What is the Washington Nationals record in 2026?

The Washington Nationals are 73-82, 4th in the NL East.

Who is pitching for the Nationals today?

Jake Irvin (2-9, 5.51 ERA) vs Quinn Mathews (2-3, 3.62 ERA). First pitch at 02:15 PM EDT.

What channel is the Nationals game on today?

Today's game airs on Nationals.TV, Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365. First pitch at 02:15 PM EDT.

Washington Nationals News & Updates

September 20, 2026

The Washington Nationals were 73-82, 4th in the NL East. Yesterday, the Washington Nationals handled the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 at Busch Stadium.

Nationals Daily Vibe Check

75°

Warm

a hot week

The numbers paint a decent picture. A 6-1 week speaks for itself. Factor in a W by 3 last night. The most recent result always counts most.

Share your team's vibe check · smallballnews.com

Nationals Game on September 20

Opponent:	St. Louis Cardinals (75-80)
Location:	Busch Stadium
First Pitch:	02:15 PM EDT
Pitching Matchup:	Jake Irvin (2-9, 5.51 ERA) vs Quinn Mathews (2-3, 3.62 ERA)
TV Broadcast:	Nationals.TV, Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365

Nationals Score & Recap

Yesterday, the Washington Nationals handled the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 at Busch Stadium.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10+	R	H	E
	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	8	12	4
	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	2	5	14	2

The Washington Nationals clinched the win in the 11th inning.

Highlights

Jorbit Vivas went 4-6 with 1 RBI.
Daylen Lile went 1-6 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.

Nationals Record & Standings

NL East

Team	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Braves	91	64	.587		W2
Phillies	85	70	.548	6.0	L2
Marlins	76	79	.490	15.0	L2
Nationals	73	82	.471	18.0	W2
Mets	71	84	.458	20.0	W2

Washington Nationals are 6-1 in their last 7 games, with a +14 run differential.

Nationals Player Stats & Leaders

Batting Leaders

Player	HR	AVG	OPS	RBI
5 CJ Abrams	30	.261	.825	97
29 James Wood	30	.267	.909	76
4 Daylen Lile	22	.249	.740	88

Pitching Leaders

Pitcher	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP
24 Cade Cavalli	13-5	3.02	1.16	169.2
54 Andrew Alvarez	2-6	3.17	1.26	108.0
76 Will Dion	1-2	3.89	1.16	44.0

Hot Hitters

Player	Streak
87 Andrés Chaparro	3 hits, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .5 AVG in last 3 games

Hot Pitchers

Pitcher	Streak
54 Andrew Alvarez	6.0 IP, 8 K, 0 ER in dominant recent start

Nationals News

The Washington Nationals are riding high after a dominant 9-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, showcasing an offense that’s finally clicking as they aim to avoid a 90-loss season for the first time since 2020. With Cade Cavalli’s recent contract extension adding stability to the pitching staff and Josiah Gray’s successful return to action, the buzz around the team is palpable. Despite their win, last night’s game was a reminder of the Nationals' struggles, as they overcame four errors and two blown leads. Yet, their ability to clinch a series win tonight would solidify this recent 5-2 stretch and reflect their potential moving forward. Players like CJ Abrams and James Wood are emerging as bright spots, offering hope for a more competitive future.

Sources

Districtondeck

Predicting the next contract extension the Nationals will give out

Who is most likely to be the next Washington Nationals' player to sign a contract extension with the franchise after Cade Cavalli's deal got finalized?

Federal Baseball

Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Game Thread

Yesterday went about as well as possible for the Nats. They beat up the Cardinals, Cade Cavalli got extended and Josiah Gray returned to action. Now they will look to clinch a series win against the Red Birds. If they win tonight, they will avoid a 90 loss season for the first time since 2020. […]

MLB.com

Nats overcome 4 errors, 2 blown leads to earn 11-inning win

ST. LOUIS -- There were four errors. A three-run lead disappeared. A one-run lead disappeared, too. And by the 11th inning on Saturday night, the Nationals found themselves facing the potential winning run with the bases loaded. It was far from clean. It was exactly the type of game a

MLB.com

X's, O's and MLB bros: Opposing shortstops play tic-tac-toe

From fantasy football leagues to cheering on their favorite colleges, MLB players are all about competition, even if it isn’t baseball-related. So leave it to a pair of opposing shortstops to work in a friendly tic-tac-toe clash DURING a baseball game. On Saturday at Busch Stadium, the Nationals’ Nasim Nuñez

CBS Sports

How the Nationals and Cardinals, two of MLB's biggest surprises in 2026, can speed up their rebuilds in 2027

Their surprise stories ended too early to be true playoff contenders this season, but these teams seem poised to compete sooner than later

Yahoo Sports

Nationals Commit 4 Errors, but Still Beat St. Louis Cardinals in Extras

You would be forgiven if you felt a bit of Deja vu watching Saturday night’s St. Louis Cardinals game as it felt a lot like Friday night’s game as the Washington Nationals jumped out to another quick lead early against Michael McGreevy. It would become a much different game at the end, though. Late in […]

Nationals Upcoming Schedule

The Washington Nationals host the New York Mets for a 3-game series starting Friday.

About Small Ball

This Washington Nationals digest was built by Small Ball to save you from bouncing between five apps to follow your team. It's fan-run and made to deliver what matters each morning.

Got thoughts? Tell us. Want to support it? Ko-fi tips help keep it running.