The Washington Nationals will look to avoid being swept by the Boston Red Sox this afternoon. They will send left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara to the mound for his Major League pitching debut. The Boston Red Sox will send left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet with a record of 8-4 with an ERA of 2.34.

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Welcome to the Show…

Today, left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara will make his major league debut. After the Washington Nationals signed him toward the end of January, he became the Nats’ first free agent signed directly from Asia and the first Nationals player from Japan. After a few games at the Rookie level and High-A Wilmington, he was activated off the 7-day Minor League IL on June 28 and has been working his way back to Triple-A Rochester.

Yesterday, the Washington Nationals were defeated once again by the Boston Red Sox by a score of 10-3. Left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker got the loss for the Washington Nationals, and now has a 5-9 record with an ERA of 4.72. Parker pitched 6.0 innings, giving up nine runs, only four of which were earned, on 10 hits, striking out only four and walking one. Parker faced 31 batters, throwing 95 pitches, and 66 of them were strikes. On the offensive side of the ball, the Nationals got RBIs from Josh Bell (36) and Kiebert Ruiz (25). Nathaniel Lowe continues to be a force at the plate, as he went 2-4 with two runs scored.

On Deck…

The Nationals will have the day off on Monday, and then resume playing on Tuesday night, kicking off a six-game road trip by playing three in St. Louis. The Nationals’ pitchers for that series are currently TBD.

In the hole…

After St. Louis, the team will travel to face the Cardinals’ NL Central rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, for a weekend series. That series will be the conclusion of the Nationals’ first half schedule, and some players (who will soon be named) are to leave that series Atlanta-bound.

The Nationals have been outscored 21-5 so far this series, with Washington’s starting pitchers struggling mightily against the Boston lineup. The Red Sox bats have applied consistent pressure often in the first half of games, putting Washington’s staff on its heels and making it difficult for the offense to keep pace. The Nationals will need a strong rebound to avoid a sweep and salvage some momentum before going to St. Louis.

Today, the Nationals are shaking up their lineup by sitting a couple of key starters—CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr.—as they give them a well-deserved break. In their place, Alex Call gets the nod to lead off, marking a shift at the top of the order. Call’s return to the leadoff spot gives Washington hopes will set a new tone early in games and spark some offensive energy in their absence.

Meanwhile, the rest of the youth movement remains in full swing, with James Wood and Brady House still in the lineup. Wood continues to flash power potential and athleticism in left field as he preps for the Home Run Derby, while House’s steady presence at third base lends great defense to the infield. With Abrams and García Jr. on the bench for the day, the Nats are trying to keep the guys fresh on this hot day.

Kyle Finnegan has continued to climb the ranks in Nationals franchise history, and he is now just seven saves shy of tying Chad Cordero for the most saves since the team moved to Washington in 2005. Cordero, the Nationals’ first closer after relocation, racked up 113 saves and set the early standard for the role. Finnegan, who has steadily assumed closing duties over the past few seasons, has emerged as a mostly reliable arm at the back end of the bullpen. His combination of velocity, poise under pressure, and consistent performance has allowed him to quietly put together one of the best closing résumés in club history, and with the season not yet at its halfway point, Cordero’s mark is well within reach. However, with the trade deadline looming, time may be ticking for the closer.

Left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara will make his major league debut this afternoon when the Nationals take on the Boston Red Sox. In 2025, across three minor league levels (AAA, A+, and Rookie), he appeared in 6 games (all starts) and posting a 1–1 record with a 4.50 ERA and 4.88 FIP over 24.0 innings, allowing 23 hits, 13 runs (12 earned), 2 home runs, and 6 walks while striking out 24.

In 2025, the Boston Red Sox have a 45–45 record. They’ve scored 348 runs on 787 hits, including 180 doubles, 14 triples, and 109 home runs. The team also stole 42 bases while drawing 298 walks and striking out 826 times. Offensively, Boston hit for a .253 batting average, with a .324 on-base percentage, a .425 slugging percentage, and a .749 OPS. They also turned 48 double plays, were caught stealing 19 times, hit into 41 double plays, and recorded 7 sacrifice hits, 21 sacrifice flies, and 16 hit-by-pitches.

From 2005 through now, the Nationals and Red Sox have faced each other 29 times, with Boston dominating the matchup. The Red Sox hold a 20–9 record (.690 winning percentage) against Washington, including one shutout. Over those games, Boston has tallied 170 runs, 290 hits, 62 doubles, 6 triples, and 37 home runs, stealing 16 bases while posting a strong .284 batting average, .351 on-base percentage, .465 slugging, and .816 OPS. In contrast, the Nationals have managed just a 9–20 record (.310), scoring 130 runs on 242 hits, with 61 doubles, 6 triples, and 29 home runs, along with 23 stolen bases. Washington’s offensive line sits at a .245 batting average, .316 OBP, .407 slugging, and .723 OPS in the head-to-head series.

Garrett Crochet is a Cy Young candidate, but how has he been against Washington? He has faced the Washington Nationals once in his career, during the 2024 regular season while pitching for the Chicago White Sox. In that game, on May 15, 2024, Crochet started and earned the win in a 2–0 victory. He threw 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits and no runs (earned or unearned), while striking out 6 and walking 3 over 21 batters faced.

Against current Nationals hitters, the results are mixed but limited in sample size. Nathaniel Lowe is hitless in 2 at-bats with 1 walk (.000 AVG, .333 OBP). Jacob Young is 1-for-3 (.333 AVG, .667 OPS), while Riley Adams and Amed Rosario have each gone 1-for-1 with a double apiece and slugging an impressive 2.000, giving them identical 3.000 OPS marks in their lone plate appearances. Keibert Ruiz has struggled, going 0-for-2 with 2 strikeouts. Overall, in his lone outing against Washington, Crochet dominated, holding the team scoreless while showcasing strikeout stuff and limiting damage effectively.