The Nationals opened their series against the Mets on Thursday night in Queens with some momentum, but still plenty of work to do. After a 7-0 win over the Cubs on Thursday afternoon, Washington improved to 60-63, stayed five games out of a Wild Card spot, and kept themselves within reach with 17 games to come against teams not in playoff position.
It was a timely response from a club that had been under pressure to avoid a sweep, and Cade Cavalli gave them exactly the kind of start they needed. The Nationals right-hander carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and worked eight scoreless innings, helping Washington finish its six-game homestand with a 4-2 record before turning the page to the Mets.
Cavalli gives the Nationals a platform
Cavalli's line stood out for more than just the shutout result. He has now thrown one run over seven innings with 11 strikeouts at one stage of his recent run, and the broader picture still suggests a pitcher whose performance has been moving in the right direction. The Nationals need that kind of stability if they are going to turn a difficult position into something more meaningful over the next few weeks.
The question for Washington is not whether there is still time to make noise in the race. It is whether they can keep producing enough quality starts and enough clean nights in the field to stay alive long enough to make those upcoming games count.
The Mets bring a different level of danger
The challenge now is obvious. The Mets have been one of baseball's best offenses since the beginning of August, and they arrived in the series after a 6-3 road trip. They also had recent pitching work to assess, with Sean Manaea allowing one run over seven innings while striking out 11 against Pittsburgh on Sunday, Christian Scott allowing four runs over four innings against the Braves on Monday, and the Mets losing 6-3 in Atlanta on Wednesday.
That makes this a useful test of where the Nationals really stand. Washington led the season series 4-3, with two series still to be played, so there is at least a competitive edge here. But if the Nationals are going to climb back into the picture, they will need more nights like the one against the Cubs and fewer that leave them chasing from behind.
What comes next for Washington?
The short-term path is clear enough. With 17 games against teams not in playoff position, the Nationals have a window to put real pressure on the teams above them. Saturday afternoon, they had not yet announced a starter for the game, so the next move in Queens will matter almost as much as the result itself.
If Cavalli can keep giving them innings like this, Washington have at least given themselves a chance. If not, the gap in the Wild Card race will start to look much harder to close, no matter how encouraging one 7-0 win might be.
