The Washington Nationals will look to even the series today against the Tampa Bay Rays by sending right-handed pitcher Jake Irvin to the mound, who has an 8-9 record and a 5.40 ERA. The Nationals will be facing right-handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot with a 9-10 record and a 3.82 ERA.

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Last night, the Washington Nationals were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1. Left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker got the loss for the Nationals. Parker struck out seven batters and didn’t walk anyone over 6.1 innings. Parker allowed three runs on six hits and threw a total of 91 pitches, with 62 of them being strikes. His seven strikeouts are the second highest in a game this season, and last night’s start made his third start without issuing a walk.

Dylan Crews tied his career high with three stolen bases and went 3-for-4with two stolen bases. Crews has now reached safely in 17 out of his last 19 games, batting .258 (16-for-62) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, nine RBI, two hit by pitch, nine walks, four stolen bases, and 12 runs scored. Additionally, CJ Abrams recorded his team's leading 33rd mult-hit game and 15th game with three or more hits, going 3-for-5 with a double.

On Deck…

Tomorrow, the Nationals will finish up their three-game series against the Rays and are scheduled to send right-handed pitcher Brad Lord (4-7, 3.84 ERA) to the mound, and are scheduled to face lefty Ian Seymour (2-0, 3.18 ERA) from the Rays.

In the hole…

On Monday, the Nationals will kick off a three-game series with the Miami Marlins coming to Nationals Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. EDT.

CJ Abrams recorded his team's leading 33rd mult-hit game and 15th game with three or more hits, going 3-for-5 with a double in last night’s game. Abrams has reached base safely in 13 of his last 15 games and is batting .306 (19-for-62) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBI, three walks, and eight runs scored.

CJ Abrams’ hot stretch underscores just how important he is to the Nationals’ present and future. Leading the team in multi-hit games and consistently finding ways to get on base shows he’s evolving into a reliable top-of-the-order presence. His ability to generate extra-base hits, drive in runs, and score them himself makes him both a spark plug and a run producer—critical traits for a lineup still shaping its identity.

For the Nationals, Abrams’ production isn’t just about padding stats—it’s proof that one of their cornerstone players is maturing into the type of everyday performer a young team can build around. Every game he strings together like this pushes the franchise closer to turning potential into sustained success.

Paul DeJong has been on a tear for the Nationals, hitting safely in 11 of his last 13 games with a .308 average, four home runs, 11 RBI, three walks, a stolen base, and nine runs scored during that stretch. Over his last 25 games, he’s continued to be a force at the plate, batting .277/.314/.511 with four doubles, six homers, 18 RBI, six walks, two stolen bases, and 13 runs scored. He’s also reached base safely in 25 of his last 29 games, underscoring his consistency and reliability in the middle of the lineup.

DeJong’s streak is a major lift for the Nationals, who have leaned on his veteran presence and power to stabilize their infield during a transitional season. His continued production forces opposing pitchers to respect the middle of the order, protecting younger hitters and giving the lineup more length and flexibility.

For a team that’s still defining roles and evaluating future pieces, DeJong’s ability to come up clutch—whether by driving in runs or reaching base with regularity—helps fuel competitive games now and sets a valuable example for emerging talent. His contributions both offensively and defensively underline why depth and experience at key positions are vital as the Nationals look to build toward sustained success.

Jose A. Ferrer has emerged as a shutdown reliever for the Nationals, tossing 10.1 consecutive scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, zero walks, and nine hits allowed over his last eight games. During this stretch, he’s picked up four saves, one hold, and two wins, serving as a reliable option in high-leverage moments. In his past 18 appearances, Ferrer has posted a stellar 1.42 ERA (3 ER/19.0 IP), notching four saves, five holds, 17 strikeouts, and just two walks.

Ferrer’s dominance brings much-needed stability and confidence to a Nationals bullpen that has struggled to find consistent late-inning arms this season. His ability to pitch clean innings without issuing walks and to convert save opportunities transforms close games into wins, directly boosting team morale and helping develop a winning culture as younger players adjust at the big-league level. As a flame-throwing lefty, Ferrer gives Washington a versatile closer option who can match up against tough left-handed batters or shut down any part of the lineup, an essential asset as the Nationals rebuild and evaluate long-term roles.

Jake Irvin, a right-handed starter for the Nationals, is coming off the shortest outing of his career, taking the loss after giving up three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts over 2.1 innings in Philadelphia on August 24—the Nationals fell 3-2 in that game. Despite that recent bump, Irvin will soon face the Rays for the second time; he won their last meeting on June 29, 2024, tossing six innings of one-run ball. This season, Irvin has proven to be a workhorse, ranking 15th in the National League with 148.1 innings pitched and sitting ninth in all of MLB in total innings since the start of 2024. He's collected eight wins, and the Nationals have gone 13-14 in his 27 starts—best among their rotation. One area of concern: he owns a 9.33 ERA and .328 opponents’ average in the first inning, but settles in much better after, posting a 4.46 ERA with a .256 average against from the second inning on.

Irvin's durability and ability to take the ball every fifth day deliver critical stability to a young and evolving Nationals rotation. Eating innings at a top league rate lessens the bullpen’s burden, helping preserve arms long-term and keep the staff healthy through the grind of the season. While early-inning struggles remain an area for improvement, Irvin’s overall consistency, competitiveness, and workload make him a foundational piece for both the current rotation and the club’s plans moving forward as they evaluate which arms will anchor future Nationals teams.

After surrendering six or more runs in five consecutive games from August 17–22—their longest such stretch since August 2019—the Rays pitching staff has responded with a dominant run. Over their last five games (since August 24), Tampa Bay has allowed just 10 total runs, posting an MLB-best 1.61 ERA across 44.2 innings (8 ER). During that span, opponents have managed only three extra-base hits (two doubles and one home run), the second-fewest in any five-game stretch in franchise history (trailing only April 20–24, 2013, when they allowed just one). The Rays also lead the majors this season with 17 games in which they’ve allowed zero extra-base hits, second-most in club history behind their 2012 total (22).

The bullpen has been particularly sharp, giving up only one earned run across four games on the current road trip (0.61 ERA in 14.2 IP) while striking out 18 batters. Since July 30, Rays relievers have stranded 22 of their last 23 inherited runners, leading MLB with just a 4.5% inherited runners scored rate. For comparison, the Dodgers rank second at 17.5%.

Since the All-Star break, Rays pitchers lead the majors in strikeout rate (25.8%) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.79). Their 352 total strikeouts over that span are tied for fifth-most in baseball, and their 18 games with double-digit strikeouts lead the American League.

Pete Fairbanks picked up his 86th career save with a scoreless ninth inning last night, passing Fernando Rodney (85) for third on the Rays’ all-time saves list. He now trails only Roberto Hernandez (101) and Alex Colomé (95). Fairbanks’ 23 saves this season are tied for seventh-most in the AL, and his 71 saves since the start of 2023 rank fourth in the league, behind Emmanuel Clase (115), Carlos Estévez (86), and Kenley Jansen (79). His 305 strikeouts as a reliever are second-most in Rays history—just 14 shy of Jake McGee’s franchise record (319).

Day: 26-24 | Night: 39-45 | Home Record: 34-33 | Road Record: 31-36

Current Streak: W1 | Last 5 Games: 3-2 | Last 10 Games: 4-6 | vs. RHP: 47-48 | vs. LHP: 18-21 | Monthly Record: 11-13

A.L. Teams: 40-51 | N.L. Teams: 25-18 | N.L. East: 9-7

Ryan Pepiot (PEP-ee-oh) makes his career-high 28th start of the season (14th on the road), and his 71st career appearance overall (64th start). He leads the Rays in starts (27), quality starts (14), and innings pitched (153.0), while ranking second on the staff with 149 strikeouts. Tampa Bay is 3-6 in its last nine outings but has won two of its past three road starts. Pepiot was acquired from the Dodgers in the Dec. 16, 2023, trade that sent RHP Tyler Glasnow, OF Manuel Margot, and cash considerations to Los Angeles in exchange for Pepiot and OF Jonny DeLuca.

Last Time Out — Pepiot picked up his ninth win of the year on August 24 vs. St. Louis at Steinbrenner Field, working 5.0 innings of one-hit ball with one walk and three strikeouts in Tampa Bay’s 7-2 victory. The game was delayed more than four hours, but Pepiot still delivered his third win in his last four starts.

Vs. Washington — This will be Pepiot’s first career appearance against the Nationals, who become the 27th MLB team he has faced. He has yet to pitch against the Cubs, Dodgers, White Sox, or Rays. In seven career outings (six starts) against NL East clubs, he’s gone 3-1 with a 3.68 ERA (36.2 IP, 15 ER), limiting opponents to a .194 batting average (25-for-129). He’s allowed two runs or fewer in four of those seven starts, including a May 8 start at Philadelphia this season, where he tossed 6.0 innings of one-run ball on just two hits.

Road Woes — Tonight marks Pepiot’s sixth road start in his last seven outings, a stretch dating back to July 26 at Cincinnati. Over those six games away from Tropicana Field, he’s 2-2 with a 5.53 ERA (27.2 IP, 17 ER) and only one quality start. Among pitchers with at least 20.0 road innings in that span, his 5.53 ERA is the third-highest in MLB, trailing only Matthew Boyd (CHC, 6.04) and Eduardo Rodríguez (ARI, 5.75). Overall, this season, the Rays are 8-6 in Pepiot’s home starts but just 3-10 when he pitches on the road.