Game Details
New York Mets (73-87) vs. Washington Nationals (76-84)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jonah Tong (2-2, 4.21 ERA) vs. LHP Connelly Early (7-5, 3.44 ERA)
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 12:35 p.m. EDT | Game: #161 | Home Game: # 80
Location: Nationals Park | Washington, D.C.
Game storylines and notes
This afternoon the Washington Nationals will play game two of their three game series against the New York Mets after defeating the Mets last night 7-6.
The Nationals are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Jake Irvin to the mound who has a record of 2-9, with a 5.40 ERA entering this afternoon game.
The New York Mets are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Jonah Tong who has a 2-2 record and a 4.21 ERA entering this afternoon’s game.
The Nationals are 5-6 against the Mets in 2026, going 3-2 in Washington and 2-4 in New York.
The Washington Nationals opened their final series of the 2026 season with a 7-6 win over the New York Mets on Friday night, extending their winning streak to three games. Washington has won nine of its last 12 and is 12-5 (.706) at home since Aug. 13.
The Nationals’ 76 wins this season are their most in a season since 2019, when they won 93. They also picked up their 38th road win on Wednesday which their highest road total since the 2019 Nationals won 43.
CELEBRATE FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND WITH THE NATS REPORT!
We’re opening up complimentary access to our Nats Report Game Notes, which are normally available exclusively to Nats Report+ subscribers to celebrate Fan Appreciation Weekend!
Follow along for the latest lineups, pitching matchups, roster news, notes, stats, and more throughout the weekend.
Washington Nationals Schedule
Up Next…
On Deck…
Tomorrow afternoon, the Washington Nationals will wrap up their 2026 season and face the New York Mets with the first pitch scheduled to be at 3:05 p.m. EDT (Which could change due to weather.) The Nationals are scheduled to send left handed pitcher DJ Herz to the mound to wrap up the 2026 season. Herz has a 0-1 record and an a 9.00 ERA entering Sunday’s game. Left hander DJ Herz made his first start since 2024 in Detroit on September 21, 2026.
Left handed pitcher Sean Manaea is scheduled to take the mound for the New York Mets on Sunday. Manaea has a 6-7 record and an a 4.67 ERA entering Sunday’s game.
In the hole…
Enjoy the Offseason!
It takes Different Strokes to move the World
Entering the final two games of the season, the Nationals have scored 814 runs and allowed 804, giving them a +10 run differential. That is a 222-run swing from 2025, when Washington scored 687 runs, allowed 899 and finished at -212.
The turnaround ranks second in MLB this season, behind Colorado, and is the largest season-to-season improvement in Nationals history, dating to 2005. Washington has also won 10 more games than it did in 2025, tied with Pittsburgh for the fifth-largest increase in the majors.
Why this matters:
The Washington Nationals have improved not just in the standings, but in the balance of runs they score and allow.
Despite a 76-84 record, they have outscored their opponents over 160 games a meaningful change from being outscored by 212 runs a year ago. It does not guarantee another step forward next season, but it gives Washington a more encouraging measure of its overall play than the win total alone
Washington Nationals Player Profile: Erik Tolman
A hard-throwing left-hander and a 2021 14th-round pick, Tolman had his contract selected on Aug. 19 and made his major league debut three days later. He worked a scoreless inning against Detroit on Aug. 22, striking out Esteury Ruiz for his first career strikeout.
Tolman earned his first save on Aug. 31 against Miami, striking out four over two innings while stranding all three runners he inherited. He has four saves since Aug. 31, tied for seventh in the National League over that span, and has converted all three of his save opportunities at home. In seven home appearances, he has a 1.04 ERA (one earned run in 8⅔ innings). Left-handed hitters are 3-for-17 (.176) against him this season. Most recently, he earned a hold at Detroit on Sept. 23 despite walking two batters in two-thirds of an inning.
Before joining Washington, Tolman went 3-2 with a 5.23 ERA, 42 strikeouts, four holds and three saves in 32 appearances (one start) spanning 31 innings for Triple-A Rochester. From May 6 through July 24, he allowed three earned runs in 13 innings across 14 games, striking out 16 and holding opponents to a .174 average. His pitch mix is 52.6% four-seam fastballs, 27.9% changeups and 19.4% sliders. He has two holds overall, has allowed four of seven inherited runners to score, and has held opponents to a .235/.328/.333 slash line.
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.
30/20 Vision: CJ Abrams and James Wood have joined an exclusive group: They are the fifth pair of teammates in MLB history to each hit 30 home runs, collect 30 doubles and steal 20 bases in the same season. The previous pairs were Francisco Lindor and José Ramírez (Cleveland, 2018), Carlos Beltrán and David Wright (Mets, 2007), Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez (Mariners, 1998), and Ellis Burks and Dante Bichette (Rockies, 1996).
Start Me up Before you Go Go: In 28 games since Aug. 19, the Nationals’ starters and openers under Simon Mathews have held opponents to a .207 batting average, the lowest mark in MLB over that span.
They’ve also allowed the fewest home runs (13) and rank second in opponents’ slugging percentage (.333), fifth in ERA (3.17) and fifth in opponents’ OPS (.635).
But I would walk five hundred miles. And I would walk five hundred more. Just to be the man who walked a thousand. Miles to fall down at your door James Wood is the first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs, steal 20 bases and draw 100 walks in a season while playing fewer than 140 games. He is the 10th player to reach all three marks in a season, regardless of games played, joining Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Paul Goldschmidt, Bobby Abreu, Jeff Bagwell, Chipper Jones, Barry Bonds, Mike Schmidt and Jimmy Wynn.
James Wood is also one of just two players in the majors this season with at least 100 runs scored and 100 walks. He has 105 runs and 101 walks; Yordan Alvarez has 102 runs and 109 walks.
On the mound for the Washington Nationals
LHP Connelly Early (7-5, 3.44 ERA)
Connelly Early makes his Nationals debut after Washington acquired him from the Boston Red Sox for Curtis Mead on July 26. The left-hander made his major league debut on Sept. 9 against the Athletics, earning his first win with five innings of one-walk, 11-strikeout ball.
Early has made two starts of seven scoreless innings while allowing four or fewer hits, on May 8 against Tampa Bay and May 27 against Atlanta. Left-handed hitters are 19-for-98 (.194) against him this season, with just six extra-base hits. His 2026 pitch mix includes a four-seam fastball (35.1%), sinker (19.9%), changeup (18.3%), curveball (10.9%), slider (8.0%) and sweeper (7.9%).
WASHINGTON NATIONALS BY THE NUMBERS
The Washington Nationals have the following records
Day: 32-35 | Night: 43-49 | Home Record: 37-41 | Road Record: 38-43
Month Record: 9-10 | Current Streak: W2 | Previous Month Record: 11-18
A.L. Teams: 28-20 | N.L. Teams: 47-64 | N.L. East: 16-33
vs. LHSP: 26-22 | vs. RHSP: 49-62 | | When the Nationals score first: 53 -34 | Last At-Bat Wins: 14-20 | 1-run games: 17-22
White Script Nationals: 17-25 | Red Curly W: 7-5 | City Connect: 6-5 | Blue Jersey: 21-21 | Road Gray: 25-27
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.
For the latest updates, please follow us on our social media accounts.
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.