Nats Drop the Rubber Match

The Nats fell 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon to lose the series with the visiting Blue Jays.  Mark & Al convene after the Nationals missed an opportunity to gain ground in the standings while facing a below .500 team.  They conclude their homestand at 3-3 and are headed to a pivotal eight game road trip in Atlanta & Philadelphia. (06:00) Do the win and losses this week affect Paul Toboni's approach at the Trade Deadline? (08:00) Washington only scored one run in the bottom of the 8th and it was a major missed opportunity.  James Wood led-off with a double, Luis Garcia Jr. immediately singled him home, but that was it for the rally. (10:30) Why did Jacob Young lay down a bunt in the top of the 7th? (17:00) Five relievers took the mound on Wednesday after Zack Littell lasted 4.2 IP.  Paxton Schultz allowed three runs in the top of the 8th and was sent down to AAA following the defeat. Jake Irvin is expected to take his roster spot and pitch on Thursday in Atlanta after returning from the IL (shoulder). (21:00) Trevor Williams pitched the final four outs and it was first time he appeared in the majors in over a year.  Williams is expected to be a reliever on the staff this season instead of acting as a starter. (26:00) What are the chances Littell is traded ahead of the deadline?  This would be similar to when Jon Lester was flipped for Lane Thomas in the summer of 2021. Littell's ERA is currently below the 5.00 threshold (4.94). Link to this episode sponsor: https://ccanactionfund.org/2026-ev-raffle/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.