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Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, July 26, 2022.

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Upcoming Nationals schedule:

• Tuesday, July 26, 2022: Washington Nationals vs.Los Angeles Dodgers; 10:10 p.m. EDT
• Wednesday, July 27, 2022: Washington Nationals vs.Los Angeles Dodgers; 3:10 p.m. EDT
• Thursday, July 28, 2022: OFF
• Friday, July 29, 2022: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals; 7:05 p.m. EDT

Leading the Morning Briefing: Washington Nationals beat LA 4-1 with help from Juan Soto.

Thanks to a rare 2-run triple by Juan Soto, the Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1. Juan went 2-for-4 with a two-run triple despite rumors circulating about Soto’s availability on the trade market; extra attention from press and fans alike is an inevitability. That’s especially true in a place like Los Angeles, with the Dodgers being repeatedly connected to him in trade speculation. In his post-game press conference, Washington Nationals manager Davey Martinez discussed Soto’s ability to shut out the noise, adding that part of Martinez’s job is helping Soto stay focused on the task at hand.

“We’ve got to keep him grounded,” said Martinez. “We’ve got to keep letting him know that, hey, for me, he's a Washington National. And I hope that he's a Washington National for a long time. And I tell him that every day -- just go out there and have fun and play the game.” RHP Andres Machado won while Kyle Finnegan recorded his third save of the year.

Tonight, Josiah Gray makes his second career start against his former club. Gray his former team earlier this year on May 24 at Nationals Park. Gray made his MLB debut at Dodger Stadium on July 20, 2021, vs. the San Fransisco Giants.