The Nats lost 8-3 to the visiting Cubs on Tuesday evening to open their six game home stand. Al & Tim start with Trevor Williams; who was taken out in the pivotal top of the 5th and was charged with five runs allowed. Williams threw a shutout last week, but this outing was in line with his season that sports a 6.03 ERA in a dozen starts.

(07:30) Five bullpen arms were needed and the first one used struggled the most. Andrew Chafin relieved Williams in the 5th and walked two of the three hitters he faced. Jackson Rutledge interestingly was used in the top of the 9th in mop-up duty.

(11:45) The offense scored three runs right away, but did nothing in the final six frames. Luis Garcia Jr. had a trio of hits and had a RBI single in the bottom of the 1st.

(15:30) Jose Teña did not properly handle a grounder in the top of the 4th and it led to a big inning for Chicago to tie the game.

(19:00) MacKenzie Gore will take the mound on Wednesday vs. the Cubs. Gore is tied with Boston's Garrett Crochet for the most strikeouts at 101.

(23:25) ESPN's Jeff Passan handicapped every team and where they fit into the eventual Trade Deadline. Al & Tim respond to what he wrote about Kyle Finnegan and the Nats organization.

The Nats four game win streak was snapped in Sunday afternoon's 3-1 loss in Arizona. Mark (From Phoenix) & Al open with DBacks Ace Corbin Burnes leaving the game in the top of the 5th due to a potential elbow injury. Burnes will have a MRI on Monday just a few minths after signing a 6-year/ $210M deal.

(07:30) James Wood was hitless, but both team doubles came from the new guys in Robert Hassell III & Daylen Lile. Nathaniel Lowe's RBI single in the 5th was the only source of offense.

(09:30) Mitchell Parker struggled yet again the bottom of the 1st and all three Arizona runs came in that frame. Should the team experiment going with an Opener in future Parker starts to try and right the ship? Parker's ERA in the 1st inning is astonishingly over 10.50 this season and roughly 3.50 in all other innings.

(19:45) The three relievers used combined for three scoreless frames. Eduardo Salazar escaped a jam in the bottom of the 6th his first appearance since he replaced Jorge Lopez on the roster.

(22:00) The Cubs come to D.C. on Tuesday and are tied for the best record in the NL. The hosts note that Chicago is far ahead of Washington despite the two franchises beginning their rebuilds at the exact same time in the summer of 2021.

(25:05) If the Nats are in the Wild Card hunt ahead of the Trade Deadline, will they be buyers? The Deadline this season is on Thursday July 31st at 6PM.

The Nats won their fourth straight on Saturday night by defeating Arizona 11-7. Mark (From Phoenix) & Al marvel over the team's 10-run opening inning that set a tone for the entire evening. No homers were hit and the first 11 batters safely reached base.

(9:40) James Wood's biggest impact came defensively as he nailed a runner out at the plate to stymie a Dbacks rally in the bottom of the 8th.

(11:30) Are the Nationals a good offensive team?

(15:45) Jackson Rutledge really struggled as the first pitcher to relieve Michael Soroka. Rutledge gave up three runs in the bottom of the 6th that cut the lead to four runs.

(19:00) Jorge Lopez was DFA'd prior to the game and is the third veteran reliever that was signed in the off-season to have already been let go. Davey Martinez said before the game that Washington "was not the right fit" for Lopez.

(28:05) A shoutout that leads to an extended conversation about the future contractual situations of young stars like James Wood.