The Nationals Head Home To Take On Struggling Padres Squad

The Nats were unable to pull off the sweep in Cleveland, dropping the game Thursday 3-2, but in 2026 Nationals fashion, they went down swinging, scoring one in the 9th and getting the tying run to second base. The club heads home now after an exciting road trip in which they went 4-2, beating two division-leading ballclubs in two series. There to greet the Nats at home is a Padres team in a playoff spot, but who have 4 games in a row.

The Padres have played good baseball this season, but if you were to just look at how their stars were playing, you probably wouldn’t believe so. The 2 best regulars in the Padres lineup this season have been Gavin Sheets and Miguel Andujar, as Jackson Merrill has regressed once again in his junior campaign, Father Time is catching up to Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr has amazingly gone 54 games into the season without homering, leaving him and Nasim Nunez as the only two qualified hitters to not have homered yet.

Pitching has kept the Padres alive while their stars falter, specifically the bullpen, as their team’s relief ERA of 3.07 ranks 2nd in baseball, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mason Miller leads the charge with his sub-1 ERA, but others such as Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, Wandy Peralta, and more have stepped up and played their part as well.

Game One – Friday 6:45 PM EST

SDP: RHP Lucas Giolito (2-0, 2.70 ERA)

WSH: RHP Paxton Schultz (0-2, 5.30 ERA)

After going through the winter and Spring Training unsigned, Giolito finally found a home with the Padres back in April on a one-year deal. After taking a few weeks to ramp up, he’s been effective so far in his 2 starts for them, throwing 5 scoreless innings against the Athletics in his last start.

Paxton Schultz will open up tonight’s ballgame for the Nats, before handing things off to Andrew Alvarez for the bulk of the innings work. Outside of a 6-run barrage from the Mets, Schultz has been effective in May for the Nats, allowing 1 run in the other 8 1/3 innings of work, and tonight he will make his first opener appearance of the year.

Game Two- Saturday 4:05 PM EST

SDP: RHP Michael King (4-3, 2.76 ERA)

WSH: TBD (Probable: LHP Foster Griffin)

King has been the ace the Padres need this season, posting a dazzling 2.76 ERA in 11 starts. He got roughed up for 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings last time out versus the Athletics, so hopefully the Nats can do the same to him Saturday night.

The Nats have yet to announce their Saturday starter, but it will be Foster Griffin’s turn in the rotation. After back-to-back rough starts, Griffin refound his form in Atlanta, throwing 6 scoreless innings and earning the victory.

Game Three – Sunday 1:35 PM EST

SDP: RHP Griffin Canning (0-3, 7.54 ERA)

WSH: TBD (Probable: RHP Zack Littell, or an opener followed by Littell)

Griffin Canning gets the ball for the Padres on Sunday, and while the ERA may look rough, it mainly stems from 2 of his 5 starts so far this year going very poorly, allowing 6 runs in both. In his last 2 starts, Canning has allowed 3 runs each, so hopefully the Nats get to face the worse version of Canning on Sunday.

No Nats starter has been announced for Sunday’s ballgame either, but it will be Zack Littell’s turn in the rotation, meaning it will likely either be him or an opener followed by him. Littell had his best appearance of the year last time out and one of the biggest by a Nat all season, throwing 7 innings of one-run ball in Cleveland in a blowout, allowing an exhausted bullpen to take the day off.