The Washington Nationals continue this three-game series tonight against the Houston Astros on the road. The Nationals have won back-to-back series against Cincinnati and Minnesota, and can clinch a third straight series victory with a win either tonight or tomorrow.

Tonight, right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka will take the mound for the Nationals. Soroka has a 3-8 record and an ERA of 4.85, while Washington’s lineup will face right-handed pitcher Jason Alexander, who has a 1-1 record and an ERA of 8.14. [More on tonight’s matchup later down in today’s Notes.]

The Washington Nationals picked up a 2–1 win over the Houston Astros last night, extending their win streak to three while handing Houston its fifth straight loss at home. Rookie starter Brad Lord dominated, working through four full perfect innings before giving up one run on a walk and a hit. On the mound for Houston, Framber Valdez delivered a gem of his own, striking out 12 and allowing just one run over six innings.

With the score tied at 1–1, Nathaniel Lowe tied the game with an RBI double in the sixth inning, scoring Josh Bell. Then in the seventh, catcher Riley Adams put the Nats ahead for good with a two‑out solo homer off Astros reliever Bryan King, his sixth homer of the season, which proved to be the dagger. Kyle Finnegan’s perfect ninth inning closed it out for the save after relievers Konnor Pilkington, Luis Garcia and José A. Ferrer set him up, earning the team a hard-fought win.

On Deck…

The Washington Nationals will wrap up this three-game set in Houston tomorrow, starting at 2:10 PM. Left-hander MacKenzie Gore will take the bump for Washington, looking to continue building momentum back up after his rough start against San Diego. Gore had a decent start in Minnesota, but the 2025 All-Star will look to take the final step in putting that Padres outing behind him. The Astros have yet to announce a starting pitcher for tomorrow’s series finale.

In the hole…

After tomorrow’s game, the team will take a day off on Thursday before opening a three-game weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers at home. Neither team has officially announced a starter for Friday’s opener. If the rotations hold true, however, it will be Jose Quintana (7-4, 3.50) for the Brewers, and Mitchell Parker (7-10, 4.91) for Washington.