The Washington Nationals will kick off a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox in their annual Independence Day Game at Nationals Park with the scheduled first pitch at 11:05 p.m. EDT. The Nationals will send RHP Michael Soroka (3-5, 4.70 ERA) to the mound. Soroka has pitched 6.0 innings in three of four starts at home.

The Nationals will face Lucas Giolito, whom the Washington Nationals drafted, and it will be his first career start against the Nationals.

This weekend, in honor of the July 4th holiday, all Nats Report subscribers can enjoy free access to our Game Notes! We hope you have a fantastic Fourth of July as we celebrate America’s 249th birthday. Happy Independence Day!

The Washington Nationals defeated the Detroit Tigers 11-7 and secured a series win against one of the best teams in Major League Baseball, and also the best team in the American League.

The Washington Nationals were down 3-0 early in the first inning; however, thanks to a five-inning comeback, the Nationals didn't look back and rode their way to a victory and series win over the Detroit Tigers.

Read our full Game Recap here.

On Deck…

Tomorrow, the Washington Nationals will play game two of three against the Boston Red Sox, with the scheduled first pitch at 4:05 p.m. The Nationals are scheduled to send left-handed pitcher LHP Mitchell Parker, who has a 5-8 record and an ERA of 4.63. The Nationals will face RHP Walker Buehler with a 5-6 record and a 6.45 ERA. • Left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker will be making his first career start against the Red Sox.

In the hole…

The Nationals will finish up their three-game series against the Boston Red Sox with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. The Nationals have yet to name their starter for the game.

James Wood: All-Star and Home Run Derby Candidate

James Wood, a potential 2025 National League All-Star and T-Mobile Home Run Derby participant, has established himself as one of the premier hitters in the league. Over his last 22 games, Wood is slashing .361/.476/.651, with three doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 19 walks, three stolen bases, and 20 runs scored. He’s currently riding a six-game hitting streak, going 11-for-20 (.550) with a home run, four RBI, and nine walks for a remarkable .667 on-base percentage during that span.

Wood’s power is elite: he ranks second in MLB with 12 home runs hit at 110 MPH or harder, trailing only Shohei Ohtani (13), and leads all of baseball with 53 batted balls over 108 MPH, ahead of Aaron Judge (51). His 31 career home runs are tied for the most by a Nationals player (since 2005) through their first 162 games, matching the marks set by Bryce Harper and Juan Soto.

Since his MLB debut on July 1, 2024, Wood has started 166 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the majors behind Matt Olson (703) and Pete Alonso (339). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s also the sixth-longest streak to begin a career during the Expansion Era (since 1961).

CJ Abrams, another potential 2025 NL All-Star, is among the top shortstops in the league. Over his last 22 games, Abrams is hitting .344/.419/.559 with six doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 RBI, 10 walks, two hit by pitches, seven stolen bases, and 22 runs scored. He has reached base safely in 19 of his last 20 games, posting a .418 OBP with 29 hits and 10 walks in that stretch.

Abrams also ranks tied for seventh in the National League with 18 stolen bases this season, having been caught just twice. Impressively, he’s a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts since May 6.

Both Wood and Abrams have been instrumental in the Nationals’ lineup, combining elite production, consistency, and durability during the 2025 season.

The Nationals’ bullpen remains a vital asset, anchored by both established veterans and promising young arms. Throughout the season, relievers such as Zach Brzykcy, Kyle Finnegan, and Brad Lord have consistently excelled in high-leverage situations, providing stability and depth to the pitching staff while playing a key role in the team’s continued competitiveness within the National League.

Here are some highlights:

Several Nationals hitters have found their stride as the season progresses, providing a much-needed spark to the lineup. Their recent performances have been instrumental in the team’s offensive resurgence, with both established veterans and emerging talents contributing consistently at the plate. Here are some highlight performances:

Josh Bell has been one of the hottest bats in the lineup, going 18-for-63 (.286) with four doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI, seven walks, six strikeouts, and seven runs scored over his last 19 games. He has recorded hits in 14 of his last 15 starts during this stretch and has struck out just twice in 57 plate appearances since June 15. Bell’s improved approach has been evident, as he continues to drive the ball with authority and minimize strikeouts.

Daylen Lile is riding a 10-game hitting streak, batting 13-for-39 (.333) with a double, an RBI, and four walks. His consistent contact and ability to get on base have made him a valuable asset at the bottom of the order.

Nathaniel Lowe has posted a .484 slugging percentage and an .804 OPS across 25 games since June 6. Over his last six games, he is 7-for-25 (.280) with two doubles, a triple, six RBI, and three walks, further strengthening the Nationals’ offensive depth.

Jacob Young has also contributed, going 14-for-51 (.275) with three doubles, six RBI, and five walks recently, helping to set the table and provide production in key spots.

For the 2025 season, right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka has a 3-5 record with a 4.70 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 59.1 innings pitched for the Nationals.

Since June 6, Soroka leads the National League with a .146 opponents’ batting average over five starts. During this span, he is tied for fifth in the NL with 36 strikeouts and ranks fourth with an average of 11.44 strikeouts per nine innings.

Among National League pitchers with at least 55 innings, Soroka ranks third (sixth in MLB) with a .170 opponents’ average against right-handed hitters. Over his last five starts, he’s held righties to a .105 average (5-for-47), allowing just one home run and one walk while striking out 17.

Soroka has limited opponents to a combined .188 average during their first two trips through the batting order. In first at-bats, hitters are batting just .152 against him, and .225 in their second at-bats.

Against Boston:

Soroka is set to make his first career start against the Red Sox. His only previous appearance versus Boston came in relief last season, when he allowed two unearned runs on two hits in one inning and took the loss on June 9.

The Red Sox have bounced back by winning 3 of their last five games after enduring a season-long 6-game losing streak from June 21 to 27. Over their past 23 games since June 7, Boston holds a 13-10 record, which ranks as the sixth-best in the American League during that stretch, trailing only Houston (17-7), Toronto (15-9), Texas (14-9), Los Angeles (14-10), and Tampa Bay (14-10).

Currently, the Red Sox are in the midst of a 3-game road series at Washington, which is sandwiched between two lengthy home stands—13 home games in 17 days from June 27 to July 13—leading up to the All-Star break (July 14-17). However, Boston has struggled away from Fenway, dropping five consecutive road games since June 21 in San Francisco, marking their second-longest road losing streak of the season (the longest being six straight road losses from May 12 to 28). Overall, the Red Sox are 18-25 (.419) on the road compared to 25-20 (.556) at home.

Red Sox starting pitchers have gone at least 6.0 innings in 17 of their 28 games since the beginning of June, which ties them with Houston for the second-most such outings in MLB during that period, trailing only Philadelphia, which has 18. For the season, Boston ranks fourth in the American League and is tied for seventh in MLB with 37 quality starts, behind Tampa Bay (41), Houston (40), and Kansas City (40).

In his most recent start on Saturday against Toronto, right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito picked up the win to improve to 4-1**, allowing just one unearned run over a season-high-tying 7.0 innings (also matched on May 24 vs. Baltimore). He scattered six hits, struck out five, walked one, and threw a season-high 105 pitches. The Red Sox offense provided him with 14 runs of support, the most he’s ever received in a single outing.

Giolito has been on a dominant run, going at least 6.0 innings with two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts since June 10, matching the longest such streak of his career (previously achieved in August 2019). Over those four outings, he’s 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA (2 ER in 25.0 IP), a 0.92 WHIP, and a .182 opponent batting average.

Drafted by the Nationals in the first round (16th overall) in 2012, Giolito made his MLB debut with Washington on June 28, 2016, but appeared in just six games (four starts) before being traded to the White Sox that offseason.

This season, Giolito has gone at least 6.0 innings in seven of his 11 starts, all of which have been quality starts. His seven quality starts are tied with Brayan Bello for second-most on the Red Sox, trailing only Garrett Crochet’s 11.

Tonight marks Giolito’s first career appearance against his original club, the Nationals. After this start, he will have pitched against 28 of the 30 MLB teams, with only the White Sox and Dodgers remaining.

Giolito has issued 18 walks to 246 batters faced this year, and his 2.76 walks per nine innings is the second-lowest mark of his career (best: 2.38 BB/9 in 2017 with the White Sox)[6].

On the road, Giolito has excelled, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.15 ERA and a .184 opponent average over five starts this season.