BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 18 - The Washington Nationals earned their first sweep of 2025 on Sunday with another win in Baltimore. Yet another offensive explosion early in the game propelled them to the win, as Michael Soroka held things down for long enough to earn his first victory as a National.

Soroka delivered a strong performance, pitching 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and no walks. He kept the Orioles at bay through the early innings, allowing solo homers to Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. The bullpen maintained the lead, with Brad Lord giving up a solo homer to Jackson Holliday in the seventh, followed by scoreless outings from Andrew Chafin, Jorge López, and Cole Henry to close out the game.

Offensively, the Nationals erupted with five home runs. CJ Abrams led off the game with a homer on the first pitch and added another in the second inning, finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Dylan Crews destroyed a three-run shot during a six-run second inning, while Luis García Jr. and Josh Bell also homered. James Wood added two hits and two RBIs, including a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. The team totaled 13 hits and left only three runners on base. This victory marked the Nationals' first series sweep since July 2024 and improved their record to 21-27. The team has shown amazing improvement in power hitting (like acquiring Nathaniel Lowe suggested that it would), with 50 home runs in 48 games this season after finishing 29th in MLB last year with 135.

Up next…

Looking ahead, the Nationals will return home to face the Atlanta Braves (and likely Spencer Strider) on Tuesday, with left-hander Mitchell Parker scheduled to start. Parker has faced the Braves before, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings in a no-decision. This was a 4-3 road trip for the Nats, but all losses came against Atlanta. It will be an interesting week in the Nation’s Capital to say the least.