Nationals bullpen – Washington closed out the 2026 “Battle of the Beltways” by taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles and climbing back over .500, but the late-inning collapse that flared against Philadelphia last week points to a deeper problem: the bullpen has the major
The Nationals’ winning weekend felt like relief, not just a stat line.
Washington finished the 2026 Battle of the Beltways by taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles. winning three straight series against the O’s and climbing back over .500 after dipping under that mark Friday night. At Camden Yards. the Baltimore series added to a sense that the team could keep its footing against a familiar rival.
But the cheers were interrupted by a different kind of memory. Last week, late-inning leads against the Philadelphia Phillies vanished—three separate instances in the face of a division opponent. And those aren’t isolated moments. The numbers now read like an argument: the Nationals have 25 blown saves. the most in the majors. and their bullpen ERA of 5.02 ranks third-worst in MLB. For a team trying to contend, that’s not a loose screw. It’s turning every time the game tightens.
Across the standings, Washington’s problems don’t exist in a vacuum. The Phillies aren’t the only concern—Philadelphia isn’t the only group scoring off the Nats’ relievers—and the bullpen has become the place where games go to disappear.
As the Nationals weigh what comes next, the calendar offers no mercy. The question inside the organization is how fast the relief corps can be repaired before it becomes too late. Over the next month. more arms may be thrown into the mix—whether from within the roster plans or from changes engineered by the front office. Any trading deadline moves, if they happen, are aimed at something bigger than a Band-Aid.
The wider division picture still matters, even as bullpen trouble grabs the spotlight. Atlanta leads the NL East at 49-33, but its advantage has shrunk from 10-and-a-half games to three since May 22. Philadelphia, at 47-37, took three of four games from the Nationals in Washington, D.C., last week. The series finale included accusations that Bryce Harper flipped off fans after hitting a home run; Harper said he showed his ring finger to the Washington faithful. and he does so without a World Series ring.
Washington sits at 43-42 in fourth place, comfortably ahead of the New York Mets at 35-49. The Mets ended the reign of manager Carlos Mendoza before the weekend and also traded pitcher David Peterson to the Chicago Cubs (no relation to Don).
When the Nationals weren’t living in the bullpen’s shadow, other parts of the team showed signs of momentum. Luis Garcia Jr., who moved to first base entering this season, is heating up in June. He has 11 homers and 25 RBI this month, coming off a week when he hit .526 with six homers and nine RBI. His 55 RBI on the season are 15 shy of his career high, and the team hasn’t reached the All-Star break.
Even so, the week’s swing through the clubhouse included sharp contrasts—players who delivered and arms that didn’t.
Jorbit Vivas batted .333 with two homers and five RBI, while Dylan Crews hit .321 and scored seven runs. Foster Griffin struck out 18 in 14.1 innings, allowing one earned run, and posted his eighth win of the season. Zack Littell has seven victories after striking out eight over nine frames in his two outings.
On the other side, Brad Lord allowed seven earned runs over 3.1 innings, Mitchell Parker coughed up six over 3.1 frames, and Gus Varland surrendered five over two innings. James Wood hit .133 with 16 strikeouts in 30 at-bats, while C.J. Abrams batted .105 without an RBI.
The next chance to steady the ship comes on Saturday. when the Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates in their traditional late-morning Fourth of July slot. Zack Littell, currently 7-6, is set as the starter. Pittsburgh will be pitching Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA), who has more wins and a better ERA than Paul Skenes.
For Washington. the holiday spotlight carries a familiar twist: it’s a day built for celebration. but the division chase is built on what happens late. The Nationals have a winning streak to point to—but the bullpen’s unraveling against Philadelphia last week is a warning that doesn’t disappear just because the weekend ends on a high note.
Washington Nationals bullpen struggles blown saves bullpen ERA Philadelphia Phillies Baltimore Orioles NL East Zack Littell Braxton Ashcraft July 4