Nationals and Padres Face Off Amid Struggles and Injuries

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Washington Nationals, struggling with a 32-46 record, face the San Diego Padres this week following a tough series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Nationals lost two of three games over the weekend and now sit fourth in the National League East. Their recent form has been concerning, marked by a 4-16 start to June and a run differential of minus-73, ranking 24th in the league.

Top performers for the Nationals include outfielder James Wood, left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, and shortstop CJ Abrams, who were acquired from the Padres in the 2022 Juan Soto trade. Wood leads the team with a Wins Above Replacement (fWAR) of 3.3, while Gore follows with a 2.6 fWAR.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres hold a 42-35 record, placing third in the NL West. They recently won two of three games against the Kansas City Royals, sitting five games behind the Dodgers and 1½ games back of the second-place San Francisco Giants. San Diego is remaining competitive, vying for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

Tonight’s starting pitchers will be left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker for Washington and right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek for San Diego. Parker enters the game with a record of 4-8 and a 4.59 ERA, having allowed six runs in his only previous start against the Padres. Kolek, with a record of 3-2 and a 3.59 ERA, looks to improve after a solid outing against the Dodgers last week.

On Tuesday, the Nationals will start Trevor Williams, who has a 3-8 record with a 5.54 ERA. Williams has struggled this month but has minimized home runs. He faces off against rookie Ryan Bergert, making his first start at Petco Park with an impressive 1.88 ERA over his four starts.

Wednesday’s matchup features National League strikeout leader MacKenzie Gore taking the mound, leading the majors with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. However, he faces Nick Pivetta, who has a 3.64 ERA despite some recent inconsistencies.

The Nationals are currently dealing with a plethora of injuries, including outfielder Dylan Crews, who is taking dry swings but lacks a timetable for return. The Padres are also managing injuries, with Yu Darvish working back to health after elbow discomfort.