This afternoon, the Washington Nationals will look to sweep the Los Angeles Angeles with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT.

With a win today the Washington Nationals would secure its first sweep over Los Angeles (AL) in team history

The Nationals are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Riley Cornelio to the mound who has a 2-2 record and a 5.26 ERA. The Angeles are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez who has a 4-7 record and an ERA of 6.28 ERA.

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The Nationals rallied for a 10th-inning walk-off win over the Angels on Saturday, as Harry Ford’s fielder’s-choice grounder brought home CJ Abrams with the winning run.

Left handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez delivered a dominant start, allowing just one hit over 7.0 scoreless innings while striking out eight. Jack Sinclair earned his first career victory after pitching 1.1 innings, issuing one walk and recording one strikeout.

The Washington Nationals have now won seven of its last nine games at Nationals Park and owns a 15-8 (.652) home record since July 25.

On Deck…

Tomorrow the Washington Nationals will have a day off before welcoming the Philadelphia Phillies to Nationals Park on Tuesday night.

In the hole…

CJ Abrams is four RBI away from becoming the 12th player in Nationals history to record 100 RBI in a season—and the first to do so since Anthony Rendon (126) and Juan Soto (110) in 2019.

Abrams has already put together one of the most dynamic offensive seasons in franchise history. With 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases, he joins Alfonso Soriano (40 HR, 41 SB in 2006) as the only Nationals players to post a 30-homer, 25-steal season. He and the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong are the only Major Leaguers to reach those thresholds in 2026.

The significance goes beyond the individual milestones: Abrams is providing rare power-speed production from shortstop while serving as a centerpiece of Washington’s lineup. He has 30 homers and 96 RBI, while Daylen Lile has added 20 home runs and 81 RBI; James Wood, with 30 homers and 75 RBI, is within reach of joining them in the 20-homer, 80-RBI group. That combination has helped give the Nationals multiple middle-of-the-order threats and reflects the club’s broader offensive progress.

Abrams also leads MLB with an 86 percent ABS Challenge success rate, going 12-for-14 on challenges this season (minimum 10 challenges).

He went 2-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday’s win over the Angels. During the homestand, Abrams is batting .444 (4-for-9) with two doubles, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored.

In July, Abrams was named National League Player of the Month after batting .348 (31-for-89) with 10 home runs, 23 RBI, five doubles, 11 walks, six stolen bases and 17 runs scored. He led MLB in home runs and slugging percentage (.742) that month while ranking among National League leaders in RBI (third), batting average (third), extra-base hits (tied for third) and on-base percentage (sixth).

Abrams’ pursuit of 100 RBI would place him in rare company in Nationals history and underscore how dramatically his offensive game has developed. Reaching the mark would make him the franchise’s first 100-RBI hitter since the 2019 championship-era core of Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto, signaling that Washington again has a position player capable of carrying a lineup over a full season.

His 30-home run, 25-stolen base combination is just as significant. Shortstops who can produce elite power while remaining a major threat on the bases are uncommon, and Abrams has paired those tools with production that directly drives runs. Being one of only two MLB players to reach the 30/25 threshold this season puts him alongside the game’s most complete offensive performers.

For the Nationals, Abrams, Daylen Lile and James Wood approaching or clearing major power-and-RBI benchmarks gives the lineup something it has lacked in recent seasons: multiple young, controllable hitters who can impact the game in different ways. Abrams’ production at shortstop provides stability at a premium defensive position, while the collective output of the club’s young core offers tangi

Daylen Lile went 0-for-4 with a walk in Saturday’s game against the Angels and is 0-for-6 with a walk during the current homestand.

Despite the recent stretch, Lile has remained one of Washington’s most productive all-around players in 2026. His 36 multi-hit games rank second on the team, and over his last 21 games, he is batting .284 (21-for-74) with four doubles, two triples, five home runs, 16 RBI, nine walks, two stolen bases and 13 runs scored.

Lile earned National League Player of the Week honors for Aug. 24-31 after a standout late-August run. He has set a career high with 20 home runs this season—more than double his total of nine in 2025—and has driven in 62 runs while adding 29 career homers.

He has also made considerable strides defensively. After recording minus-8 Outs Above Average, minus-10 Defensive Run Value and minus-14 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025, Lile has improved to 1 OAA, 3 Defensive Run Value and 9 Defensive Runs Saved in 2026.

Among his season highlights, Lile hit four home runs in four games from May 12-15, including his first career multi-homer performance on May 12 at Cincinnati. The following night, he hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the 10th inning. He set a career high with five RBI on Aug. 24 against Colorado, going 3-for-5 with a double, home run, stolen base and three runs scored, then recorded his second career multi-homer game on Aug. 31 against Miami. His two-run homer in the seventh inning gave Washington the lead.

With runners in scoring position, Lile is batting .233 (38-for-163) with seven home runs and 62 RBI. His most recent home run came Aug. 30 against Miami’s Sam Ekness.

“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.