The Nats grinded out a series win against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, taking the last 2 games of the series to bring themselves back to just 3 games under .500.
A game-tying solo home run in the top of the 8th inning of Game 1 was quickly neutralized by a game-winning Sam Antonacci sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, leading to a 5-4 White Sox win. A passed ball, a walk, and a 2-run Nasim Nunez single in the 10th inning of Saturday’s game propelled the Nats to a 6-3 victory, and 7 scoreless innings from Foster Griffin in Game 3 were elevated by a CJ Abrams sac fly and a Jose Tena solo shot in the 10th for their second consecutive extra innings win.
The Mets’ sky-high preseason expectations have been followed up by a swift disappointment to begin the season, as they sit 10 games under .500 at just 9-19. Starting their 3rd straight series at home, with a 2-4 record on their home stand so far, the Nats will attempt to further distance themselves from the NL East basement.
Littell’s 2026 ERA is nearly double the 3.81 mark he posted in 2025, and not much has gone right for the 30-year-old. He’s given up 14 runs in his last 10.0 innings, and desperately needs to put together a solid start to give Washington some stability in their rotation. His arsenal has looked much flatter than it has in recent seasons, and he will be tasked with figuring it out on Tuesday night as the Nats push for a 3rd straight win.
Holmes has been as steady as ever through 5 starts, and he’s coming off a 7.0-inning, 2-run start against the Minnesota Twins. He hasn’t had putaway stuff so far in 2026, but has rarely been hit hard and keeps the ball in the yard at a high rate. The Washington offense has to find some success against him early in the game, especially with Littell on the mound and continued bullpen volatility.
Cavalli’s 2026 campaign has been nothing short of inconsistent. The flashes have been more than evident, including 10 strikeouts in his most recent start against the Atlanta Braves, but he has had severe issues with finishing innings. Building on his strong appearance against Atlanta could be in the cards against a scuffling Mets lineup, and I’m sure the Washington coaching staff will be looking to continue to push the 27-year-old to reach the very visible potential he possesses.
Currently, the Mets don’t have a starter listed, but many are assuming that it could come down to one of David Peterson, Tobias Myers, or a full-on bullpen game. Back-to-back Myers and Peterson could emerge as an option, something they did on April 19th against the Cubs. Both pitchers haven’t thrown since April 23rd, which would give him a full 5 days of rest. Myers has looked good, whereas Peterson has struggled, but the pair, if they were to go on Wednesday, would be a righty/lefty puzzle for the Nats’ hitters to solve.
Another lopsided pitching matchup for the Nats, Mikolas’ time in the rotation seemed to have come to an end after his 3rd outing, but is slated to start in the series finale following 3 straight bulk relief appearances. His last 2 times out there have been a mixed bag, going 4.0 scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants on April 19th before surrendering 2 runs in 3.2 innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 24th. The Mets’ offense has been kept at bay, and maybe the veteran could sneak out another decent start at the back end of the series.
The Mets’ blockbuster trade addition has racked up the strikeout numbers, but hasn’t fully looked like the dominant pitcher of years past. He’s yet to have a truly “bad” outing, but has given up 3-4 runs in 3 of his 6 starts. His last outing against the Colorado Rockies was more dominant, going 5.2 innings of 2-run ball with 8 punch outs. The stuff still looks good, and the Nats will rely on their left-handed hitters to jump on the proven righty.
Entering their last series of the first full month of the MLB season, the Nats sit at a 10-14 record in the month of April. They won’t be able to even up their month-specific record, but ending up close to .500 would certainly be a move in the right direction. The Mets offer a fantastic chance to work up to 16-16 on the season, and flip the calendar to May with the wind at their back