WASHINGTON, D.C. - AUGUST 5 - The Washington Nationals dropped another tough game to the Athletics. MacKenzie Gore struggled out of the gate and the team allowed things to spiral all night.
Gore took the mound and sadly delivered one of his worst outings of the season. He was tagged for 12 hits and 8 runs before being pulled in the fourth inning, exiting without recording a strikeout. His ERA soared to 4.29 in this start. Relief pitchers Clayton Beeter and PJ Poulin were called in. Beeter surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced, worsening the early deficit, while Poulin provided a bright spot by throwing a scoreless sixth inning in his MLB debut, closing with a strikeout. Right-hander Andry Lara surrendered six runs over two innings, putting the dagger in what already felt like a lost game.
We've made a little mess here the last couple of weeks. It's been frustrating. We're all frustrated. This has got to the point where we're better than this. We've just got to make the adjustments. Something needs to change. ... We can't keep trying the same things and expecting different results as a group.
Washington’s offense never fully unlocked, as well. They mustered seven runs, but too late in the game on a night where the pitching deficit was too large to overcome. While relatively better than recent outputs, the hitters were outmatched by the A’s offensive unit, including three home runs from catcher Shea Langeliers, one in the first, one to lead off the fifth, and another to start the seventh. There were a handful of rallies, but they were spaced too far apart, and bases rarely loaded without forcing the A’s to pay.
The #Nationals have now played 15 games this season where they allowed 10+ runs. Only the #Rockies and #Athletics (20 each) have more.
There were only 10 of such instances for Washington last year.
— #Ryan Shenker (#@RyanShenker)
12:16 AM • Aug 6, 2025
This 16–7 loss marks Washington’s sixth straight defeat, part of a larger slump in which the Nats have allowed at least seven runs in six consecutive games, a franchise first. This collapse raises serious concerns about morale as the season nears its end.
Up next…
In response to the meltdown, Washington plans changes to add fresh arms. Right-hander Cade Cavalli has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester to start tomorrow night in his first MLB appearance since 2022, following Tommy John surgery and setbacks in 2023–2024.