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Game Details
Los Angeles Angels (56-90) vs. Washington Nationals (67-81)
Pitching Matchup: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-5, 4.96 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Cavalli (12-5, 3.12 ERA)
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026 | 6:45 p.m. EDT | Game: #149 | Home Game: #74
Location: Nationals Park | Washington, D.C.
Washington Nationals Game storylines and Game Notes
Tonight, the Washington Nationals will kick off their second to last homestand with the start of a three-game weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Nationals are looking to snap a seven game losing streak as they return from the West Coast. The Nationals are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli to the mound and are scheduled to face left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi from the Angels.
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Heading to Nationals Park for one of the remaining Nationals home games?
If so, be sure to pick up this CJ Abrams and James Wood poster from The Washington Post.
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Washington Nationals Schedule
Up Next…
On Deck…
Tomorrow, the Washington Nationals will continue their three game series against the Angeles with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. EDT. The Nationals are scheduled to send left handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez who has a 2-6 record and an a 3.60 ERA. A native of Anaheim and graduate of Los Alamitos High School in Southern California, Andrew Alvarez will square off against an LA-area team for the second consecutive start.
Scheduled to get the start for the Angeles is right handed pitcher Walbert Ureña who has a 9-10 record and an a 2.74 ERA.
In the hole…
On Sunday the Washington Nationals will finish up their series against the Angels. Here is the scheduled pitching matchup for the game
Double Digits
The Nationals have produced a remarkably balanced power attack in 2026, with 10 players reaching double digits in home runs: CJ Abrams, James Wood, Luis García Jr., Daylen Lile, Curtis Mead, Dylan Crews, Andrés Chaparro, Brady House, Keibert Ruiz, and Jacob Young.
The Washington Nationals are tied with the New York Mets and New York Yankees for the most players with at least 10 home runs this season. The 2026 Nationals are also just the third club in Nationals history, since the franchise arrived in Washington in 2005, to have 10 or more players reach the 10-homer mark in one season. The only other Nationals teams to do so were the 2017 and 2019 clubs.
Why It Matters
This is more than a team-home-run total which reflects lineup depth. Rather than relying on one or two middle-of-the-order sluggers, the Nationals are getting meaningful power production throughout the roster, from established regulars such as Abrams, García, Ruiz, and Wood to younger contributors including Lile, Crews, House, and Young.
That balance makes the offense harder to navigate for opposing pitching staffs. It also offers an encouraging signal for the organization’s longer-term core: several of the players driving this milestone are young, controllable position players who could remain central to Washington’s offense beyond 2026.
Washington Nationals Player Spotlight: CJ Abrams
CJ Abrams, has put together one of the most productive offensive seasons by a shortstop in Nationals history. A two-time National League All-Star selection in 2024 and 2026, Abrams leads NL shortstops and ranks among the league leaders in several offensive categories.
Abrams is one of only two players in Nationals history, alongside Trea Turner, to record multiple seasons with at least 50 extra-base hits and 25 stolen bases. This season, he has joined Alfonso Soriano as the only players in franchise history to post at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in the same year.
Across Major League Baseball, Abrams is one of three players—along with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Elly De La Cruz—to reach the 25-homer, 25-steal milestone in 2026.
Record-Setting Production
Abrams enters play with 95 RBI, the most by a shortstop in a single season in Nationals history since 2005. He surpassed Ian Desmond’s previous franchise record of 91 RBI, set in 2014.
With five more RBI, Abrams would become the 12th player in Nationals history to record a 100-RBI season and the first since Anthony Rendon (126) and Juan Soto (110) in 2019.
He set the Nationals’ single-season home run record for a shortstop on July 26 against Arizona, when he hit his 26th and 27th home runs of the year. Earlier in the season, he established a career high with his 21st home run on July 19 at the Athletics—his 96th game of the season.
All-Star July
Abrams earned National League Player of the Month honors for July after hitting .348 (31-for-89) with 10 home runs, five doubles, 23 RBI, 11 walks, six stolen bases, and 17 runs scored. He led all of Major League Baseball in home runs and slugging percentage (.742) during the month, while ranking among National League leaders in RBI (third), batting average (third), extra-base hits (tied for third), and on-base percentage (sixth).
Consistent Speed and Early Impact
Abrams has stolen at least 25 bases in each of the past four seasons. Since 2023, only José Caballero, José Ramírez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Abrams have reached that benchmark in every season.
He made an immediate impact in 2026, reaching base safely in each of his first 10 games—the longest such streak by a National to open a season since Josh Bell reached in 12 straight from April 7–19, 2022. Abrams’ 14 RBI over the first 10 games of the season were the most by a player in his first 10 contests in Nationals history.
With runners in scoring position this season, Abrams is hitting .296 (40-for-135) with six home runs and 63 RBI. His most recent home run came Sept. 6 at Dodger Stadium off Los Angeles left-hander Justin Wrobleski, giving him 89 career home runs.
Washington Nationals notes from the Washington Nationals Dugout
“Notes from the Washington Nationals Dugout” compiles key game notes, recent performances and notable milestones from across the roster.
Below is a quick snapshot of standout trends and individual highlights during the current stretch.
Welcome back to the Show: The Nationals recalled outfielder Andrew Pinckney from Triple-A Rochester on Thursday and placed infielder Nasim Nuñez on the Bereavement List. Pinckney, 25, returns to the Washington Nationals after appearing in 13 games during his first Major League stint from Aug. 4 through Sept. 2. He hit .273 with one triple, one home run, two RBI, one walk, one stolen base, and six runs scored over that stretch.
Crewsin' Down the River: Washington Nationals Outfielder Dylan Crews has been on an extra-base-hit tear of late. Six of his last eight hits have gone for extra bases, including five doubles and one home run. Since Sept. 4, his five doubles lead Major League Baseball, while his six extra-base hits are tied for third.
This surge extends beyond the past week. Since Aug. 22, 10 of Crews’ last 19 hits have gone for extra bases: eight doubles, one triple, and one home run. Over that span, he is slashing .288/.356/.485 with 12 RBI, six walks, and one stolen base.
In his current six-game stretch, Crews is batting .348 (8-for-23) with five RBI, one hit-by-pitch, one stolen base, and two runs scored.
Power behind the plate: Keibert Ruiz has been one of baseball’s hottest-hitting catchers since Aug. 2. Among Major League catchers with at least 75 plate appearances during that span, Ruiz leads the position in batting average and ranks third in both OPS and slugging percentage.
Across all Major League hitters, Ruiz ranks third with a .361 batting average and eighth with a .418 on-base percentage since Aug. 2. He has hit .368 (26-for-72) over his last 22 games, recording three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI, seven walks, seven strikeouts, and 10 runs scored.
On the mound for the Washington Nationals
Cade Cavalli: Cavalli’s California Command
Right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli will get the start tonight for the Washington Nationals. Cade Cavalli turned in a strong performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 5 at Dodger Stadium, striking out eight over 6.0 innings while allowing two runs on four hits. He did not issue a walk but received a no-decision in Washington’s 6–5 loss.
Cavalli is scheduled to make his first career start against the Los Angeles Angels.
Cavalli enters the outing ranked 10th in the National League with a 3.12 ERA. He is looking to become the first Nationals pitcher to finish a season among the league’s top 10 in ERA since 2019, when Max Scherzer ranked sixth at 2.92, Patrick Corbin ranked eighth at 3.25, and Stephen Strasburg ranked 10th at 3.32.
Since July 17, Cavalli has been among baseball’s most effective starters. Over his last 10 outings, he is 7–1 with a 1.95 ERA (13 ER in 60.0 IP) and a .187 opponents’ batting average.
During that span, he ranks among National League leaders in several key categories:
Second in strikeouts, with 75
Tied for third in ERA, at 1.95
Fourth in strikeouts per nine innings, at 11.25
Fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio, at 5.36
Cavalli has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 28 of his 30 starts this season, the most such outings by any Major League starter. He is ahead of the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, who has 27, and Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, who has 26.
Within Nationals history, Cavalli trails only Max Scherzer, who recorded 30 starts of three earned runs or fewer in 2018. Cavalli is tied with John Lannan’s 28 such starts in 2011 for the second-most in Nationals history since 2005.
Cavalli has also posted three starts this season in which he has worked at least 6.0 innings, struck out 10 or more batters, and allowed no earned runs. He joins Scherzer (2015, 2017, and 2018) and Strasburg (2019) as the only pitchers in Nationals history to record at least three such starts in a single season.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS BY THE NUMBERS
The Washington Nationals have the following records
Day: 29-34 | Night: 38-47| Home Record: 33-40 | Road Record: 34-41
Month Record: 1-7 | Current Streak: L7 | Previous Month Record: 11-18
A.L. Teams: 23-19 | N.L. Teams: 44-62 | A.L. West: 7-5
vs. LHSP: | vs. RHSP:
Series Opener: 20-27 | Series Opener at Home: 10-13 | By Series: 22-21-4
White Script Nationals: 15-23 | Red Curly W: 6-5 | City Connect: 5-5 | Blue Jersey: 15-20 | Road Gray: 25-26 |
Important information about the Nats Report Game Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are in the Eastern USA Time Zone.
Please note that Game Notes will not be updated in the event of lineup changes, postponements, or cancellations by the Washington Nationals.
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Baseball-Reference, the Washington Nationals, and MLB.com provide the stats and content unless otherwise noted. The Nats Report isn’t responsible for the accuracy of the stats provided.