Pirates vs Nationals lands Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Nationals Park, with Cade Cavalli starting for the Washington Nationals and Bubba Chandler listed as the expected starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The series is tied 1-1, so this game decides which club leaves with the edge.
Cavalli enters with a 5-4 record and a 3.69 ERA. Chandler’s line is 3-8 with a 4.62 ERA, but he is still only listed as the expected starter, which leaves the Pittsburgh side less settled than Washington’s assignment.
Cavalli At Nationals Park
The Nationals have used Cavalli as the set starter for this matchup, and that gives the home team a clear pitching answer on a day that carries division weight. Washington is 46-44 and fourth in the NL East, so every start matters in a crowded race.
Jacob Young is also on the board for Washington, listed day-to-day with a hand injury. That keeps one more regular out of the mix while the Nationals manage a long injury list that includes Richard Lovelady, Jake Irvin, Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Max Kranick, Ken Waldichuk, Mitchell Parker, and Trevor Williams across the 15 Day IL, 60 Day IL, and IL designations.
Bubba Chandler’s Status
The Pittsburgh side is the wrinkle. Chandler is not listed as the starter the same way Cavalli is; he is the expected starter, and that wording leaves room for a late change before first pitch. For a game that is already tied 1-1, that distinction is the part to watch.
The Pirates come in at 45-45 and fourth in the NL Central, so the matchup reaches beyond one afternoon in Washington. Their injury report also runs deep, with Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz, Evan Sisk, Wilber Dotel, and Chris Devenski all on IL designations.
Sunday’s lineup card should settle the final pitching assignment and decide which side leaves Nationals Park with the series lead. If Chandler takes the mound, the game opens with both clubs leaning on pitchers carrying uneven season lines, and the first inning will tell the story fast.
