Nats Shut Out by Rangers

The Washington Nationals fell flat in the series opener tonight in Arlington, Texas. Three

Ranger pitchers combined to shut down the Nats, 5-0.

The Nats started off the top of the 1st with a double from CJ Abrams. That broke Abrams’

three-game hitless streak. But the next three batters didn’t deliver.

The Rangers scored in the bottom of the inning as Wyatt Langford singled to center and

went to 3rd on Corey Seager’s single to right. Jake Burger then scored Langford with a

ground out double-play to short. No RBI for you, Jake. 1-0 Texas.

Texas added to their lead in the bottom of the 2nd as Justin Foscue hit his 8th home run to left

field. 2-0 Texas.

Texas kept it going in the bottom of the 3rd. Wyatt Langford led off the inning with a single to

left. Corey Seager followed with a double to right sending Langford to 3rd base. Brandon

Nimmo later hit into a force out, scoring Langford. Ezequiel Duran drew a base on balls,

loading the bases. Justin Foscue also walked, scoring Seager. Cody Freeman later beat

out an infield single, scoring Nimmo. 5-0 Rangers.

And that’s the end of the scoring for the Rangers. The Nationals never got started. Final

score Texas 5 Washington 0.

Cal Quantrill had quite the outing for the Rangers. He pitched a solid 7 innings, giving up

only 4 hits while striking out 5. Three Ranger relievers finished up the shutout.

Jackson Kent started for the Nationals. He lasted 3 2/3 innings giving up the 5 Rangers’

runs on 8 hits with 3 walks and 3 strike outs. Trevor Williams pitched 3 1/3 innings of

scoreless relief, giving up 2 hits while striking out 5.

Another game without the big hit. The Nationals have now lost four in a row since their 3

game sweep of the Reds. Let’s hope they break out of it tomorrow.

The Nationals fell seven games under .500 with 60 wins vs. 67 losses. The Rangers jumped

up to the third wild card spot in the American League. That race for the third wild card in

the AL is just what it says…wild!

Game time tomorrow at 8:05 ET.

Dave’s Dime…Two Things I’m Thinking About Today

The Washington Nationals All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams has been working out a little bit at

second base these past few days, with the team stating this might be a permanent move in

the near future. Even though he’s “not thrilled” about the situation, he’s being a team

player and is willing to do what it takes to win games.

Abrams still sees himself as a shortstop and feels like he hasn’t reached his full potential at

that position. Abrams does, however, lead the majors this season with 19 errors. He has

played second base in the past, mainly during his rookie season with the San Diego Padres

back in 2022.

The Nationals feel this change of position should strengthen their defense. Nasim Nunez

would be moving into the shortstop spot.

The Nationals do have some excellent shortstop prospects in the minor leagues, which I’m

sure is one reason for switching Abrams to second base at this time instead of waiting until

the off-season.

Eli Willits is ranked as the Nationals’ top overall prospect. Willits was Washington’s first

round draft pick in 2025. He’s been playing with the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals and

was selected to play in this year’s MLB All-Star Futures Game. He’s only 18-years-old,

however, and still has a few years until his major league debut.

Seaver King is another exciting prospect who has played a few positions in the minor

leagues. He was selected tenth overall in the 2024 MLB draft by the Nats. King has worked

his way up through the minors and has been playing with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings

since this past May. Who knows…maybe we’ll see King later this year.

Abrams has been inconsistent at shortstop since joining the Nats in 2022, and the team

obviously thinks it’s time to try other things. Actually, in tonight’s game, Abrams started as

the designated hitter. Nunez is at shortstop with Jorbit Vivas at second base.

A very interesting story. We’ll just have to wait and see how it works out. Just more drama

for the Nats.

I wanted to say a little bit today about the race for the third wild card spot in both the

American League and National League.

As we’ve talked about before, the major leagues expanded their playoffs in 2022 to include

six teams from each league. We now have the three division winners seeded 1-3 depending

on their season record. The 4-6 seeds are the remaining three teams with the best records,

regardless of division.

During the playoffs, the top two seeds get a bye in the first round. The three seed plays the

sixth seed and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in a best of three format with all games

being played in the higher seed’s stadium.

Then the wild card winners will play the top two seeds in a best-of-five format. It’s a 2-2-1

format with the fifth game, if necessary, being played in the city with the higher seed.

Then the two winners of those match-ups play a seven game League Championship Series.

The winners then meet in a seven game World Series. Clear as mud, right?

Now most teams have played around 125 games, give or take, with 37 or so left in the

season. So, obviously, things will change. But just look at how close these races are.

In the National League, things aren’t quite as tight. The division winners are pretty set, with

the Brewers, Dodgers, and Braves having decent leads. The Cubs are also sitting pretty in

their first wild card position. The Philles and Padres are currently in the second and third

spots, but that’s not set in stone. Arizona is a game behind the third spot with Miami and

St. Louis each three behind. Everyone else has pretty much fallen out of contention.

Now don’t get me wrong, someone could get hot and make a late move for a playoff spot,

but I wouldn’t put any money on it. I say that while acknowledging my lack of funds. I can

barely afford to pay attention.

But the American League is insanely close with many teams still in the running. Listen to

this:

It’s crazy…The only team who could say they’ve clinched their division is the East leading

Tampa Bay Rays. They have a six-game lead over the Yankees, who are currently in the first

wild card position with Boston looking good for the second wild card slot. Now the White

Sox, yes, the White Sox, lead the AL Central division by 4 1/2 games, while the Astros lead

the West by two.

The third wild card slot is a fight between seven teams. SEVEN! The Rangers and the

Orioles are currently tied for that honor, with Minnesota, Toronto, and Detroit all a half

game behind. Cleveland’s one game back and Seattle’s trailing by two.

These stats are based off yesterday’s standings. After today’s games, I’m sure teams have

moved up or dropped down a spot or two. And that’s part of the fun.

What’s so great about all this is that so many teams truly have a reason to keep playing

well. And so many fans still have a reason to keep showing up at the ball park!

There’s probably a few of you out there who kind of think all these playoff games are a bit

much. And I can see that to a point. But extra games mean extra money for the teams and

the leagues. How else would they afford to pay these enormous salaries?

But I like it because I love baseball; nuff said.