The Nationals pitching staff struggled against their two scheduled N.L. opponents, giving up over five runs in five games. Washington came out victorious once in a three-game series against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies, claiming the lone win in the series opener. They finished the week off losing two against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Here’s what happened last week in Nationals baseball:

Revenge Served Cold

The Nats took on the Phillies for the first time this season, kicking off the series with a high-scoring affair on June 2. Washington came out swinging, with six runs in the first two innings. Jeimer Candelario drove in three runs, with doubles in both innings. The Phillies tacked on their first run from a Nick Castellanos deep drive to right field, making it a 6–1 ball game. Washington matched the long shot with one of their own, coming from Luis Garcia. Then, Castellanos hit his second home run of the contest in the top of the sixth. His monster day at the plate continued with an RBI single in the seventh inning, making it a one-run game. Former National Kyle Schwarber drove in the game-tying run in the eighth inning on a CJ Abrams throwing error. Washington immediately responded with a go-ahead single from Lane Thomas, giving the Nationals an 8–7 victory in the series opener. Both offenses slowed down in the next meeting on June 3, but Philadelphia was able to come out on top. Former Nationals Josh Harrison and Trea Turner contributed to the Phillies’ 2–0 lead, but Keibert Ruiz and CJ Abrams tied the game back up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mackenzie Gore’s outing ended after the sixth inning, an inning that included a J.T. Realmuto’s solo shot to give the Phillies the lead. Gore gave up nine hits, three runs and struck out six Philadelphia hitters. Brandon Marsh finished the game with a sac fly RBI, giving the Phillies a 4–2 win. The series finale looked nothing like its two predecessors. The Phillies commanded the game on the offensive and defensive side, winning 11–3 in blowout fashion. Schwarber and Drew Ellis dominated at the plate, both hitting two home runs, with Schwarber bringing in six runs for Philadelphia. 

Poisoned

The Nationals’ poor pitching from the series finale with Philadelphia carried over to the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Nats got an early 4–1 lead from a Stone Garrett grand slam in the bottom of the first. However, the momentum shifted from Washington to Arizona as the Diamondback offense came alive. They scored nine runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings combined to give them a 10–5 victory in the series opener. Pavin Smith and Josh Rosas both collected three RBIs in the trashing. The next game was closer, but the Nationals’ bullpen still faltered. The Nats’ offense couldn’t do their part either, scoring only two runs from a fielder’s choice double play and a Luis Garcia single in the third inning. Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, Evan Longoria and Emmanuel Rivera — who powered the D-Backs offense — each had two RBIs in the 6-2 Nats loss. The series finale was postponed due to poor air quality resulting from the in Eastern Canada. The make-up game will take place on June 22.

A Look Ahead

Next week, The Nationals have a two-series road trip against two recent World Series Champions. Washington first faces the Atlanta Braves — the 2021 Champions — on June 9. Then, they travel to Houston to play the Astros — the 2022 Champions — on June 13. Both teams have top-six records in Major League Baseball, so it will be challenging for the Nats to claim a series victory.