WASHINGTON D.C. (July 20, 2025) - The Washington Nationals lost the series finale to the Padres, falling 8-1. MacKenzie Gore allowed eight runs, including a grand slam—the Padres' second grand slam of the weekend. With this afternoon’s game, the Nationals wrapped up their season series against San Diego, finishing 4-6 overall. They went 2-3 at Nationals Park and 2-3 in San Diego during last month’s matchups.

MacKenzie Gore was charged with the loss for the Nationals, dropping his season record to 4-9 after a rough outing in which he allowed eight runs over just 2.1 innings. Gore struck out two and walked three, throwing 75 pitches with 46 going for strikes. The trouble began early, as he needed 37 pitches to complete the top of the first inning, facing all nine Padres batters. In that frame, he gave up a grand slam to Xander Bogaerts on the first pitch, and later allowed another run on consecutive doubles by José Iglesias and Jake Cronenworth. In the second inning, Gore threw another 31 pitches, surrendering an additional run on Gavin Sheets’ two-out RBI single

Entering today’s game, MacKenzie Gore had posted a 4.35 ERA, 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), 5.2 walks per nine (BB/9), and a 1.7 WHIP against the Padres. In comparison to the rest of Major League Baseball, Gore held a 3.79 ERA, 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), 3.8 walks per nine innings (BB/9), and a 1.40 WHIP. These figures indicate that he has struggled more with both command and run prevention, specifically against the Padres, than he has against other MLB opponents, and this was once again evident today.

After the game, MacKenzie Gore candidly assessed his performance, admitting he didn’t have his best stuff on the mound. He shared that he simply wasn’t very effective, noting the opposing hitters made consistent contact, managed to string together numerous hits, and launched a pair of home runs against him. Gore acknowledged, "I just wasn't very good. They put the ball in play and got a lot of hits, and they were able to hit two homers. But I just wasn't very good," highlighting his dissatisfaction with his effort for the day.

Today’s game marked the first time this season that Gore didn’t make it through three innings, a feat that hadn’t happened since a similar outing against the Reds one year ago. As a result, his ERA rose sharply from 3.02 to 3.59 during a single start.

Looking ahead, Gore remained optimistic about turning the page. He emphasized the importance of learning from the outing, but was also quick to look forward: “This one’s over with. We’ll get another shot in five days, so it’s about getting ready for that.”

Jackson Rutledge came on in relief, delivering 3.2 scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out three batters. This marked Rutledge’s longest scoreless relief appearance of his career, surpassing his previous best of 2.2 innings pitched against the Phillies in 2024. Notably, it was also his second instance in the last four outings where he recorded three strikeouts, and the sixth time he’s accomplished that this season.

The Nationals’ offense was limited to just one run, which came via a solo home run from catcher Riley Adams in the bottom of the fifth inning. Adams has now reached base in 10 of his last 16 games, and of his 17 hits this season, nine have gone for extra bases—including five home runs and four doubles. Luis García Jr. contributed a 2-for-4 performance this afternoon, extending his hitting streak to four games out of the last five.

Over his last 51 games, García Jr. is batting .290 (53-for-183) with 15 doubles, four home runs, 30 RBI, nine walks, two stolen bases, and 23 runs scored. Paul DeJong also went 2-for-4 with a double, extending his hitting streak to six games and reaching base safely in 10 straight contests. Over his last 10 games, DeJong is hitting .286 (10-for-35) with a home run, two doubles, two walks, six RBI, and four runs scored.

The Nationals managed just six hits, including a sharp single to right-center by James Wood in the sixth inning. That hit was more than routine: it ended the longest hitless drought of Wood’s career, snapping a 0-for-20 skid.

Another positive takeaway from an otherwise one-sided game was the bullpen’s preservation. Jackson Rutledge, Andry Lara, and Cole Henry teamed up to pitch the final 6 2/3 scoreless innings, keeping the relief corps fresh.

The Nationals will kick off a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds tomorrow night, with the scheduled first pitch at 6:45 p.m. EDT. [Click here to see the full starting pitchers for the upcoming series]