Good Morning, Washington Nationals Fans,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, April 4.

Welcome to the Morning Briefing! Haden here. Let’s talk about yesterday’s game!

Leading this Morning’s Briefing: Nats get a win; What do we know about the team after five games?

Well, who would have thought Trevor Williams would deliver the best start the first time through the rotation? He did, striking out five batters over 5.1 innings while allowing two earned runs. Lefty Robert Garcia was shaky in his fourth appearance of the season, allowing a left-on-left home run to Jack Suwinski in the sixth inning. Hunter Harvey struck out four of the five batters he faced and Kyle Finnegan struck out two of three to earn his second save of the season.

Offensively is where the Nationals made their biggest strides. Joey Gallo got his first, second, and third hits last night with a home run, double, and single in that order. Those hits raised his OPS to .716, ahead of Lane Thomas, Eddie Rosario, and Joey Meneses. Luis García Jr. had himself a night, clubbing three doubles.

Victor Robles hurt his hamstring and will get an MRI today to check the severity of the injury. While he is yet to record a hit, Robles has done a great job working the count so far, with an OBP of .600. Depending on the severity, we could see him moved to the injured list, with one of Alex Call or Jacob Young (most likely Young) called up to replace him. With a left-handed pitcher on the bump today for the Pirates, it would not be a shock to see more left-handed hitters in the Nationals lineup than usual, unless Robles is moved to the IL prior to the first pitch.

Washington Nationals win 5-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates

Richard • Apr 4, 2024

Washington D.C. - Today, the Washington Nationals earned their first home win of the 2024 season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates suffered their first defeat of the season. The Nationals are now 2-3, with a chance to get to .500 tomorrow when they finish the series against the Pirates, with the Phillies coming to town at the end of the week.

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Something that we have not mentioned is CJ Abrams’s offensive production so far. He has begun to chase a little more but has avoided whiffs. While cutting down on whiffs, he has seen a tremendous gain in batted ball quality, going from around league average to a top 60 hitter. Hopefully, the trend continues and he can maintain error-free defense to boost his value further.

Today, Josiah Gray will make his second start of the year against left-handed pitcher Martín Pérez. The game is scheduled to begin at 4:05 pm ET and to be televised on MASN.

Down in the Minors

Triple A: The Rochester Red Wings

The Rochester Red Wings had their game against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs rained out yesterday and today. As long as the weather permits, Friday should be their home opener.

Double A: Harrisburg Senators

The Harrisburg Senators' season will start on Friday, April 5th, against the Erie SeaWolves in Harrisburg. The first pitch is at 7:00 p.m.

High A: Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Wilmington Blue Rocks will kick off their season on Friday, April 5th, in Wilmington against the Brooklyn Cyclones. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Single A: Fredericksburg Nationals

The Fredericksburg Nationals will kick off their season on Friday, April 5th, against the Delmarva Shorebirds in Fredericksburg. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Featured Stories of the Day

A’s to play 2025-2027 seasons in Sacramento via MLB Trade Rumors

O’s Triple-A squad drops 26-run showing via ESPN

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