What is the Nationals’ approach as a team at the plate? Do they have one? Because it is rarely apparent if so, and their typical performance stands in stark contrast to their opponents’ last night. The Yankees forced MacKenzie Gore and three relievers (Ribalta, Beeter, and Pilkington, which sounds like a law firm that only has the juice to advertise for personal injury cases on bus stop benches) to throw 177 pitches over eight innings, while the Nationals saw just 150 over the full nine. Too often, when the Nats get behind, they start swinging from the on-deck circle and don’t stop, making late innings a breeze for opposing bullpens far too often. Last night they actually made starter Luis Gil work a little, but none of the four guys who followed (Cruz, Hill, Doval, and Bednar) threw more than fifteen pitches to shut the door. Alas.

Last night was the Giancarlo Stanton show, as he got to first Gore and then Ribalta for all five of the Bronx Bombers’ runs, scorching a bases-loaded double off of Gore in the third after Gore had nibbled his way into a jam (I’m sorry, but you absolutely HAVE to attack Cody Bellinger in that situation left-on-left), blasting a Ribalta slider 451 feet with a man on in the sixth. Stanton might be approaching his 36th birthday in a few months and definitely is a slow-footed disaster on the bases and in the outfield (where he is playing right now because Aaron Judge has a UCL sprain and cannot). However, he still has the fastest bat speed in the majors and there are precious few hitters who can make your jaw drop like Stanton when he puts a charge into one. At the end of the night, it was Stanton 5, Nationals 1.

Can the Nationals salvage a game at Yankee Stadium during the day today? This very young team has looked a bit overwhelmed by the moment in a way that they absolutely did not in their previous ten games against the Mets and Phillies. Perhaps some of them still remember far too well what happened the last time they were in the Bronx two years ago, when Stone Garrett got his cleat stuck in the right field wall and had to be carted off with a broken leg. Regardless of the reason, the Nats have looked way more timid than the past couple of weeks.

📌 Andrew Alvarez: Rochester Red Wings Ace in the Making

📌 Washington Nationals Announce 2026 Schedule: Home Opener vs. Dodgers, July 4 Game, and More

📌 Potential MLB Expansion? The Case For 9 Cities in 3 Countries (Fox Sports)