Thanks to an offensive outburst by Keibert Ruiz, which included 2 doubles and a solo shot, the Nationals beat the Twins 7-5 to secure the series win and an even 3-3 homestand. The win brought their record on the year to 18-20, good for sole possession of second place in the NL East and 2 wins shy of the .500 mark. They’ll have an opportunity to climb over the .500 mark with a three-game set in Miami against the Marlins, who are in the midst of a 4 game losing streak.
The Marlins have been led offensively by a pair of middle infielders in Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards in 2026, who have a 143 and 145 wRC+, respectively. Like the Nats, the Marlins lineup is extremely young, with none of their usual starting 9 hitters being over the age of 28. On the pitching side, they are led by a mix of former top prospects, journeymen, and a former Cy Young winner, and the result has been a respectable 4.09 ERA on the year as a club.
WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (3-1, 2.27 ERA)
MIA: LHP Robby Snelling (Major League Debut)
Despite throwing 6 innings and allowing 0 earned runs last time out, Griffin earned the loss due to some unearned runs in the first inning and the Nats’ offense failing to get going. He’s been a monster for the Nats every 5 days, and will look to keep it going against a young Marlins lineup.
Robby Snelling, one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, will make his major league debut tonight against the Nats, a left-handed heavy lineup. Acquired from the Padres for reliever Tanner Scott in 2024, Snelling had a 1.86 ERA in Triple-A this season and will now get his first crack at the big leagues.
WSH: Zack Littell (1-4, 7.24 ERA)
MIA: RHP Janson Junk (2-3, 2.82 ERA)
Littell was effective in his last outing after PJ Poulin opened the game, throwing 3 2/3 innings of 1-run ball. The best the Nats can hope for out of Littell is to get through the order twice unscathed, before handing it off to Mitchell Parker to pitch the bulk of the innings.
A 22nd-rounder in 2017 by the Yankees, Junk has turned himself into an effective starter in Miami, with a 4.17 ERA in 21 outings in 2025 and a 2.82 ERA in 7 starts in 2026. He’s allowed just 1 run in his last 3 starts, so the Nats are catching him in the middle of a hot stretch.
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.15 ERA)
MIA: RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 4.01 ERA)
After back-to-back 10-strikeout starts against the Braves and Mets, Cavalli took a step back in his outing against the Twins, allowing 3 runs over 4 innings and walking more batters than he struck out. When Cavalli has his command, he’s a tough guy to get runs off, so hopefully he has a feel for his stuff on Sunday in Miami.
Alcantara’s season has been a mixed bag so far, as he’s been brilliant in 6 of his 8 starts, going deep in the outings and limiting damage, but in 2 of them, he has allowed 7 runs, including last time out against the Orioles. Hopefully, the Nats get the bad version of Alcantara on Sunday and can drop a 7-spot of their own.
