Guess who just got back today/Them wild-eyed boys that had been away…

Welcome back, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood! Both guys got back on track this weekend in San Francisco, and not only that, but they helped the Nats win not one but TWO day games to take the series after a flat opener on Friday evening. Who were these bizarro Nats? They were certainly a welcome sight after a brutal homestand against the Brewers and A’s.

Gore’s turnaround was particularly abrupt, as he rebounded from the first strikeout-free start of his career against the Yolo County A’s to whiff ten Giants in six shutout innings. Wood, for his part, homered for the first time in a month and doubled four times this weekend, although he still managed to strike out seven times as well. If the Nats are not going to look like the pitiful excuse for a baseball team that they were last week, they need these two to perform more like they did at Oracle Park.

Justin Verlander became the tenth pitcher in MLB history to record 3500 strikeouts* by sitting down Wood, Abrams, and Lowe around a couple of singles, and it looked as if Nats fans might be in for another slog of a matinee game - particularly when Heliot Ramos singled sharply on Gore’s first pitch in the bottom half of the frame. But Gore struck out the next two Giants and got a nice assist from Jacob Young on a Wilmer Flores blast to the warning track in dead center, and that seemed to give the Nats some immediate energy.

Riley Adams singled and Daylen Lile doubled to begin the second inning, but it looked like they might get stranded on base after two quick outs from Brady House and Young behind them. That’s when Wood drilled his first double of the day down the right field line. CJ Abrams followed that by swatting a hanging curve halfway up the foul pole (denying kayakers a splash hit), spotting Gore a four-run lead the likes of which he has barely seen in 2025 - he celebrated by striking out the side in the Giants’ half of the inning. All nine Nationals starters collected at least one hit on the day en route to seventeen in the 8-0 victory, and a trio of relievers (Cole Henry, PJ Poulin, and Clayton Beeter) punched out five more Giants across three perfect innings to slam the door after Gore’s six innings.

The other nine: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, and Walter Johnson.

Beginning today, the Nats will be playing in Kansas City for three games, followed by six at home against the Phillies and Mets. I think it’s fairly safe to assume that Dylan Crews will be activated no later than the start of the Phillies series, but who else could we realistically see get a crack at the majors this year?

On the offensive side, Nick Schnell (.284/.360/.568 after being signed as a minor league free agent from Tampa Bay over the winter) and recent acquisition Christian Franklin (one of two players the Nats received from the Cubs for Michael Soroka) would seem to be the most likely candidates, even though both are outfielders and the Nats’ situation is crowded there. However, both are Rule 5-eligible this winter, and it behooves the Nats to give them a 40-man tryout spot at some point over these last few weeks. Among pitchers? Eh, maybe Andrew Alvarez or Riley Cornelio gets a spot start, but the Red Wings’ staff has largely been a mess all year long, so don’t count on anything from them.

📌 Female ump Jen Pawol draws praise after historic weekend (ESPN)

📌 Do Cubs have a World Series-level roster? (ESPN)

📌 Rain can't stop this Brewers team! Crew walks off for 9th straight win (MLB.com)