The Washington Nationals opened their final road trip of the season this weekend with a three-game series in St. Louis, and the matchup arrives with both clubs in different but familiar late-season spots. The Nationals are trying to finish a seven straight losing season on a stronger note, while the Cardinals are one game away from being eliminated from playoff contention.
Washington came into the series after a busy stretch that included a sweep of the Angels earlier in the week and a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. That defeat dropped the Nationals to 71-82, but the larger season picture was already settled: the club had secured its seventh straight losing season.
The Cardinals arrived after a series loss to the San Francisco Giants and sat at 75-78, fourth in the NL Central. They remain technically alive, but the math is tightening quickly, which makes this weekend more about evaluation than a traditional September push.
Pitching matchups and recent form
Cavalli is set to start the series opener for the Nationals after another strong outing against the Angels. In that start, he allowed two runs on three hits over six innings and struck out nine. Over 29 of his 31 starts, he has continued to give Washington a reason to keep him in the rotation plans moving forward.
The Cardinals will counter with Michael McGreevy, who has been one of the arms they are monitoring closely as the season winds down. The Cardinals are also managing Leahy's workload late in the year, another reminder that this series is as much about the future as the standings.
Washington’s recent results have been encouraging enough to give the final road trip some purpose. Earlier in the week, the Nationals swept the Angels, and Cavalli followed with three scoreless innings, two hits and four strikeouts in another recent outing. The club has also seen strong individual stretches from several young players, including a 109-RBI season from one of its hitters.
What this series means
Both teams appear to be looking toward 2027, which makes the weekend more about development than desperation. The Nationals want to see which young pieces can carry momentum into the offseason, while the Cardinals are trying to sort out who can help when they are ready to contend again.
That is the practical value of a series like Nationals Vs Cardinals at this stage of the year. The games still count, the standings still matter, and the playoff race still has stakes for St. Louis, but the larger story is how both organizations are using the final week to evaluate what comes next.
For Washington, the final road trip is a chance to show some progress after a long year. For St. Louis, it is a last look at how close the current group is to escaping a disappointing finish.
