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Game Details
Washington Nationals (71-82) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (75-78)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Cade Cavalli (12-5, 3.12 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.33 ERA)
Date: Friday, September 18, 2026 | 8:15 p.m. EDT | Game: #154 | Road Game: #76
Location: Busch Stadium | St Louis MO.
Game storylines and notes
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
Tonight, the Washington Nationals will kick off a six game road trip which will be their final road trip of the 2026 season. The Nationals will start their mid-west road trip with a game series against the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis.
The Washington Nationals are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli who has a a 12-5 record and an a 3.12 ERA entering tonight’s game. The Cardinals are scheduled to send vs. right handed pitcher Kyle Leahy who has a 10-4 record and an a 3.33 ERA.
Right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli ranks fourth in the National League with 194 strikeouts and ninth with a 3.12 ERA.
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Washington Nationals Schedule
Up Next…
On Deck…
Tomorrow, the Washington Nationals will continue their three game series against the Cardinals with the first pitch at 7:45 p.m. Left handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez who has a 2-6 record and an ERA of 3.55 is scheduled to take the mound for the Washington Nationals. Andrew Alvarez is coming off 7.0 innings of one-hit, shutout ball on Sept. 12 vs. the Los Angeles Angels. Alvarez has pitched to a 2.40 ERA (13 ER/48.2 IP) and a .165 opponents' average in his last 9 games (8 starts).
In the hole…
On Sunday, the Washington Nationals will wrap up their three game series before heading to Detroit. First pitch is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EDT
CJ Phone Home
C.J. Abrams enters the series on a strong offensive run, recording multi-hit efforts in three of his last four games and at least one double in four consecutive contests. During that span, he is batting .412 (7-for-17) with four doubles, one RBI, one stolen base and three runs scored.
Abrams is closing in on several significant milestones. With four more RBI, he would become the 12th player in Nationals history to record 100 RBI in a season and the first since Anthony Rendon (126) and Juan Soto (110) in 2019.
The Nationals shortstop has already joined Alfonso Soriano as the only players in franchise history to record at least 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. Soriano produced 40 home runs and 41 steals in 2006. Abrams and Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are the only Major League players to reach the 30-homer, 25-steal benchmark this season, and Abrams needs one more stolen base to become a 30-30 player.
Abrams has also excelled with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, leading Major League Baseball with an 86% success rate among players with at least 10 challenges. He is 12-for-14 on ABS challenges this season.
Overall, Abrams leads National League shortstops with 63 extra-base hits, which are tied for the fifth-most in the National League, as well as 96 RBI, the sixth-most in the league. His 30 home runs lead NL shortstops and are tied for eighth-most in the NL.
He ranks second among National League shortstops with 270 total bases, a .495 slugging percentage, a .834 OPS, a .358 wOBA and a 124 wRC+.
Why it matters:
Abrams’ production is not merely strong for a shortstop; it has placed him among the National League’s most impactful offensive players. His combination of power, speed and run production has made him a centerpiece of Washington’s lineup, particularly as the Nationals continue building around a young core that includes Abrams, James Wood and Daylen Lile.
Reaching the 30-30 milestone would put Abrams in rare company and further underscore his all-around offensive value. A 100-RBI season would also be historically meaningful for the franchise, as no Nationals player has reached that mark since Rendon and Soto during the club’s 2019 championship season.
For Washington, Abrams’ continued development into one of baseball’s top offensive shortstops offers a major foundation piece: a young, athletic player capable of producing runs, driving the ball, creating pressure on the bases and leading the lineup through the next phase of the organization’s competitive window.
Washington Nationals Extend Cade Cavalli Through 2030, Add 2031 Club Option
The Washington Nationals have agreed to a four-year contract extension with right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli that begins in 2027 and runs through the 2030 season, the club announced on Friday afternoon before their three game series against the St. Louis Cardinals where Cavalli is set to start tonight. The deal also includes a club option for the 2031 season.
Washington Nationals Player Spotlight: Dylan Crews
Dylan Crews went 1-for-3 against Philadelphia on Sept. 16 and continues to provide impact production despite playing in a limited number of games this season.
Crews has reached base safely in 20 of his last 23 games, recording hits in 14 of those contests. During that span, he is batting .264 (23-for-87) with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, 13 RBI, six walks and eight runs scored. Six of his last 11 hits have gone for extra bases, including five doubles and a home run.
His most recent home run came Sept. 8 at San Diego, off Padres pitcher Bradgley Hart. Crews has 23 career Major League home runs.
Crews also recorded the first walk-off hit of his career on Aug. 29 against Miami, delivering a 10th-inning single off Michael Petersen.
Despite appearing in no more than 85 games in either of the last two seasons, Crews has recorded double-digit home runs in each year. In 2025, he finished tied for second among National League rookies with 17 stolen bases and tied for fifth with 10 home runs, despite playing in only 85 games.
Three of Crews’ longest career home runs came this season: a 442-foot homer on June 20 at Tampa Bay, a 440-foot homer on June 12 against Seattle and a 432-foot homer on June 6 at Arizona.
With runners in scoring position this season, Crews is batting .253 (23-for-91) with one home run and 26 RBI..
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.
START ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO: Since Aug. 19, the Nationals’ starting pitchers and openers have been among the most effective groups in Major League Baseball. Over 25 games, Washington ranks first in opponents’ batting average (.199), opponents’ slugging percentage (.312) and home runs allowed (nine). The club also ranks third in opponents’ OPS (.615) and sixth in ERA (3.10) during that stretch.
The rotation and opener group has been especially stingy of late, allowing only three home runs over 81 innings during the Nationals’ last 19 games.
25 and under: CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile have each reached the 20-home run, 80-RBI threshold this season, giving the Nationals two of the 10 Major League players age 25 or younger to accomplish the feat in 2026. Abrams has posted 30 home runs and 96 RBI, while Lile has hit 21 homers with 85 RBI. Washington is the only MLB club with multiple players in that 20-homer, 80-RBI, age-25-or-younger group.
James Wood is close to making it three. The 23-year-old has recorded 30 home runs and 75 RBI and needs five more RBI to join Abrams and Lile at the 20/80 mark.
If Wood reaches 80 RBI, the 2026 Nationals would become just the eighth team in Major League history to feature at least three players age 25 or younger with a 20-home run, 80-RBI season. The most recent team to do so was the 2007 Milwaukee Brewers, who had four such players: Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart. The last team with exactly three was the 1999 Kansas City Royals, led by Carlos Beltrán, Jermaine Dye and Mike Sweeney.
VIVA Las Vegas!: Since Aug. 24, Jorbit Vivas has been one of the Nationals’ more productive hitters, batting .288 (15-for-52) over his last 18 games. During that stretch, he has recorded seven doubles, nine RBI, nine walks, one stolen base and three runs scored. Vivas has posted a .404 on-base percentage and a .417 slugging percentage since Aug. 24. His seven doubles over that span are tied for sixth-most in the National League.
On the mound for the Washington Nationals
Right handed pitcher Cade Cavalli
Cade Cavalli is coming off one of his strongest outings of the season. In his last start, September 11th against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park, Cavalli struck out nine over six innings while allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. He did not factor into the decision as Washington earned a 4-3 victory.
Cavalli is scheduled to make the second start of his career against the St. Louis Cardinals. His first came April 7 at Nationals Park, when he allowed two runs over 4 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and four walks while striking out three.
Among National League ERA leaders
Cavalli enters the outing ranked eighth in the National League with a 3.12 ERA. He is attempting to become the first Nationals pitcher to finish among the NL’s top 10 ERA leaders since 2019, when Max Scherzer ranked sixth at 2.92, Patrick Corbin finished eighth at 3.25 and Stephen Strasburg placed 10th at 3.32.
Cavalli has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 29 of his 31 starts this season, the best total among Major League starters. He is ahead of Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, who has done so in 28 starts, as well as Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and Guardians right-hander Parker Messick, who each have 27 such outings.
In Nationals history since the franchise moved to Washington in 2005, only Max Scherzer had more starts in a season allowing three earned runs or fewer. Scherzer recorded 30 such starts in 2018, leaving Cavalli one shy of matching that franchise record.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS BY THE NUMBERS
The Washington Nationals have the following records.
Day: 31-34 | Night: 40-48 | Home Record: 37-41 | Road Record: 34-41
Month Record: 5-8 | Current Streak: L1 | Previous Month Record: 11-18
A.L. Teams: 26-19 | N.L. Teams: 45-63 | N.L. Central: 16-12
vs. LHSP: 25-21 | vs. RHSP: 45-60 | Last 5 Games: 4-1 | Last 10 Games: 4-6 | After the All-Star Game: 23-33
By Road Series: 13-10-1 | Road Openers: 10-14 |
White Script Nationals: 16-24 | Red Curly W: 7-5 | City Connect: 6-5 | Blue Jersey: 16-20 | Road Gray: 25-26 |
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
St. Louis Cardinals
4th in the NL Central
Since the franchise relocated from Montreal and became the Washington Nationals in 2005, the St. Louis Cardinals have posted a 79-53 record against Washington, good for a .598 winning percentage. That is the second-best winning percentage by any annual opponent against the Nationals, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are 83-44 (.654) over that span.
The Cardinals have also won seven of their last nine meetings with the Nationals dating back to 2025.
The Cardinals need to finish 6-3 over their final nine games to reach .500 and avoid consecutive losing records in full seasons for the first time since 1958-59. St. Louis went 78-84 in 2025; the club last posted back-to-back losing full seasons in 1958 (72-82) and 1959 (71-83).
That 67-year stretch without consecutive losing campaigns is the second-longest in the history of the four major North American professional sports leagues: MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.
ON THE MOUND FOR THE HOME TEAM
RHP Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.33 ERA)
Kyle Leahy is scheduled to make his 29th start of the season, the 30th start of his Major League career and the 127th appearance of his career. His first 97 MLB appearances, from 2023-25, all came in relief. Leahy will make his first career start against the Nationals after making two prior relief appearances against Washington.
Leahy has been one of St. Louis’ most effective starters since late June. Since June 23, he is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA and has allowed two or fewer runs in 13 of 14 starts, including six scoreless outings. Among Major League pitchers with at least 50 innings during that span, his ERA ranks second behind only Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo (1.65).
In his last outing, September 12th against the Chicago White Sox, Leahy worked three scoreless innings on a pitch limit. He allowed two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four while throwing a season-low 38 pitches. He received a no-decision in St. Louis’ 6-5 loss, and the appearance marked his seventh scoreless start of the season.
Leahy has also been consistently effective at home. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last 14 home starts, dating back to his first home outing of the season against the New York Mets on March 30.
Kyle Leahy vs. the Nationals:
Kyle Leahy will make his first career start against the Washington Nationals and his third overall appearance against the club. In two previous relief outings versus Washington, he has gone 0-0 with a 7.71 ERA.
Leahy last faced the Nationals on July 10, 2025, at Busch Stadium, when he allowed one run over two innings in relief.
Washington is one of three National League teams that Leahy has faced only as a reliever and has yet to start against, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
BY THE NUMBERS
Day: 27-34 | Night: 48-44 | Home Record: 37-42 | Road Record: 38-37
Home White Uniforms: 22-31 | Cream Uniforms: 9-3 | Current Month: 7-8
A.L. Teams: 23-25 | N.L. Teams: 52-53 | Scoring First: 53-30
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.
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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.