interleague series. It began raining a short while ago, and the Camden Yards grounds crew rolled out the tarp, canceling batting practice. More is expected tonight, so it’s anybody’s guess whether this game will start on time or be completed at all. Stay tuned.

If they’re able to play, it’ll be Patrick Corbin on the mound trying to continue the suddenly dominant ways of the Nats rotation, which hasn’t allowed an earned run in any of its last three starts. Corbin has made it through only one of 14 starts so far this season without allowing a run, and he gave up nine (only two earned) in his last outing. So he’s not exactly primed to pick up where Erick Fedde left off Tuesday night, but we’ll see.

The Nationals get their first look at Tyler Wells as a starter. The Baltimore right-hander did pitch two innings in relief last May in D.C., but he’s blossomed into an effective member of the rotation this season. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in all but one of his 13 starts, though he’s yet to top six innings or 88 pitches.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Camden Yards
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Rain, 76 degrees, wind 10 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
DH Nelson Cruz
SS Luis García
CF Lane Thomas
LF Yadiel Hernandez
C Riley Adams
3B Erhire Adrianza

BALTIMORE – Hello from Camden Yards, which looks different than the last time the Nationals were here. The left field wall has been pushed way back and up, turning what used to be one of the best hitter’s parks in the majors into one of the best pitcher’s parks (at least on that side of the field).

We’ll see how that impacts the Nats, but certainly Erick Fedde (tonight’s starter) and Patrick Corbin (Wednesday’s starter) won’t be complaining at all. Fedde will try to keep the recent run of quality starts by this rotation going, following in the footsteps of Josiah Gray on Saturday and Jackson Tetreault on Sunday. If he doesn’t, at least the bullpen is fresh following a much-needed off-day.

The lineup will try to pick up where it left off Sunday, when it exploded for nine runs against the Phillies. Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz and Josh Bell will be going up against right-hander Jordan Lyles, who has a 5.10 ERA and has allowed four or more earned runs in fewer than six innings in each of his last three starts.

As expected, the Nats activated Alcides Escobar off the 10-day injured list today. Escobar, out since May 31 with a hamstring strain, will assume a utility infielder spot, with Luis García remaining the everyday shortstop for now.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Camden Yards
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 7 mph out to center field

The Orioles scratched Jordan Lyles for today’s start against the Rays and replaced him with Austin Voth.

An explanation is coming later.

Lyles hasn’t gone more than 5 1/3 innings in his last four starts, and his ERA has risen from 4.10 to 5.10. No word on how today’s switch impacts the rotation moving forward.

The Orioles are off Monday.

Voth has made three relief appearances and allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings since the Orioles claimed him off waivers from the Nationals.

After an emotional Saturday at the ballpark, the Nationals have a quick turnaround to today’s series finale, with a rare 12:05 p.m. start time. It’s at long last the end of a 14-games-in-13-days stretch that has been brutal in so many ways, with eight straight losses at the moment. They have to find a way to get through today, then finally enjoy a day off before heading up to Baltimore on Tuesday.

It’s Jackson Tetreault making his second career start this afternoon, looking for better results than he had in his debut earlier in the week when he allowed seven runs in four innings to the Braves. The young right-hander does have some backup help today in the form of Cory Abbott, who was called up from Triple-A Rochester on Friday but has yet to pitch, so he’s good for several innings in relief of Tetreault if needed. The “A” bullpen of Carl Edwards Jr., Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey should all be available, as well, after being held out of Saturday’s extra-inning loss.

What would help more than anything, though, would be a big day at the plate against Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin. Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz simply have to start producing the way they’re supposed to produce. There’s no getting around that. We’ll see if it happens on another unseasonably cool summer afternoon with the wind blowing in.

Reminder: Today’s game is only available on the Peacock streaming service. It’ll be Jason Benetti (who once called Triple-A games for the Nationals in Syracuse) with the play-by-play, joined by Kevin Frandsen and Ruben Amaro Jr. on the broadcast.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 12:05 p.m. EDT
TV: Peacock
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 72 degrees, wind 16 mph left field to right field

It’s going to be a special day at Nationals Park. If you’re coming to the game, get here early. If you’re not coming to the game, MASN will carry the entire Ryan Zimmerman jersey retirement ceremony, beginning at 3 p.m.

We’ll have plenty on that ceremony as the day plays out. As for the game … well, the Nationals are trying to snap a seven-game losing streak overall, an 11-game losing streak to the Phillies and a 12-game losing streak to National League East opponents. So, they could really use a curly W today.

They’ll have Josiah Gray on the mound for the first time in 10 days after his last start was scratched due to a long rain delay. He probably gives them their best chance for a long start all week, and they could certainly use one this afternoon, given the fact both Carl Edwards Jr. and Kyle Finnegan pitched both ends of Friday’s doubleheader, and Tanner Rainey warmed up in the opener and then pitched in the nightcap.

After facing a couple lefties on Friday, the Nationals will go up against veteran right-hander Aaron Nola, who enters with a league-leading 0.894 WHIP and 9.1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. So the challenge is real for a Nats lineup that has been awfully inconsistent.

Update: The Nationals placed left-hander Evan Lee on the 15-day injured list with a flexor strain, one day after he departed a game following a string of eight straight balls (two of them wild pitches). Davey Martinez considered that diagnosis "about as good as it could've been" and said he should be back within a few weeks. Andres Machado, who had been optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Friday, was immediately recalled to take Lee's spot in the bullpen.

If you thought this week was long already, Friday’s games aren’t even over yet. Let’s play two!

After this afternoon’s 5-3 loss to the Phillies, in which Joan Adon covered five innings on 97 pitches and Evan Lee covered one inning on 31 pitches, the Nationals will need a total team effort to snap this six-game losing streak. The pitching hasn’t been great and the offense came into today averaging 2.6 runs per game this week.

Paolo Espino gets the assignment for the nightcap, trying to provide the home team with as much length as possible as well as the Nats' first quality start since June 5. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.022 WHIP in 21 appearances this season. He’s making his second straight start after giving up just one run and four hits with two strikes over 3 ⅔ innings against the Brewers. He threw 53 pitches on Sunday, so he’ll be pushed beyond that tonight.

The Phillies are calling up 25-year-old Bailey Falter from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start tonight. In six major league appearances this season, the left-hander is 0-2 with a 4.20 ERA and 1.467 WHIP. In his two starts, he is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.565 WHIP. Falter has been fantastic at Triple-A, however, pitching to a 1.54 ERA and 0.686 WHIP in five starts with Lehigh Valley.

Tonight officially kicks off Ryan Zimmerman Weekend here at Nationals Park. Gates open for all fans around 6 p.m. There are on-field and social media Q&A sessions with former players at 6 p.m. and an on-field Q&A session with Zimmerman at 6:20 p.m. Plus, the first 25,000 fans age 21+ will receive a Ryan Zimmerman Employee No. 11 T-shirt.