<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-bryce-harper-franchise-record-verge-falling-13-years');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bryce Harper’s franchise record on verge of falling after 13 years');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Daylen-Lile.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bryce Harper’s franchise record on verge of falling after 13 years</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T21:09:41-07:00">September 10th, 9:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T21:23:42-07:00">September 10th, 9:23pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals’ four-game win streak ended when the Miami Marlins took Wednesday’s matchup 8-3. Washington fell one game short of a season-high five straight victories. But there’s still reason to celebrate as Daylen Lile added his name to the franchise record book.</p><p>Lile hit his ninth triple of the season against the Marlins. That <a href="https://x.com/NationalsComms/status/1965931230060491239" rel="noopener">ties him</a> with Bryce Harper for the most triples by a rookie in team history, per Nationals Communications. Lile now has four triples in the last six games and five three-baggers so far in September.</p><p>The former second-round draft pick made his major league debut for the Nationals in May. He hit his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-daylen-lile-hits-1st-mlb-home-run-vs-rockies">first MLB home run</a> in June but struggled when first getting called up. However, Lile has settled in for a strong rookie campaign.</p><h2><b>Daylen Lile is coming for Bryce Harper’s triples record</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bryce-Harper-1.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On the season the 22-year-old outfielder is slashing .286/.330/.459 with 29 RBI and 42 runs scored. But he’s been red-hot in September. Lile entered Wednesday’s game against the Marlins slashing .424/.457/.879 in his last eight games. Then he went 2-4 with an RBI and run scored in Wednesday’s losing effort, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.</p><p>And Lile recorded his record-tying ninth triple in just 75 games. Harper originally set the mark in 139 games at the age of 19.</p><p>Of course, Harper received Rookie of the Year honors in his 2012 debut. And he would go on to win his first NL MVP Award in his age-22 season. But Lile now joins him with the most triples in franchise history. Although, that history only dates back to 2005.</p><p>James Wood is also enjoying a strong age-22 season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-ronald-acuna-jr-mike-trout-rare-mlb-history">Wood joined an exclusive group</a> this month by recording his 27th home run, 76th walk and 15th stolen base of the year. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Mike Trout are the only other players in baseball history to reach those heights at 22 or younger.</p><p>After losing eight straight games, Washington has heated up. The team has won seven of its last nine games and five of its last six matchups against Miami.</p><p>While the Nationals have some exciting pieces that could lead to a bright future, they’ve long been out of the playoff picture. With Wednesday’s loss, Washington is 25 games under .500 and 15.5 games back in the Wild Card standings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bryce Harper’s franchise record on verge of falling after 13 years

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-mackenzie-gore-injury-return-marlins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore to make return from IL Thursday vs. Marlins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MacKenzie-Gore-1.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore to make return from IL Thursday vs. Marlins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T16:05:35-07:00">September 10th, 4:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T16:05:35-07:00">September 10th, 4:05pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals are set to welcome back a key piece of their future, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-places-mackenzie-gore-on-injured-list">as MacKenzie Gore will return</a> to the mound Thursday against the Miami Marlins. The injury update comes at a pivotal point in the Nationals rebuild, offering a rare September storyline for a team focused on evaluating talent. The update surrounding the southpaw’s return to the mound signals both progress in his recovery and the organization’s commitment to developing its young core.</p><p>As first reported by MASNSports’ Mark Zuckerman via X (formerly Twitter), the left-hander is <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1965885121422320116" rel="noopener">scheduled to start</a> the series finale.</p><p>“MacKenzie Gore is coming off the IL tomorrow and will start the series finale vs. the Marlins. It’s the first day he’s eligible to return from shoulder inflammation.”</p><p>The decision to activate the 2025 MLB All-Star on his first day of eligibility suggests the shoulder issue was minor. His return not only strengthens the current Nationals rotation but also reinforces the organization’s confidence in his long-term durability.</p><p>Drafted third overall in 2017 by the San Diego Padres and acquired in the 2022 blockbuster Juan Soto trade, Gore represents a cornerstone in Washington’s plans headed into the foreseeable future. Despite a 5-13 record this season, his 4.15 ERA and 173 strikeouts across 27 starts point to untapped upside—much of it masked by poor defense and inconsistent run support.</p><p>With the club sitting at 60-84 and virtually out of playoff contention, this matchup offers little impact in the standings. But in the context of the Nationals vs. Marlins—a four-game set that’s already featured blowouts and offensive fireworks—Thursday’s start offers Gore a low-pressure chance to sharpen his mechanics and build momentum for 2026.</p><p>The 26-year-old could make up to four starts before the season ends, a stretch that doubles as a late-season audition to cement his status as a potential ace in a budding young rotation alongside Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin.</p><p>For fans, Gore’s return is more than just an injury update. It’s a reminder of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-2025-no-1-pick-goes-on-hit-barrage-in-pro-debut">the Nationals’ vision and a reason</a> to keep watching as another losing season winds down.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore to make return from IL Thursday vs. Marlins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-rumors-cubs-gm-drawing-interest-from-washington');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals rumors: Cubs GM drawing interest from Washington');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cubs-GM-Carter-Hawkins.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals rumors: Cubs GM drawing interest from Washington</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T12:06:42-07:00">September 9th, 12:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T12:07:52-07:00">September 9th, 12:07pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite their current 59-84 record, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-josh-bell-upper-deck-home-run">Washington Nationals are still fighting.</a> The leadership duo of GM Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez were fired earlier this season. The Nationals are currently being led by interim general manager Mike DeBartolo and interim manager Miguel Cairo. In an effort to determine Rizzo’s permanent successor, Washington’s ownership and top brass have begun interviewing his replacement. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale on X (formerly Twitter), Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins is <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1965473942203982310" rel="noopener">on the team’s shortlist.</a></p><p>“The Washington Nationals have begun interviewing GM candidates after firing Mike Rizzo in July,” reported Nightengale. “He was replaced on an interim basis with Mike DeBartolo. Chicago Cubs GM Carter Hawkins is on the Nationals short list.”</p><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-carter-hawkins-named-general-manager-in-chicago">Hawkins is the Cubs general manager,</a> he doesn’t run baseball operations. That task falls to Chicago president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who recently signed a contract extension. It’s unlikely that Hawkins will lead the Cubs’ baseball ops department any time soon. In Washington, he would have the opportunity to rebuild a roster as he sees fit. If the Nationals and Hawkins can work out a deal, would he leave Chicago’s South Side?</p><h2><b>Nationals need new leadership to help shape the team’s rebuild</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ex-Nationals-GM-Mike-Rizzo.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For almost 17 seasons, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/mike-rizzo-drops-nsfw-admission-sum-up-nationals-firing">Rizzo was the Nationals’ general manager.</a> For the final 13 years of his reign, Rizzo was also president of baseball operations. While DeBartolo, his interim replacement, could stay on as the long-term general manager, a new voice is needed to lead baseball operations. Could Hawkins be that voice?</p><p>It’s likely that Hawkins would share a lot of the same ideals that Hoyer has in team building. Both executives learned under the legendary curse-breaker, Theo Epstein. In Washington, Hawkins would truly have a chance to run his own franchise. It’s likely that he would also hire his own GM, someone that will work in tandem with the current Cubbies general manger to rebuild the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/free-agents-nationals-must-pursue-mlb-offseason">Nationals into a perennial postseason contender.</a> Will the Washington brain trust decide that Hawkins is the right man to lead their rebuild moving forward? Or will someone else, like DeBartolo, take the helm?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals rumors: Cubs GM drawing interest from Washington

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-victor-mesa-jr-birthday-home-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marlins’ Victor Mesa Jr. joins exclusive birthday club with 1 swing vs. Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Victor-Mesa-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Marlins’ Victor Mesa Jr. joins exclusive birthday club with 1 swing vs. Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T21:41:54-07:00">September 8th, 9:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T21:41:54-07:00">September 8th, 9:41pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Marlins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Marlins endured a rough night at loanDepot park, falling 15-7 to the Washington Nationals. Yet in the middle of a one-sided loss, rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/miami-marlins/marlins-news-minor-leaguer-victor-mesa-walks-out-after-coaching-disagreement">Victor Mesa Jr. created a moment</a> he will never forget. On his 24th birthday, the Marlins rookie crushed his first career home run, etching his name into one of baseball’s rarest lists.</p><p>The Nationals stormed out to a 10–0 lead by the fourth inning and finished with 17 hits in the blowout win. Miami’s offense tallied 12 hits of its own, but the game was out of reach early. In the eighth inning, Mesa Jr. entered as a pinch-hitter and delivered the Marlins’ biggest highlight. Facing Joan Adon, he launched a 394-foot, three-run home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 13-7. While the Marlins could not rally back, the swing carried historic meaning.</p><p>According to MLB’s Sarah Langs on X, Mesa Jr. <a href="https://x.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1965231459448586652" rel="noopener">became only</a> the seventh player in the Wild Card era to hit his first career homer on his birthday, joining names like Charlie Blackmon and Angel Pagan.</p><p>“Victor Mesa Jr. is the 7th player in the Wild Card era to hit his first career home run on his birthday, joining:</p><p>8/31/2016 Stephen Cardullo</p><p>7/1/2011 Charlie Blackmon</p><p>7/2/2006 Angel Pagan</p><p>8/22/2002 Randy Wolf</p><p>10/3/2001 Eric Munson</p><p>9/20/1995 Chris Snopek</p><p>h/t @EliasSports”</p><p>FishOnFirst’s Kevin Barral <a href="https://x.com/kevin_barral/status/1965244725432385747" rel="noopener">shared a video of an emotional</a> Mesa Jr. to the platform as well, as the rookie reflected on the milestone after the game and called it a dream come true.</p><p>“A pretty emotional Victor Mesa Jr. spoke to the media following the game, saying that it was a dream come true for him in what’s been a tough year in his eyes.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A pretty emotional Victor Mesa Jr. (<a href="https://twitter.com/VictorMesaRios1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VictorMesaRios1</a>) spoke to the media following the game, saying that it was "a dream come true" for him in what's been a tough year for him in his eyes.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marlins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Marlins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FishOnFirst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FishOnFirst</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/marlinsminors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marlinsminors</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BallengeeGroup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallengeeGroup</a> <a href="https://t.co/eFPvbrGFVk">pic.twitter.com/eFPvbrGFVk</a></p><p>— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) <a href="https://twitter.com/kevin_barral/status/1965244725432385747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Mesa Jr., the son of Cuban baseball legend Victor Mesa Sr., signed with Miami in 2018 and made his MLB debut earlier this year. In 11 games, he is batting .238 with one home run and four RBIs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/miami-marlins/3-free-agents-marlins-must-pursue-in-offseason">For the Marlins</a>, now 66-78 and out of the Wild Card race, his birthday blast was a reminder of the potential in their young core.</p><p>Even in defeat, the club found a bright spot in Mesa Jr.’s milestone swing — a home run on a night he’ll never forget.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marlins’ Victor Mesa Jr. joins exclusive birthday club with 1 swing vs. Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-josh-bell-upper-deck-home-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Josh Bell dazzles fans with upper deck home run');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Josh-Bell.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Josh Bell dazzles fans with upper deck home run</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T19:04:20-07:00">September 8th, 7:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T19:04:20-07:00">September 8th, 7:04pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals have endured another long season, but on Monday night, veteran slugger <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-josh-bell-unleashes-1-hardest-hit-hrs-career-vs-mets">Josh Bell gave fans a reason to cheer</a>. The first baseman crushed two home runs against the Miami Marlins, including a towering 413-foot blast into the upper deck that left Nationals Park buzzing.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">JOSH BELL HOMERS FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT 💥</p><p>This one goes to the DECK 😲<a href="https://t.co/TGidp74QFF">pic.twitter.com/TGidp74QFF</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints MLB (@ClutchpointsMLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchpointsMLB/status/1965218429251805646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The shot, clocked at 110 mph off the bat, highlighted a dominant night for Bell, who went 4-for-6 with three runs scored, six RBIs, and two home runs. His performance powered the Nationals to a 15-7 win over Miami, marking his first multi-homer game of 2025 and pushing his season total to 19 long balls.</p><p>The Nationals sit at 59-84, last in the NL East and 25 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. They trail the New York Mets by 17.5 games for the final Wild Card spot, leaving them effectively eliminated from contention. A brutal 16-35 stretch over the summer buried any postseason hopes, and with a -172 run differential and the fewest runs scored in the NL, the Nationals rebuild remains a steep climb.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-josh-bell-recent-resurgence-trade-rumors-heat-up">Bell’s power surge is one of the few positives</a>. His 19 home runs account for nearly 13 percent of the team’s total, underscoring just how important he has been to an otherwise inconsistent offense.</p><p>The veteran first baseman opened the year with a rough stretch, hitting just .185 with 32 hits, nine home runs, 22 RBIs, and 19 runs scored over his first 50 games. Over his last 50 games, however, he has turned things around, batting .274 with 45 hits, eight homers, 19 RBIs, and 21 runs scored. The resurgence recalls his 2021 campaign, when he hit 27 home runs for Washington and re-established his reputation for streaky power. Now 33, he provides leadership in a clubhouse filled with developing talents like James Wood and CJ Abrams, players expected to be central to the team’s future.</p><p>For Nationals fans, the 15-7 victory over the Marlins was more than just another game between non-contenders. It was a reminder of baseball’s ability to produce unforgettable moments. Bell’s 413-foot upper-deck blast, combined with his six RBIs, gave Washington supporters a rare reason to celebrate and stood out as a shining highlight in a season short on them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Josh Bell dazzles fans with upper deck home run

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-pete-crow-armstrong-on-injury-after-loss-nationals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong breaks silence on injury after loss to Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cubs-OF-Pete-Crow-Armstrong-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong breaks silence on injury after loss to Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T18:44:56-07:00">September 6th, 6:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T18:51:30-07:00">September 6th, 6:51pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs centerfielder, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-pete-crow-armstrong-injury-nationals">Pete Crow-Armstrong, exited Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals</a> at Wrigley Field after fouling a pitch off his right knee in the sixth inning. Crow-Armstrong, 22, limped down the third-base line and briefly went to his knees before jogging to first and completing his at-bat with a walk. He stayed on base through the inning but was replaced by Kevin Alcantara for defensive purposes in the seventh.</p><p>Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game that Crow-Armstrong was sore, but X-rays were clear, and he’s currently day-to-day.</p><p>“It was one of those moments where I just tried weighing options, and I’m no use really out there if I’m not moving the way I should be,” Crow-Armstrong <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1964442898067304785" rel="noopener">said</a>. “So, I felt that our best chance was not having me move around, limply, out there today.”</p><p>“I’ve never like fouled a ball straight off my kneecap before. I think it’s new pain. There’s definitely s**t that’s hurt worse, but this hurts, and the legs are just funny. That’s kind of how I help the cause, on a daily basis, is with my legs. So, I mean, yeah, it was a good stinger for sure.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I’m no use really out there if I’m not moving the way I should be … It was a good stinger for sure.”</p><p>PCA discusses leaving Saturday’s game. <a href="https://t.co/MGOEvAEJOW">pic.twitter.com/MGOEvAEJOW</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1964442898067304785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Crow-Armstrong’s injury adds to an already depleted Cubs outfield. Right fielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-injury-owen-caissie-call-up">Kyle Tucker has missed four straight games with left calf tightness</a>, though the team has not placed him on the injured list. Counsell indicated the team will monitor both players closely, with Tucker possibly available off the bench Sunday. Meanwhile, injured pitchers Mike Soroka and Jameson Taillon showed progress in rehab, with Soroka throwing to hitters and Taillon likely to return to the rotation later this week.</p><p>The Cubs’ offense underperformed at home, drawing seven walks in the process. Crow-Armstrong scored the team’s only run in the second inning, leading off with a double, advancing on a groundout by Nico Hoerner, and crossing home plate on a Carson Kelly groundout. However, multiple double plays, including in the first, sixth, and seventh innings, stifled potential rallies. Chicago finished the game with three hits and seven walks, the 13th game since 1901 in which the Cubs drew at least seven walks but had three or fewer hits. Their record in such games is 4-9.</p><p>On the pitching side, left-hander Matthew Boyd (12-8) took the loss despite strong defensive support, allowing only two runs on seven hits across seven innings. Boyd also set a Cubs franchise record with two pickoffs in the game, bringing his 2025 total to 10, surpassing the previous franchise single-season record of nine set in 1913. Rookie Nationals pitcher Brad Lord earned the win with 5 2/3 innings of one-run, two-hit ball, striking out a career-high seven while allowing four walks. Daylen Lile’s fourth-inning home run proved to be the decisive blow.</p><p>The Cubs, now 81-61, conclude their series with the Nationals on Sunday before hosting the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series leading up to their next off-day on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong breaks silence on injury after loss to Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/free-agents-nationals-must-pursue-mlb-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '3 free agents Nationals must pursue in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/3-free-agents-Nationals-must-pursue-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>3 free agents Nationals must pursue in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T12:11:32-07:00">September 5th, 12:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T12:11:32-07:00">September 5th, 12:11pm</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has not been a good season in DC, as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-makes-miserable-mlb-history-with-pathetic-pitching">Washington Nationals have struggled all year</a> and will miss the playoffs again in 2025. Now, the attention turns toward the MLB offseason. Specifically, all eyes will be on MLB free agency. There are questions about the Nationals’ free agency plan and what they might do. Significantly, there will be many valuable MLB free agents. It’s just a matter of whether they are the correct fit.</p><p>The Nats have not always been big spenders. Yes, they once signed Max Scherzer to a major, long-term contract. They do have the potential to spend big. It might be what they need to pull themselves out of the cellar. Although they are 56-83, that does not mean they cannot contend next season.</p><p>MLB free agency is just around the corner, and it’s time to talk about what the Nats might do in the MLB offseason. Here are three MLB free agents Washington should pursue.</p><h2><b>Nationals should pursue Ranger Suarez in MLB offseason</b></h2><p>The Nationals have had horrible pitching this season. Remarkably, they are 29th in baseball in team ERA. Their starters have combined for a 5.24 ERA. That has hindered their chances of competing at any level and has kept them in the cellar. Thus, they are in desperate need of reliable starters. Ranger Suarez should be the top target.</p><p>The Philadelphia Phillies hurler has <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/ranger-suarez-624133?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb" rel="noopener">elite metrics across the board</a>, according to data from Baseball Savant. His pitching, fastball, breaking, and offspeed run value are all elite. Suarez is 11-6 with a 2.89 ERA and has been one of the more consistent starting pitchers in the league. However, he has not extended yet. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-big-hint-philadelphia-future-contract-year">Suarez has expressed his desire to stay in Philadelphia,</a> that does not mean he is off limits.</p><p>While MacKenzie Gore has tried his best, he is not an ace, as he is 5-13 with a 4.15 ERA. The Nationals could make a splash and shock the world by making a big offer to Suarez to come pitch for their team. Substantially, he could provide a big boost while also facing the Phillies multiple times a year. It could be the first step toward rebuilding a broken starting rotation.</p><h2><b>Chris Bassitt could also provide stability to the rotation</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Chris-Bassitt-pitching-off-the-mound.jpg"><figcaption>© Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Of course, Suarez alone would be enough. But because the Nats are unlikely to make two big signings, they would have to be more practical with the second. This is where someone like Chris Bassitt comes in.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/chris-bassitt-agrees-to-63-million-deal-with-blue-jays">Bassitt’s contract with the Toronto Blue Jays</a> is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season. Therefore, he will be an unrestricted free agent in the MLB offseason. Bassitt has been a valuable middle-of-the-rotation starting pitcher and provides stability. Overall, it has not been a bad year by any means, as he is 11-7 with a 4.10 ERA and 154 strikeouts. If there is one thing the Nats need, it’s stability in the starting rotation. Signing Bassitt (along with Suarez) could provide the stability they need while moving Gore down in the rotation. It would give the Nats more of a chance to compete.</p><p>The best part about potentially signing a pitcher like Bassitt would be the low cost. It would not be that much on the MLB free agent market while still meeting their needs.</p><h2><b>Willi Castro would be a value addition in MLB free agency</b></h2><p>If the Nationals are going to address their pitching woes, it may also mean that their hitting might take a backseat. The Nats do need help, as they rank 20th in batting average, 22nd in on-base percentage, 25th in runs, 28th in home runs, and 25th in slugging percentage. Although there are good hitters on the team, like James Wood, they need more help. Willi Castro won’t save the team, but he could still provide value.</p><p>Castro is still relatively young, at 28 years old. So far, he is batting .230 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs for the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs. No, he won’t fix all the offensive woes. But he can help one specific category. Castro swiped 33 bags in 2023 and has the speed to be a menace on the basepaths. Also, he is a utility player who can play multiple positions. The Nats would be able to move him to different positions across the infield and outfield.</p><p>Castro would also be relatively inexpensive. Despite not being a small-market team, the Nats don’t spend much money. Assuming they make one big splash and one medium splash, a small tinker could be a good move as they continue their rebuild. Castro could also provide some guidance to the younger players as they continue to improve. Eventually, it would help the Nats get back to the level they seek.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 free agents Nationals must pursue in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-ronald-acuna-jr-mike-trout-rare-mlb-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Wood joins Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout in rare MLB history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/James-Wood.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>James Wood joins Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout in rare MLB history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T13:03:37-07:00">September 3rd, 1:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T13:15:05-07:00">September 3rd, 1:15pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite playing for a Washington Nationals team that’s 28 games under .500, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-impressive-feat-vs-tigers">James Wood has impressed</a> in his sophomore season. The All-Star outfielder’s two-run homer against the Miami Marlins Tuesday helped power the Nationals to their second straight win after the team had lost eight in a row.</p><p>Wood also joined a very <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1963289889094394183" rel="noopener">exclusive group</a> with Tuesday’s long ball. He’s now up to 27 home runs, 76 walks and 15 stolen bases on the season. Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019) and Mike Trout (2013, 2014) are the only other players in MLB history to reach those heights at age 22 or younger, per OptaSTATS.</p><p>While the Nationals fell out of the division race early. Wood enjoyed an excellent first half of the season. He built on a solid showing in 2024, tying Bryce Harper and Juan Soto for the most homers in franchise history through a player’s first 162 games. All three had 31 home runs after 162 games played.</p><h2><b>Nationals’ star James Wood makes history despite second-half struggles</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/James-Wood-2.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wood established himself as the biggest threat in the Nationals’ lineup. He even made <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-history-not-seen-since-barry-bonds">history not seen since Barry Bonds</a>, drawing four intentional walks in a single game. Opposing teams were determined not to let Washington’s young slugger beat them.</p><p>But Wood has struggled over the second half of the season. He slashed .287/.388/.551 with 24 home runs, 69 RBI and 59 runs scored through July 9. The hot start earned him his first All-Star Game nod. But Wood dropped off over his next 43 games. From July 10 through September 1 he slashed .194/.281/.303 with just two homers, 15 RBI and 14 runs.</p><p>Wood’s strikeout rate also soared over that stretch. He now leads the majors with 187 strikeouts.</p><p>But Wood’s big day at the plate against the Marlins could signal a turnaround. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-nationals-james-wood-breaks-home-run-drought-bomb-giants">snapped a home run drought</a> in August after failing to leave the yard for a full month. After Tuesday’s performance, Wood is up to three home runs in the last three weeks.</p><p>On the season he’s hitting .258 with an .829 OPS. And he’s racked up an impressive 3.5 bWAR in 136 games. Another strong showing in Wednesday’s matchup against Miami has the Nationals on the verge of three straight wins.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Wood joins Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout in rare MLB history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-places-mackenzie-gore-on-injured-list');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals place MacKenzie Gore on injured list');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nationals-SP-MacKenzie-Gore.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals place MacKenzie Gore on injured list</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-30T11:01:00-07:00">August 30th, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-30T11:01:00-07:00">August 30th, 11:01am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Losers of six straight games heading into Saturday afternoon’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-home-run-derby-vs-nationals-sets-new-mlb-record">Nationals are certainly going through</a> the ringer right now. Friday night’s series opening loss to the Rays stung just a little more in front of the home crowd. Coming off a 1-5 road trip, the Nationals surely hoped to rebound Friday, but now they will have to settle for a Saturday victory. Unfortunately, staff ace MacKenzie Gore is now the latest contributor to hit the injured list. According to team beat reporter Mark Zuckerman on X (formerly Twitter), Gore is <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1961832688223936804" rel="noopener">dealing with left shoulder inflammation.</a></p><p>“MacKenzie Gore has been placed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation,” reported Zuckerman on Saturday. “Not good news for the All-Star lefty, who has been struggling over the last month. Mason Thompson recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot.”</p><p>With the Nationals still reeling, this latest blow will not help them out of this skid. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-angels/2023-mlb-trade-deadline-tracking-every-deal">Thompson will join the bullpen</a> as a middle reliever, so Gore’s spot still needs to be filled. Perhaps former first rounder Jackson Rutledge will be stretched out. Their entire starting rotation, including Gore, is under 30. The lack of experience could hurt them a bit as the season progresses but will only help in the long run. Can the Nats finish 2025 strong, possibly without the services of Gore?</p><h2><b>Nationals sustain big blow with MacKenzie Gore’s injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nationals-P-Mason-Thompson.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For now, the Nationals’ starting rotation consists of Cade Cavalli, Brad Lord, Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker. All four are 25 to 28 years old. While each of them have shown flashes of potential, consistency is still needed from all four. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-mackenzie-gore-blasts-embarrassing-nats-amid-nightmare-homestand">Gore finally unlocked his potential</a> after a few years of ups and downs. Now, it’s clear that he’s the number one starter for Washington.</p><p>That’s why losing the left-hander is such a big blow. The Nationals are 24.5 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies. It’s clear that 2026 and beyond is the focus. Ownership needs to make permanent decisions for a new head of baseball operations, manager and possibly a general manager as well. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-rumors-mackenzie-gore-trade-deadline-update">Whenever Gore returns,</a> will he be able to help lead a Washington roster that continues to grow into a future contender?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals place MacKenzie Gore on injured list

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/1-disappointing-player-nationals-must-trade-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 disappointing player Nationals must trade in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Washington-Nationals-third-baseman-Paul-DeJong.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>1 disappointing player Nationals must trade in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T18:40:37-07:00">August 29th, 6:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T18:40:37-07:00">August 29th, 6:40pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals lost their 81st game of the season to the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Friday night. The loss is nothing new for a Nationals team that has struggled all season. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-nationals-james-wood-breaks-home-run-drought-bomb-giants">Washington manager Mike DeBartolo has seen flashes from James Wood</a> and others. However, the team hasn’t leaned fully into its youth movement despite playing Brady House over Paul DeJong.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-bargain-signing-24-home-run-free-agent">DeJong joined the Nationals during the offseason on a one-year deal</a>. It doesn’t look like he has played well enough to secure a spot on DeBartolo’s roster moving forward. However, his play could be worth another team suggesting a sign-and-trade deal this offseason. DeJong could get one last multi-year deal and head to a new team while Washington nets a prospect in return.</p><p>The veteran third baseman was brought in by the Nationals to help mentor their young players and fill a spot at third base until House was ready. He has done just that despite playing in just 41 games on the season. At this point, though, there is no space left for him in the starting lineup. However, DeJong is 32 years old and might not be willing to accept a bench role moving forward.</p><p>DeBartolo has multiple veterans that could get moved this offseason. However, players like DeJong and Bell are on expiring deals and the Nationals could choose to let both of them walk. Although, Washington has done a good job of getting value from players all over its roster over the past couple of seasons. Both DeJong and Bell fit that mold as sign-and-trade candidates.</p><p>DeJong’s reputation has earned him respect from teams around the league. That should only help him as he looks for his next team in the next few months. Here is why the Nationals should move on.</p><h2>Why should the Nationals move on from DeJong?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-gets-mixed-injury-update-on-former-All-Star.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>DeJong’s age is the chief reason why the Nationals should move on. The infielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-paul-dejong-exits-pirates-game-frightening-moment">missed a good chunk of Washington’s season with injury</a> and has not been the same since coming back from the injured list. With so many injuries throughout his career, there is no guarantee that DeJong will ever put together another complete season for as long as he stays in Major League Baseball.</p><p>The infielder’s purpose was to help develop young talent like House. However, it appears that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-james-wood-history-not-seen-since-barry-bonds">Wood’s star continues to rise</a>, making him the de-factor leader for DeBartolo’s team. The Nationals would much rather have their young outfielder lead the way instead of a veteran that they have to sign to a new deal each winter. DeJong served his role, but is no longer needed.</p><p>As a player, DeJong’s fielding talent is starting to leave him. He is not good enough to warrant being the designated hitter on any team he finds himself. Assuming he can bounce back in that area, he might have a couple of productive seasons ahead of him. However, it is not worth Washington’s time to see if he can bounce back when those at-bats are better used by young talent.</p><h2>Where should the Nationals trade DeJong?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nationals-Paul-DeJong-notches-a-base-hit.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Determining the size of DeJong’s market is an interesting exercise. As a veteran presence in a locker room, the infielder still carries some value. As a pure player, the heyday of his career is likely behind him. However, there are still squads that could use him as a holdover option in the hot corner and are willing to take part in a sign-and-trade to get a deal done with him.</p><p>One of those teams is the Miami Marlins. Right now, Connor Norby serves as the team’s third baseman. However, his numbers at the plate leave a lot to be desired. On the season, DeJong is hitting <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/35185/paul-dejong" rel="noopener">.241 with 20 RBIs</a> in just 41 games. Those numbers are more than good enough to earn him a spot deep Miami’s batting order. That and his experience is valuable to a young team.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/miami-marlins/1-disappointing-player-marlins-must-trade-offseason">The Marlins face a big choice when it comes to Sandy Alcantara’s future</a>. If Miami moves on from him, the team would lack any veterans to calm down the clubhouse. That kind of unpredictability can hold a team back from reaching its potential. Luckily for Maimi, DeJong is one of the best unsung leaders in today’s game. Adding him brings the team stability that could prove crucial.</p><p>DeJong will end the season falling short of expectations. There is no telling what his future could hold, but there are still teams that could take a chance on him. If a suitor arises outside of the Nationals, he gets another chance for a late career comeback.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 disappointing player Nationals must trade in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-home-run-derby-vs-nationals-sets-new-mlb-record');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ home run derby vs. Nationals sets new MLB record');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Aaron-Judge-cover-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Yankees’ home run derby vs. Nationals sets new MLB record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-28T00:37:16-07:00">August 28th, 12:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-28T00:37:16-07:00">August 28th, 12:37am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-new-york-extends-streak-nationals-beatdown">Bronx Bombers lived up to their nickname on Wednesday afternoon</a>, and in the process, they made history. Six different Yankees went deep in an 11-2 dismantling of the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium, marking the third time this season that at least six players homered in the same game — <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1960781572178940005" rel="noopener">a feat no other team</a> in Major League history has accomplished.</p><p>The power surge started early when Trent Grisham led off the first inning with a home run, but the fireworks truly exploded in the third. Aaron Judge got it going with a towering two-run shot to center, his 41st of the year, before Cody Bellinger followed with a blast of his own on the very next pitch. Ryan McMahon added a three-run homer later in the frame, and rookie Ben Rice capped the outburst with his second at-bat of the inning, a solo shot to right.</p><p>By the time the dust settled, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-ryan-mcmahon-doesnt-hold-back-on-recent-performance-after-blasting-homer-vs-nationals">the Yankees had plated nine runs in the inning,</a> sent 15 men to the plate, and forced Nationals starter Cade Cavalli to an early exit after just 2 1/3 innings. The third-inning barrage marked the third time this season that New York has hit four home runs in a single inning, another unprecedented achievement in MLB history.</p><h2><b>Yankees demolish the Nationals</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Austin-Wells-1.jpg"><figcaption>Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“It was outstanding,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That was some banging right there.” Judge, who finished with two hits and three runs scored, credited the lineup’s approach. “It’s just everybody clicking, everybody having good at-bats, not trying to do too much,” he said. “Everybody’s just trying to pass the baton.” Austin Wells added his own long ball in the fourth inning, bringing the total to six for the day. For context, the Yankees had hit four homers in an inning only four times in the last 47 years prior to this season.</p><p>The offensive onslaught was more than enough support for ace Max Fried, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth before surrendering a single. Fried allowed just one run across seven innings, striking out six and earning his 14th win of the season. “It goes from 1-0 to 10-0; there are definitely worse things to happen,” Fried said of the long third inning.</p><p>The win completed a three-game sweep of Washington and gave the Yankees four straight victories after dropping three of four to Boston. They’ve now won 11 of their last 15 and hit 10 homers across the Nationals series. Still, Boone emphasized not getting too comfortable. “This is The Show. You don’t play well, you’re going to get beat,” he said. “But this was a good day for us. Good flight. Now we’ve got to get after it in Chicago.” With a visit to the struggling White Sox on deck, the Yankees head out on the road carrying both momentum and a piece of MLB history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ home run derby vs. Nationals sets new MLB record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boones-6-word-home-run-party-nationals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Aaron Boone’s 6-word evaluation of home run party vs. Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Aaron-Boone.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Aaron Boone’s 6-word evaluation of home run party vs. Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T15:48:35-07:00">August 27th, 3:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T16:06:39-07:00">August 27th, 4:06pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees continued their home run barrage in an 11-2 win over the Washington Nationals. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-giancarlo-stanton-insane-run-5-rbi-night-nationals">Giancarlo Stanton powered the Yankees</a> past Washington on Tuesday, New York left the yard six times in the series finale. The team now has 14 homers in a four-game winning streak.</p><p>Manager Aaron Boone <a href="https://x.com/GaryHPhillips/status/1960817586423177326" rel="noopener">was impressed</a> with New York’s power surge. “That was some banging right there,” Boone said following Wednesday’s onslaught, per the New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips.</p><p>Six Yankees players went deep against the Nationals in the win. Trent Grisham got New York on the board with a leadoff shot in the bottom of the first. But the Yankees exploded with four bombs in the third inning.</p><p>Aaron Judge hit a two-run blast and Cody Bellinger went back-to-back with the reigning MVP. Later in the inning Ryan McMahon delivered a three-run homer, just his second deep ball since joining the Yankees prior to the trade deadline. And Ben Rice launched a solo dinger, his second of the series and 22nd of the season.</p><h2><b>Yankees outscore Nationals 26-8 in three-game sweep</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Aaron-Judge_514f92.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After three innings, New York handed starting pitcher Max Fried a 10-0 lead. The team batted around in the third, sending 15 hitters to the plate.</p><p>Austin Wells led off the fourth inning with his 18th homer of the season, putting the Yankees up 11-0. It was the last run New York would score but it was all the team needed. Fried allowed just one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts over seven innings, earning his 14th win.</p><p>Bellinger’s home run placed the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-cody-bellinger-homer-joe-dimaggio">2025 Yankees in exclusive company</a>. His 410-foot solo dong was his 25th of the season. With it, New York’s outfield of Grisham (26), Judge (41) and Bellinger all have at least 25 homers this year. The last time a trio of Yankees outfielders accomplished the feat was in 1941.</p><p>That season, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Keller and Tommy Henrich all finished with at least 30 bombs. DiMaggio had his legendary 56-game hit streak and won AL MVP. And the Yankees went on to win the World Series.</p><p>This year New York lost its hold on the division, falling behind the Toronto Blue Jays during a midseason swoon. But the Yankees are heating up again, winning four straight games and going 11-4 over their last 15 contests.</p><p>New York trails Toronto by four games in the AL East. Even if the Yankees can’t catch the Blue Jays they’re <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/why-yankees-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">likely to clinch a Wild Card berth</a> and could be a tough out if the power surge continues.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Aaron Boone’s 6-word evaluation of home run party vs. Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-new-york-extends-streak-nationals-beatdown');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees extend insane streak with Nationals beatdown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/New-York-Yankees-second-baseman-Jazz-Chisholm-Jr.-and-left-fielder-Jasson-Dominguez-low-five-to-celebrate.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees extend insane streak with Nationals beatdown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T14:56:04-07:00">August 27th, 2:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T15:48:36-07:00">August 27th, 3:48pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/why-yankees-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">New York Yankees closed out their three-game set against the Washington Nationals</a> with a commanding 11-2 victory on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The victory completed the sweep and guaranteed New York its 34th straight winning season at home, <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1960809938282012736" rel="noopener">the second-longest run</a> in MLB history behind the team’s own 47-year stretch from 1918 to 1964, according to USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale.</p><p>The Yankees’ bats erupted in a game that saw them launch six home runs for the day and plate nine runs in a marathon third inning that lasted over 40 minutes. Every starter reached base at least once except for Anthony Volpe, who finished 0-for-4 and is now 1-for-38 in his last 11 games, dropping his average to .204.</p><p>Trent Grisham opened the game with his 26th home run of the season, setting the tone with his sixth leadoff blast of 2025. The decisive damage came in the third inning, when New York sent 15 batters to the plate and forced Washington starter Cade Cavalli out after 2 1/3 innings. Cavalli was charged with eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits, including three home runs.</p><p>The barrage began with Aaron Judge’s 424-foot two-run homer, his 41st of the year, followed immediately <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-cody-bellinger-homer-joe-dimaggio">by Cody Bellinger’s 410-foot solo shot, his 25th of the season</a>. Judge, Grisham, and Bellinger became only the second Yankees outfield trio in history to each hit 25+ homers in the same season.</p><p>After a Jazz Chisholm Jr. walk and stolen base, Jasson Domínguez drove him in with a ground-rule double. A catcher’s interference call, which fractured Nationals catcher Drew Millas’ finger, extended the inning, setting up Ryan McMahon’s three-run homer, his second since joining New York.</p><p>Ben Rice then ended his stellar day with his 22nd home run of the year, already his second hit of the inning. Rice finished 3-for-4 with three hits, including a homer and two singles, continuing his torrid August. Domínguez later added an infield RBI single to bring the Yankees into double digits.</p><p>Austin Wells joined the slugfest in the fourth with his sixth homer of the year, the Yankees’ sixth long ball of the afternoon.</p><p>While the offense piled on runs, Max Fried (14-5) delivered his second consecutive strong outing. The left-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before three straight Nationals singles broke it up. He allowed one run on four hits and two walks across seven innings, striking out six. Fried has now tossed back-to-back quality starts following a stretch hampered by blister issues.</p><p>Paul Blackburn closed the final two frames, yielding a double and a late solo homer to Andrés Chaparro, but otherwise kept the Nationals in check.</p><p>The Nationals dropped their fifth straight game and allowed six home runs in a contest for the second time this season. They will return home to face the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.</p><p>The Yankees, winners of four straight and firmly reestablished at the plate after scoring double-digit runs twice in this series, begin a seven-game road trip Thursday in Chicago against the White Sox.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees extend insane streak with Nationals beatdown

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-2025-no-1-pick-goes-on-hit-barrage-in-pro-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ 2025 No.1 pick goes on hit barrage in pro debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nationals-SS-Eli-Willits.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ 2025 No.1 pick goes on hit barrage in pro debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-22T17:46:21-07:00">August 22nd, 5:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-22T17:46:21-07:00">August 22nd, 5:46pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the 2025 season hasn’t gone to plan <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-powered-by-pitching-milestones-in-win-vs-phillies">for the Washington Nationals,</a> the big-league roster and accompanying minor league system are filled with numerous potential standouts. Fruits from the blockbuster Juan Soto trade a couple years ago are still making their way to the majors. Four of the five players that came back in the return for Soto, including shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder James Wood, are making a name for themselves in the majors. 2025 MLB Draft number one overall pick Eli Willits, a high school shortstop selected by the Nationals, <a href="https://baseball-america-prospect-report.beehiiv.com/p/charlie-condon-slugs-pair-of-homers" rel="noopener">had an excellent pro debut</a> with Low-A Fredericksburg according to Baseball America’s Mark Chiarelli Friday.</p><p>“Willits made quite the first impression with Low-A Fredericksburg Thursday night, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in his full-season debut, a 10-6 win over Astros affiliate Fayetteville,” wrote Chiarelli on Friday morning. “Willits, who batted seventh and manned shortstop, also stole a base, walked and scored a run. All three of Willits’ hits were singles.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-stuns-experts-youngest-no-1-mlb-draft-pick-ever">Willits was the youngest player</a> ever to be taken first overall, so it’s clear that he still has a lot of growth to undergo. The 17-year-old shortstop is the son of former major league outfielder Reggie Willits. Now, the younger Willits hopes to blaze a path to the majors, just like his dad. If he continues to play like he did today, it’s possible that he’ll be there before he even turns 21. The Nationals already have Abrams entrenched at shortstop. Would Willits supplant him in the next few years?</p><h2><b>Will Eli Willits replace CJ Abrams as Nationals shortstop in future?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nationals-SS-CJ-Abrams.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At 24 years old, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-fans-mind-blowing-cj-abrams-impossible-homer">Abrams will be entering</a> the arbitration process for the first time this upcoming winter. After three years of arbitration contracts, the dual threat shortstop could enter free agency at age 28. When that happens, it’s likely he will price himself out of Washington’s price range. However, if the team has new ownership that would be willing to spend then, anything is possible.</p><p>Regardless of that potential future, it’s no guarantee that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-news-angels-no-2-pick-bigger-risk-nationals-no-1-stunner">Willits will stay at short</a> long term. Simply put, he could outgrow the position and have to move, maybe to third base. Perhaps his defense doesn’t develop, and he’ll need to move to second. Any number of scenarios could happen. The hope is though, at some point, Willits develops into a star at the level of Soto and Bryce Harper, then leads the team back to consistent postseason appearances.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ 2025 No.1 pick goes on hit barrage in pro debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-sean-manaea-puzzled-by-worrying-trend-that-showed-up-vs-nationals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Sean Manaea puzzled by worrying trend that showed up vs. Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/New-York-Mets-starting-pitcher-Sean-Manaea-throws.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Sean Manaea puzzled by worrying trend that showed up vs. Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T20:03:02-07:00">August 21st, 8:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T20:05:04-07:00">August 21st, 8:05pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-bold-take-playoff-destiny-60th-loss">New York Mets dropped the series finale to the Washington Nationals</a>, 9-3, on Thursday at Nationals Park, with left-hander Sean Manaea once again at the center of concern. After an electric start that saw him strike out seven of the first 11 batters, Manaea unraveled in the middle innings, continuing a troubling pattern that has been his story in the 2025 season.</p><p>Manaea’s line told the story of both dominance and decline, 4.2 innings, four runs (all earned), three hits, one walk, and two hit batters. He struck out eight in his first 50 pitches but none in his final 41. His ERA now sits at 5.15, and August has been brutal, posting a 7.91 ERA across 19.2 innings, allowing four or more runs in four consecutive starts.</p><p>The outing followed a trend that has plagued both Manaea and the Mets’ rotation, strong beginnings that collapse in the middle innings. The Nationals tied the game in the fourth when CJ Abrams reached on a strikeout-passed ball and later scored. In the fifth, a Brady House single and a misplay by Pete Alonso set the table. Manaea hit Abrams, allowed a sacrifice fly to Paul DeJong, and walked Andres Chaparro to load the bases. Reliever Tyler Rogers then surrendered a two-run single to Riley Adams, flipping a 3-2 Mets lead into a 4-3 deficit.</p><p>After the game, Manaea admitted <a href="https://x.com/SNYtv/status/1958673813165441237" rel="noopener">he had no clear answers</a> for the recurring breakdowns.</p><p>“I wouldn’t say fatigued, I feel good. I really have no explanation for why I’m hitting that wall.”</p><p>The issue isn’t isolated, as Kodai Senga has faced similar struggles, Clay Holmes has not pitched six innings since June 7, and Frankie Montas has already been moved out of the rotation.</p><p>Offensively, the Mets had early success. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-new-francisco-lindor-breaks-team-record-hr-vs-nationals">Francisco Lindor opened the game with his franchise-record eighth leadoff homer of the season</a>, and Starling Marte added a solo shot in the third. Hayden Senger’s first career RBI, a sacrifice fly, pushed the lead to 3-0. But after the fourth inning, the bats disappeared, 14 of their final 16 hitters were retired, and the Nationals’ bullpen closed the door.</p><p>The loss dropped the Mets to 67-60, clinging to the NL’s final Wild Card spot by just half a game over the Reds (67-61). Only 35 games remain, and a daunting stretch lies ahead of the Mets, including series against the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Sean Manaea puzzled by worrying trend that showed up vs. Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-josh-bell-unleashes-1-hardest-hit-hrs-career-vs-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Josh Bell unleashes 1 of hardest-hit HRs of career vs. Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Washington-Nationals-first-baseman-Josh-Bell.jpg"><figcaption>Denny Medley-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Josh Bell unleashes 1 of hardest-hit HRs of career vs. Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-20T18:01:30-07:00">August 20th, 6:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-20T18:04:16-07:00">August 20th, 6:04pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals entered Wednesday night’s game against the New York Mets looking for revenge. The Mets won the series opener 8-1 in a game that was never in question. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-dfa-ex-sliver-slugger-dylan-crews-injury">The Nationals have dealt with drama surrounding Nathaniel Lowe’s exit</a>, but another one of their veterans stepped up. Washington first baseman Josh Bell flirted with a career-high against Kodai Senga.</p><p>Bell dug in against the Mets’ ace in the fifth inning. Senga left a cutter over the heart of the plate and Bell punished the mistake. His home run traveled <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1958319446302314502" rel="noopener">420 feet to right center field</a> to extend Washington’s lead to 5-1.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Josh Bell rockets this pitch out and extends the <a href="https://twitter.com/Nationals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nationals</a> lead 🚀 <a href="https://t.co/Hvve21EPOI">pic.twitter.com/Hvve21EPOI</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1958319446302314502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Bell has made a career out of hitting pitches extremely hard. Players like Giancarlo Stanton and Oneil Cruz dominate the list of hard-hit balls each season. However, the Nationals’ first baseman might have just put himself alongside both of them.</p><p>According to Major League Baseball’s Sarah Langs, the home run is the hardest ball Bell has hit <a href="https://x.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1958321009158721551" rel="noopener">in more than six years</a>.</p><p>“Josh Bell! 112.5 mph,” Langs said. “That’s the sixth-hardest hit home run of his career and hardest since a 112.9 mph HR on 8/11/19.”</p><p>The Nationals flirted with the idea of trading Bell at the deadline earlier this summer. However, Washington decided to hold on to the first baseman for the rest of the year. His production has been inconsistent this season, but he showed why he is worth keeping around with his home run against New York.</p><p>Washington has some big decisions to make, even though they are out of the playoff race. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-makes-miserable-mlb-history-with-pathetic-pitching">The Nationals’ pitching staff has struggled mightily</a> and their roster is in the middle of a big transition. However, Bell might be one of the few veterans that Washington keeps around for the foreseeable future.</p><p>For now, Nationals can admire Bell’s home run as his team tries to avenge a loss to a division rival.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Josh Bell unleashes 1 of hardest-hit HRs of career vs. Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-ny-nationals-make-mlb-managerial-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets, Nationals make MLB managerial history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nationals-Miguel-Cairo-and-Mets-Carlos-Mendoza-at-home-plate.jpg"><figcaption>Amber Searls-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets, Nationals make MLB managerial history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T21:03:28-07:00">August 19th, 9:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T21:06:56-07:00">August 19th, 9:06pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Baseball has a profound global impact, resonating with people of all different cultures. One country whose strong ties to the sport can sometimes get overlooked is Venezuela. The Land of Grace has produced many great talents over the years like Miguel Cabrera, Jose Altuve, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Johan Santana, but it received recognition for another notable feat during Tuesday’s game between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals.</p><p>Carlos Mendoza and Miguel Cairo both played and worked for the New York Yankees organization at the same time during their respective careers, sharing in a Pinstripes brotherhood that carries a historic tradition. However, the most powerful aspect of their connection is arguably their Venezuelan heritage. They got to bask in national pride together in Washington D.C., as the countrymen made special history in this National League East clash.</p><p>When the Mets skipper and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-miguel-cairo-interim-manager-dave-martinez-firing">Nationals interim skipper</a> led their teams into competition, they became the <a href="https://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1957939169180659730" rel="noopener">first two Venezuelan-born managers</a> to face off at the MLB level, via Jomboy Media. Mendoza and Cairo posed for a picture with their lineup cards to mark the occasion and then embraced before returning to their respective dugouts.</p><p>Two men who worked hard to make a life in baseball coming together to create a first-time moment for their beloved homeland. Sometimes, it is not just a game. The Mets (67-58) earned an 8-1 victory over the last-place Nationals (50-75), riding an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-carlos-mendoza-david-peterson-8-inning-start">eight-inning David Peterson gem</a> and Jeff McNeil’s three-hit/three-RBI outing to their third consecutive win. But this matchup transcends the outcome.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Carlos Mendoza and Miguel Cairo are making history tonight as the first pair of Venezuelan managers to face off in an MLB game 🇻🇪 <a href="https://t.co/fYaH2uxKPC">pic.twitter.com/fYaH2uxKPC</a></p><p>— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1957939169180659730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Mets-Nationals game puts spotlight on Venezuela</b></h2><p>Both managers <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-mendoza-miguel-cairo-first-mlb-game-with-two-venezuelan-managers" rel="noopener">explained the significance</a> of venturing into uncharted territory in Nationals Park. “A privilege,” Carlos Mendoza said, per MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato. “I’m humbled by it. It’s a big deal back home.”</p><p>“I got chills, because it was cool to see countrymen being managers in the big leagues at the same time playing together,” Miguel Cairo admitted. Venezuelans will look to this moment as evidence of the growing influence their country continues to have on the game. And who knows, maybe this is just the first of many series that Mendoza and Cairo will contest against each other.</p><p>The latter is now 13-22 since taking over for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-fires-dave-martinez-mike-rizzo-brutal-season">dismissed 2019 World Series champion Dave Martinez</a> in early July. If the Nats can finish the year strong and give fans hope for 2026, perhaps the organization will allow the former infielder to occupy the position full time. As for Mendoza and the Mets, they are looking to clinch a playoff berth and then contend for a title.</p><p>If both of those scenarios come to fruition, Venezuela will have much more to celebrate this fall.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets, Nationals make MLB managerial history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jhoan-duran-initial-update-scary-injury-nationals');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Jhoan Duran gets encouraging initial update after scary injury vs. Nationals');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Phillies-trades-for-closer-Jhoan-Duran-from-Twins.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Jhoan Duran gets encouraging initial update after scary injury vs. Nationals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-15T20:35:45-07:00">August 15th, 8:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-15T20:36:51-07:00">August 15th, 8:36pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies closer <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jhoan-duran-carted-off-apparent-leg-injury">Jhoan Duran received a positive initial update</a> after leaving Friday’s 6-2 victory over the Washington Nationals with a frightening injury.</p><p>Duran, acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the MLB trade deadline, was struck on his right foot/ankle by a 94.1 mph line drive off the bat of Nationals infielder Paul DeJong in the ninth inning. He was unable to put weight on the leg and was taken off the field on a bullpen cart.</p><p>The Phillies announced that initial X-rays on Duran’s right ankle came back negative, <a href="https://x.com/NoahLevick/status/1956541021799518700" rel="noopener">signaling no structural damage</a>, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported. Further evaluation is planned for Saturday.</p><p>The 27-year-old right-hander, who made his Phillies debut following four days off, entered the ninth inning in a non-save situation with a four-run lead. After attempting to field the comebacker, he limped toward the foul line before trainers and manager Rob Thomson attended to him. Thomson noted that adrenaline initially masked the pain.</p><p>“He ran like a shot to retrieve the ball, and then once he got there, I think the adrenaline wore off and the pain set in. Before the cart came out, it took a long time, and he said, ‘I feel better, I think I can walk over to the dugout.’ But there’s all these steps here, and we wanted to use the cart,” Thomson said.</p><p>With the team sitting at 70-52 and first place in the NL East after the win, Philadelphia can breathe a sigh of relief that one of their most dominant bullpen arms avoided serious injury. Should Duran miss time, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering are the likely candidates to assume closing duties.</p><p>Since joining the Phillies, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/jhoan-duran-makes-phillies-history-after-shutting-door-on-rangers">Duran has been perfect in save opportunities</a>. In four appearances totaling four scoreless innings, he has struck out three batters, surrendered just one hit, and walked none.</p><p>He entered Friday with a 1.86 ERA for the 2025 season, having recorded 56 strikeouts over 53 1/3 innings. His fastball regularly exceeds 100 mph, complemented by a splitter in the upper-90s, making him one of the league’s most intimidating closers.</p><p>Duran’s arrival in Philadelphia was intended to solidify a bullpen that has struggled in the absence of projected closer Jordan Romano, who owns a 7.24 ERA this season. Acquired in exchange for top prospects Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait, Duran has quickly demonstrated why the Phillies were willing to make a major move.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Jhoan Duran gets encouraging initial update after scary injury vs. Nationals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-powered-by-pitching-milestones-in-win-vs-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals powered by pitching milestones in win vs. Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nationals-pitcher-Shinnosuke-Ogasawara-16-pitches.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals powered by pitching milestones in win vs. Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-15T00:57:28-07:00">August 15th, 12:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-15T00:57:28-07:00">August 15th, 12:57am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 season is yet <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-ex-gm-mike-rizzo-subtle-jab-ownership-after-firing">another lost one for the Washington Nationals</a>, a team that just couldn’t find a way to return to winning ways after hoisting the World Series trophy in 2019. They entered their Thursday night game against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies with a 48-72 record — which is “good” for the third-worst record in MLB.</p><p>But every now and then, even teams that have been struggling as much as the Nationals have this season stumble into some magic. On Thursday, the Nationals’ pitching staff, which has had more than its fair share of poor moments this season, found a way to quiet the Phillies’ bats down in a 3-2 win.</p><p>In fact, this game marks some firsts for a few members of the Nationals’ pitching staff. For one, this was the <a href="https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1956162194132885864" rel="noopener">first big-league win</a> for relief pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who found a way to strike out Kyle Schwarber to keep the deficit at 2-1 in the seventh inning before the Nationals took the lead in the bottom half of the frame.</p><p>And then in the ninth inning, 26-year-old rookie Cole Henry picked up his <a href="https://x.com/_SoundTheHorne/status/1956161043874381881" rel="noopener">first career save</a> — making it a night to celebrate all around for the Nationals franchise.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme">❤️‍🔥 <a href="https://t.co/s5lfKeEwQd">pic.twitter.com/s5lfKeEwQd</a></p><p>— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1956162194132885864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">First MLB win for Shinnosuke Ogasawara, striking out Schwarber to hold the game at 2-1 before the go-ahead rally.</p><p>First MLB save for Cole Henry with two nasty pitches, including a Turner 🗡 to end it.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nats</a> win a fun, well-pitched game, well-played game on both sides. <a href="https://t.co/dfYqnGILxo">https://t.co/dfYqnGILxo</a></p><p>— Hashim Horne 🐢 (@_SoundTheHorne) <a href="https://twitter.com/_SoundTheHorne/status/1956161043874381881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In a season full of tough moments for the Nationals, they need to cherish every win they can get. Ogasawara, in particular, hasn’t found life in the big leagues to be very smooth-sailing. Prior to Thursday night, Ogasawara had recorded an unsightly 6.43 ERA in 14 innings of work (six games, two starts). But he came up huge against the Phillies, striking out Schwarber with a nasty 79-mph slider breaking towards the outside of the zone.</p><p>Meanwhile, Henry ended the game by inducing a swinging strikeout from Trea Turner, which could convince Nationals manager Miguel Cairo to turn over the closer spot to him full-time.</p><h2><b>Nationals turn biggest weakness into a strength on Thursday</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MacKenzie-Gore-of-the-Washington-Nationals.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-makes-miserable-mlb-history-with-pathetic-pitching">Nationals have had one of the worst pitching corps</a> in MLB heading into Thursday. In fact, they rank 29th in the league in terms of runs allowed, with only the hapless Colorado Rockies allowing more runs than they’ve done all season long.</p><p>But over the past week or so, the Nationals are at least finding a bit of footing on that side of the ball. In addition to this 3-2 win over the Phillies, they also shut out the San Francisco Giants last week, 8-0, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-mackenzie-gore-blasts-embarrassing-nats-amid-nightmare-homestand">MacKenzie Gore redeeming himself</a> after their debacle against the Athletics last week.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals powered by pitching milestones in win vs. Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-ex-little-league-rivals-first-pitch-phillies-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals reunite ex-Little League rivals for first pitch before Phillies game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mone-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals reunite ex-Little League rivals for first pitch before Phillies game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T23:29:41-07:00">August 14th, 11:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T23:45:06-07:00">August 14th, 11:45pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals are playing out another lost season. At 23 games under .500, Washington is headed for its sixth straight losing season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-makes-miserable-mlb-history-with-pathetic-pitching">Nationals’ awful pitching</a> made headlines earlier this month when the club made history as the only team to allow 80 hits, 50 runs and 10 homers in a four-game span.</p><p>But on Thursday, the Nationals featured a <a href="https://x.com/Nationals/status/1956133217406263511" rel="noopener">quality pitcher</a>. Washington invited former Little League World Series star Mo’Ne Davis to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">MO'NE FIRST PITCH</p><p>caught by former <a href="https://twitter.com/LittleLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@littleleague</a> world series opponent robert hassell iii 🥲 <a href="https://t.co/Z22ZKkTw9Q">pic.twitter.com/Z22ZKkTw9Q</a></p><p>— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1956133217406263511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>And, for an added twist, Nationals rookie Robert Hassell III was behind the plate to catch Davis’ pitch. The two last took the field together during the 2014 Little League World Series. Back then, Hassell represented Nashville and Davis played for Philadelphia.</p><h2><b>Nationals welcome former Little League World Series star</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mone-Davis-2.jpg"><figcaption>Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Davis became an overnight sensation in 2014. She led Philadelphia to a 4-0 win over Hassell’s Nashville team and in the process became the first girl to throw a shutout and earn a win in the Little League World Series.</p><p>Davis allowed just two hits while striking out eight batters in six scoreless innings. And she <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mo-ne-davis-throws-first-pitch-to-robert-hassell-iii" rel="noopener">still remembers</a> facing the Nationals’ first-year outfielder. “I was just really feeling everything that game and I ended up striking him out, which was pretty cool,” Davis said, per MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato.</p><p>“So I have bragging rights over him right now. He can’t get his redemption back from me,” she added.</p><p>Hassell remembers <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2x34BySkX/?img_index=2" rel="noopener">the moment</a> well. “It was crazy. She struck me out. It was on my birthday. Then I got a base-hit off of her. But the whole crowd was screaming her name, we were really young. It was crazy… She was really good,” he said, via MLB’s official account on Instagram.</p><p>Hassell went on to get drafted eighth overall by the San Diego Padres in 2020. He then landed with the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto trade in 2022. Hassell, Washington’s <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/nationals/" rel="noopener">13th ranked</a> prospect, got called up by the Nationals in May and sent back down to Triple-A in June. But he was recalled on August 1 and has received regular playing time in center field and right since then.</p><p>As for Davis, she’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/womens-sports/little-league-mone-davis-baseball-return">not finished with baseball yet</a>. Last month she confirmed that she’ll try out for the new Women’s Professional Baseball League. In partnership with Major League Baseball, the WPBL will have six franchises and is set to debut in 2026.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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