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Tonight, the Washington Nationals kick off a four-game wrap around weekend series against the Miami Marlins. The Nationals are coming off hosting the Colorado Rockies.

The Nationals are scheduled to send left-handed pitcher Jackson Kent who is in search of his first MLB win. Kent has a 0-2 record and an ERA of 8.03, striking out 14 over 12.1 innings pitched.

Left handed pitcher Jackson Kent will face the Miami Marlins for the second time this season. In his last start on August 23, 2026 at Miami he allowed three earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.

The Miami Marlins are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Eury Pérez to the mound who has a 7-9 record and an 3.17 ERA entering tonights game. Pérez has 137 strikeouts over 127.2 innings pitched has started 23 games this season.

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The Nationals closed their series against Colorado with a 7–1 win Thursday afternoon, riding home runs from Daylen Lile and Keibert Ruiz and 4 2/3 scoreless innings from the bullpen. The victory improved Washington to 9–6 in its past 15 home games.

On Deck…

Tomorrow, the Washington Nationals will play game two of four against the Miami Marlins with the first pitch at 4:05 p.m. EDT. The Nationals are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli who has a 12-5 record and a 3.21 ERA entering Saturday’s game. Cade Cavalli has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 26 of his 28 starts, the most in Major League Baseball.

The Miami Marlins are planning on sending right handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara who has a 13-8 record and a 3.38 ERA.

In the hole…

On Sunday the Nationals will play game three of four against the Marlins with first pitch at 12:15 p.m. EDT. [Here is the scheduled pitching matchups]

Keibert Ruiz’s recent offensive surge has extended well beyond the past two weeks. He has recorded a hit in 12 of his last 15 games, batting .404 (21-for-52) with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, seven walks, only four strikeouts and eight runs scored. That stretch reflects the disciplined, high-contact approach that has made Ruiz one of the Nationals’ most dependable hitters during the second half.

Since Aug. 2, Ruiz leads all Major League catchers with a .377 batting average, .450 on-base percentage and .978 OPS, while his .528 slugging percentage ranks second among catchers with at least 60 plate appearances. In 16 games over that span, he is 20-for-53 with two doubles, two homers, nine RBI, seven walks and eight runs scored. Ruiz has struck out just four times in those 60 plate appearances and enters play having gone 27 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout, the second-longest active streak in the Major Leagues.

Ruiz has paired his recent hot streak with a strong full-season offensive profile. Among National League catchers with at least 275 plate appearances, he ranks:

Among NL switch-hitters with at least 275 plate appearances, Ruiz ranks third in both batting average and slugging percentage while placing sixth in doubles. His ability to make frequent contact from both sides of the plate, limit strikeouts and add gap power has made him a difficult matchup regardless of the opposing pitcher’s handedness.

That contact skill is not new. Since his Major League debut in 2021, Ruiz ranks seventh in MLB with a 10.8% strikeout rate over the past six seasons. His strong finish to recent seasons and consistently low strikeout rates have reinforced the value of his approach at a position where offense can be difficult to find.

Ruiz has also provided standout work behind the plate. On May 31 against San Diego, he threw out three Padres attempting to steal, matching the Nationals’ single-game franchise record for caught stealings. All three caught-stealing plays ended innings, including two on strike-three plays, and the three were the most by a Nationals catcher in a nine-inning game

He delivered one of the best individual offensive games by a catcher in club history on May 7 against Minnesota, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and four RBI. Ruiz became only the third catcher in Nationals history (2005-present) to record three extra-base hits in one game, joining Kurt Suzuki and Riley Adams.

The result is a catcher who is affecting games in multiple ways: controlling the strike zone, creating offense from both sides of the plate, producing extra-base damage and limiting opponents’ running game.

Daylen Lile has been one of the Nationals’ hottest hitters over the past week, batting .429 (12-for-28) with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, three walks, one stolen base and seven runs scored in seven games since Aug. 21. The 23-year-old has homered in three of his past four games, providing both consistent on-base production and impact power in the middle of Washington’s lineup.

It is also a continuation of a trend Lile established late last season. Beginning Aug. 21, he tied for the Major League lead with 16 extra-base hits and led all qualified hitters with a .372 batting average, .423 on-base percentage and .681 slugging percentage. His recent surge suggests that he has again found another gear during the season’s final stretch, combining a high-contact approach with the ability to drive the ball for extra bases.

“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.

Left-handed pitcher Jackson Kent is in search of his first MLB win. Kent has a 0-2 record and an ERA of 8.03, striking out 14 over 12.1 innings pitched.

vs. Marlins: Left handed pitcher Jackson Kent will face the Miami Marlins for the second time this season. In his last start on August 23, 2026 at Miami he allowed three earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.

Kent earned his first opportunity with the Nationals after putting together one of the strongest seasons in Washington’s Minor League system. Across 20 starts between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester, he went 9–4 with a 3.72 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 94 1/3 innings.

At the time of his promotion, Kent led all qualified Nationals Minor League pitchers in opponents’ on-base percentage (.277) and opponents’ batting average (.216). He also ranked second in the organization with a .692 winning percentage and a 1.12 WHIP, demonstrating both his ability to limit baserunners and work efficiently through opposing lineups.

His performance stood out beyond the Washington system, as well. Kent’s .277 opponents’ on-base percentage ranked ninth across all of Minor League Baseball, while his .216 opponents’ batting average and 1.12 WHIP each ranked 11th among qualified Minor League pitchers.

Kent made his Major League debut as a starter on Aug. 12 against the Chicago Cubs, becoming the 31st pitcher originally drafted or signed and developed by the Nationals to start a game for the club since Washington arrived in 2005.