What is the Washington Nationals record in 2026?

The Washington Nationals are 30-29, 3rd in the NL East.

Who is pitching for the Nationals today?

Zack Littell (4-4, 5.23 ERA) vs Griffin Canning (0-3, 7.54 ERA). First pitch at 01:35 PM EDT.

What channel is the Nationals game on today?

Today's game airs on Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health, Nationals.TV. First pitch at 01:35 PM EDT.

Washington Nationals News & Updates

May 31, 2026

The Washington Nationals were 30-29, 3rd in the NL East. Yesterday, the Washington Nationals topped the San Diego Padres 9-4 at Nationals Park.

Nationals Daily Vibe Check

75°

▲15

Warm

last night's win

On the right side of things. A W by 5 last night. The most recent result always counts most. And 5-2 over the last 7. That record does the talking.

Share your team's vibe check · smallballnews.com

Nationals Game on May 31

Opponent:	San Diego Padres (32-25)
Location:	Nationals Park
First Pitch:	01:35 PM EDT
Pitching Matchup:	Zack Littell (4-4, 5.23 ERA) vs Griffin Canning (0-3, 7.54 ERA)
TV Broadcast:	Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health, Nationals.TV
Forecast:	🌤️ Mostly sunny, 54°F, Wind 5 mph

Nationals Score & Recap

Yesterday, the Washington Nationals topped the San Diego Padres 9-4 at Nationals Park.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	4	6	1
	0	0	1	0	0	0	6	2		9	8	0

Highlights

Drew Millas went 1-4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.
Luis García Jr. went 2-4 with 2 RBI.

Nationals Record & Standings

NL East

Team	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Braves	40	19	.678		W3
Phillies	30	28	.517	9.5	W1
Nationals	30	29	.508	10.0	W1
Marlins	26	33	.441	14.0	L4
Mets	25	33	.431	14.5	W3

Washington Nationals are 5-2 in their last 7 games, with a +16 run differential.

Nationals Player Stats & Leaders

Batting Leaders

Player	HR	AVG	OPS	RBI
5 CJ Abrams	12	.290	.928	47
29 James Wood	15	.271	.948	37
45 Curtis Mead	8	.250	.876	25

Pitching Leaders

Pitcher	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP
41 Brad Lord	3-0	2.68	1.00	37.0
24 Cade Cavalli	3-3	3.62	1.41	59.2
22 Foster Griffin	6-2	3.76	1.15	67.0

Hot Hitters

Player	Streak
45 Curtis Mead	4 hits, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .444 AVG in last 3 games

Hot Pitchers

Pitcher	Streak
24 Cade Cavalli	6.0 IP, 7 K, 1 ER in dominant recent start
22 Foster Griffin	6.0 IP, 6 K, 0 ER in dominant recent start

Nationals News

The Washington Nationals proved they have the heart of a true contender by staging yet another exhilarating comeback, scoring six runs in the seventh inning to secure a 9-4 victory over the San Diego Padres, despite being down early. This marked their 12th comeback win this season, reinforcing their offensive prowess and resilience. CJ Abrams continues to shine, batting .291 and contributing significantly to the team's offensive surge. While they sit at a .500 record of 29-29 and are in third place in the division, their recent stretch of 4-3 with a +10 run differential showcases their ability to outscore opponents, thanks in large part to a pitching staff that has only allowed 3.0 runs per game in the last week. As the Nats look to maintain this momentum, the buzz around their promising prospects grows, hinting at an exciting future.

Sources

Districtondeck

3 Nationals prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues

Which Nationals' prospects are most likely to make the major leagues first? Checking in on 3 youngsters who could challenge to make the majors as soon as this season.

Federal Baseball

Washington Nationals use wild 7th inning rally to beat the San Diego Padres

When you have an elite offense, you are truly never out of a game. Nationals fans, including myself, are learning that this season. Even when the offense has nothing to offer early in the game, they have the ability to turn it on at any moment. That is exactly what they did in a crazy […]

MLB.com

'What we want our identity to be': Nats post 6 runs in 7th for 12th comeback win

WASHINGTON -- The afternoon after an eighth-inning rally fell short against the Padres, the Nationals got redemption in the seventh. The Nats scored six runs in the late inning to overcome a dominant pitching performance by Michael King and take a 9-4 victory at Nationals Park.

ESPN

Tatis hits 451-foot HR to end MLB-worst drought

Fernando Tatis Jr., in an MLB-worst drought, finally hit his first homer of the season with a 451-foot solo shot to left field against the Nationals.

Justbaseball

The White Sox and Nationals Quietly Pulled Off a Perfect Win-Win Trade

When the Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox lined up on a minor trade in late March, it didn’t exactly garner a bunch of headlines. Both teams entered the 2026 campaign with expectations of finishing at or near the bottom of their respective divisions, so the one-for-one swap meant next to nothing at the time […] The post The White Sox and Nationals Quietly Pulled Off a Perfect Win-Win Trade appeared first on Just Baseball.

Mlbtraderumors

Mets Select Cionel Perez, Designate Anderson Severino

The Mets announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Cionel Perez from Triple-A Syracuse. To create room on the 26-man and 40-man rosters, right-hander Tobias Myers was optioned to Triple-A and left-hander Anderson Severino was designated for assignment. Perez signed a minor league deal with the Nationals last offseason and then made the […]

Nationals Upcoming Schedule

The Washington Nationals host the Miami Marlins for a 3-game series starting Monday.

About Small Ball

This Washington Nationals digest was built by Small Ball to save you from bouncing between five apps to follow your team. It's fan-run and made to deliver what matters each morning.

Got thoughts? Tell us. Want to support it? Ko-fi tips help keep it running.