With another brutal loss yesterday, the Nats are back to .500 on the year, sitting at 51-51 on the season. While this is still majorly better than any team expected of them preseason, after seeing how they have played this year, it is hard to not expect better results from the team. Leading the MLB in blown saves while also scoring the most runs in the MLB is a mixture for some rough outcomes, and leaves Nats fans wondering how many game outcomes were close to, and should’ve been different.

Pertaining to the daily offensive and defensive Nats stats, yesterday’s game further distanced the Nats offense from the top of the MLB in runs, now with 21 more runs than second place, and 64 more runs than any other NL East team. Yet despite those numbers, the Nats sit at 4th in the NL East, and just barely seem to continue scraping by at .500. So let’s look at the numbers that are slowing them down. Out of all MLB bullpens, the Nats are 3rd in walks, 1st in hits allowed (most by 45), 1st in runs allowed (most by 25) and 1st in home runs allowed (most by 12). Looking from the more positive side, if you showed someone those numbers, you would think the Nats were the worst team in baseball, but that really is how insanely good the offense has been this year.

As the results continue to be lackluster, more and more tension and questions surround the trade deadline for the Nats. Clearly the Nats need bullpen arms, and clearly most of the fans want the team to buy at the deadline, but sitting at .500 with 60 games left and having some mediocre results in a stacked NL east, the front office still may be inclined to sell rather than buy at the deadline. If the Nats are able to get some kind of streak going over the next 5-6 games, it could insanely effect the trajectory for the rest of the season by first influencing the Nats front office to go all in for a playoff chance.

Playoff odds wise, the Nats currently have a 5.7% chance to make it, despite currently only sitting 1.5 games out of a wildcard spot. It is clear that currently statistics don’t favor the team the Nats are working with right now and are not convinced they can hold on for a late season push. Luckily with some of the right moves and a young persistent team, it wouldn’t be the first time the Nats beat the odds.

Final Score: Nationals 7, Rockies 8

Date: July 21, 2026

Location: Coors Field

Winning Pitcher: Juan Mejia ([3–6], 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

Losing Pitcher: Clayton Beeter ([3–3], 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K)

Key Hitters:

Team RISP: [2-for-8]

Errors: Nats 1, Rockies 0

Attendance: 24,273

Next Game: vs. Colorado Rockies, Today, 3:10 PM ET, Coors Field

Probables: Nats — Cade Cavalli, Rockies — Gabriel Hughes

Key Storyline: A series clinching game that could be more than just a normal MLB matchup, as the Nats look for some momentum towards the deadline.

The Rochester Red Wings, the Nats Triple-A affiliate, continued their impressive year with a 7-3 comeback victory over Buffalo, improving to 57-38 on the season and remaining in first place in the International League. Rochester exploded for six runs in the ninth inning, highlighted by Abimelec Ortiz, who collected two doubles, drove in three runs, and raised his RBI total to 69 on the season.

The Harrisburg Senators, the Nats Double-A affiliate, fell 4-1 to Reading, dropping to 45-44 on the year. Despite having six hits, the Senators were unable to capitalize offensively, finishing 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Branden Boissiere however was able to continue his strong stretch at the plate with two hits, while Caleb Lomavita drove in Harrisburg's lone run in the ninth inning.

The Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Nats High-A affiliate, had their series opener against Hudson Valley postponed because of rain, keeping them at 45-44 on the season as they will resume play today to continue building on their recent three-game sweep over Jersey Shore.

The Fredericksburg Nationals, the Nats Single-A affiliate, were defeated 7-0 in a rain-shortened game against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, moving them to 57-34 on the season. The FredNats managed just three hits before the game was called in the sixth inning, with Juan Cruz and Brady Cerkownyk accounting for all three knocks. Despite the loss, Fredericksburg still remains in first place in the Carolina League.