The Washington Nationals enter Friday on a five-game losing streak after a rough road series against the New York Mets. Tonight kicks off a seven-game homestand against the Marlins (who will be here through Sunday) and the Rockies (Monday-Thursday).

Left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker will start tonight, looking to get in a groove fast and bounce back from his recent struggles in the first inning. The lineup will also build on their momentum from the ninth inning yesterday and score early to give Parker as much of an advantage as possible.

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The Washington Nationals dropped their fifth straight game in a 4-3 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon, with early struggles from starter Michael Soroka proving too much to overcome. Soroka labored through a 30-pitch first inning, issuing two walks before surrendering a three-run homer to Jeff McNeil. Though he settled down for the next few innings, a solo shot from Brandon Nimmo in the fifth pushed the Mets’ lead to 4-0. Soroka finished with four earned runs over five innings, raising his ERA to 5.14. Relievers Eduardo Salazar and Zach Brzykcy kept the Mets off the board the rest of the way, giving Washington a late chance to rally.

Offensively, the Nats managed just one hit off Mets starter Kodai Senga, a James Wood single, until Senga exited with a hamstring injury in the sixth. The bats finally came alive in the ninth, when Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz combined to allow three runs on a flurry of singles and a passed ball. With the tying run on third, however, Díaz induced a pop-up and two groundouts to secure the win. Despite the late rally, the Nationals’ early offensive futility and Soroka’s rocky start sealed their fate once again.

On Deck…

Tomorrow, the Nationals will continue their three-game series against the Miami Marlins with the first pitch at 1:05 PM. The Nationals will send RHP Trevor Williams to the mound to face the Marlins, while the Marlins have yet to announce their starter for tomorrow’s game.

Trevor Williams has allowed two earned runs or fewer in two of his last three starts. He is set to face the team that originally drafted him for the 16th time in his career, which will be his 11th start against the Marlins.

In the hole…

On Sunday, the Nationals will conclude their three-game series against the Marlins with the first pitch at 1:35 PM. The Nationals will send left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore to the mound and will face Eury Perez.

After Sunday’s game, the Colorado Rockies (13-55 entering Friday) come to town for a four-game set starting Monday.

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams enters this weekend’s series against the Miami Marlins as one of the National League’s top shortstops. Through 216 at-bats this season, Abrams is hitting .264 with nine home runs, 22 RBIs, 57 hits, and 38 runs scored. Over his last seven games, he has posted a .240 batting average, a .269 on-base percentage, and a .480 slugging percentage, with two RBIs and one home run. Abrams’ .472 slugging percentage ranks 19th in the NL, and his 14 doubles place him among the league’s top 20.

Also, Abrams is the only shortstop in Major League Baseball this season with multiple games of three or more extra-base hits. He accomplished this feat most recently with three extra-base hits (two doubles and a homer) on Tuesday night, and previously with three (two home runs and a double) on May 18 at Baltimore.

Kyle Finnegan has continued to climb the ranks in Nationals franchise history, and he is now just eight 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.

Manager Dave Martinez is also on the cusp of a major milestone as he approaches 500 career wins. With 493 victories entering the current homestand, Martinez has the opportunity to reach the mark in front of the Nationals Park crowd. Martinez, who took over managerial duties from Dusty Baker in 2018, led the franchise to its first World Series title in 2019 and has become the winningest and longest-tenured manager in Nationals history. Reaching 500 wins would be another testament to his leadership and perseverance through both contending and rebuilding years, and it would serve as a significant highlight in what has already been a historic tenure in Washington.

Left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker has struggled in the first inning of late, but has been dominant beyond that. The main key for Washington tonight will be having him settle in early against a struggling Miami offense and letting him continue from there. Davey Martinez admitted last week that he considered an opener for Parker, but that part of his development will be getting through these situations. Can Parker figure it out early?

Time will tell, but entering tonight, the lefty owns a 10.38 ERA in the first inning, while just a 3.05 ERA beyond that. The Nats are rightfully excited about what Parker can be this season if he figures out the early struggles, so hopefully a game against a struggling offense can provide the spark he needs.

vs. Miami Marlins

Mitchell Parker has faced the Miami Marlins four times in the regular season, compiling 22.1 innings with an impressive 2.01 ERA. Over those outings, Parker holds a 1-0 record and has notched 14 strikeouts against just four walks, demonstrating strong command and effectiveness against Miami hitters. His ability to limit runs and keep baserunners in check has made him a reliable option for the Nationals when matched up with the Marlins, underscoring his early career success in this divisional matchup.

Since 2005, the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins have had an exceptionally balanced rivalry, with the Nationals having a narrow lead at 177 wins to the Marlins’ 176. Over the span of 353 games between the two NL East rivals, the Nationals have had a .501 winning percentage against Miami, just a hair above the Marlins’ .499 mark. This razor-thin margin shows how evenly matched the two teams have been over the past two decades, with neither side ever fully dominating the other for an extended period despite the actual difference in quality between the teams.

Statistically, the Nationals have slightly outperformed the Marlins offensively in head-to-head matchups. Washington has tallied 1,599 hits, 615 doubles, 75 triples, and 353 home runs against Miami pitching since 2005, compiling a .258 batting average, .334 on-base percentage, and .412 slugging percentage—good for a .746 OPS. Miami, in comparison, has produced 1,555 hits, 600 doubles, 70 triples, and 348 home runs against Nationals pitching, with an identical .258 batting average but slightly lower marks in OBP (.324), slugging (.407), and OPS (.731). These small differences have contributed to Washington’s one-game advantage in this remarkably even matchup.

Right-hander Edward Cabrera is set to make his eighth career appearance and second start of the season against the Washington Nationals as he takes the mound for the series opener Friday night at Nationals Park. In his most recent outing versus Washington on April 11 in Miami, Cabrera did not factor into the decision, allowing two earned runs on four hits, including one home run, while issuing three walks and striking out five over 5.2 innings.

Today’s start marks just the second time Cabrera has pitched at Nationals Park, with his previous appearance coming on September 13, 2024, when he delivered six strong innings, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk while striking out nine in a 4-1 Marlins loss. The Marlins are 3-4 in Cabrera’s previous starts against the Nationals. For his career against Washington, Cabrera holds a 2-3 record with a 3.89 ERA across 37.0 innings, yielding 26 hits (three home runs), 11 walks, and recording 33 strikeouts.