For the first time since the 2018 season, the Washington Nationals have a winning record in the month of May. Not just May either, but late May. Meaning the Nats have an opportunity to go a step further this year and hold an above-.500 record in the month of June, something we haven’t sniffed through the rebuild years thus far. And what a way they did it. The Nationals clubbed six home runs over the first five innings, including five against Cleveland starter, Tanner Bibee.

That unreal power surge was supplemented by Zack Littell‘s best start of the season, throwing the final seven innings after PJ Poulin took care of the first two, and with that, the Nationals are now a 28-27 team. What a dream this season has been so far, let’s get into what was one of the most fun wins of the season.

The Action

This one got off to a flying start for the Nationals, as James Wood worked a six-pitch at-bat to lead off the ballgame, before Tanner Bibee hung a curveball down the middle of the plate, and Wood didn’t miss it, blasting a ball 412-feet out to right field for his 14th homer of the year. That was just the beginning, as Luis Garcia Jr. followed that up with a double, and Curtis Mead brought in two more runs after a seven-pitch fight with a home run of his own to left field. So after just three batters, the Nationals had ran out to a 3-0 lead immediately in Cleveland.

PJ Poulin retired the side in order in the first, and Jacob Young began the second inning just how Wood began the first. Young, on the sixth pitch of his at-bat, turned on a cutter and deposited it into the left field seats for his 7th homer already on the season, just an incredible start to the season for him from a power perspective. Later in the inning it was Wood who ignited a two-out rally with a single, and Garcia cashed in, getting a center-cut changeup and shooting it out to right field for the Nationals’ fourth homer already in the game, and extending the lead to 6-0.

The Guardians did get one against Poulin in the bottom of the second, as Rhys Hoskins led off the frame with a solo shot to make it 6-1. Poulin would finish the job though, completing his two innings without any further damage done.

For the third consecutive inning to begin this game, the leadoff hitter for the Nats went yard again in the top of the third. It was CJ Abrams‘ turn this time, collecting his 12th big fly of the season to lead off the third inning and get that run right back for his pitching staff. Bibee would finish off the third inning without allowing any more, but that would be the end of his night, getting the Guardians just nine outs in game one of this series.

• Zack Littell: 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run (1 earned), 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, 106 pitches
• Tanner Bibee: 3 innings, 8 hits, 7 runs (7 earned), 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 61 pitches

The only run Cleveland was able to push across against Zack Littell came in the bottom of the fourth, unfortunately due to everyone’s favorite, the two-out walk. Littell began the inning by striking out the first two batters, before walking Kyle Manzardo, and he paid for it when Angel Martinez followed that up with an RBI double to make it a 7-2 ballgame.

Once again, the Nationals’ offense got that run right back in the fifth as Curtis Mead hit his second home run of the night, extending the lead to 8-2, and for the second time this week, the Nationals made a mockery of one of my previous opinions. This offseason, I was very upset with our front office for not signing Rhys Hoskins, the now-Guardians’ first baseman in free agency. While he doesn’t technically play first base, Curtis Mead appears to be the “guy we got instead,” and he’s been a much better alternative.

• Curtis Mead: .241 BA, 7 home runs, 20 RBIs, .353 OBP, .844 OPS
• Rhys Hoskins: .190 BA, 5 home runs, 20 RBIs, .338 OBP, .726 OPS

The last noise of the night for either offense came in the top of the sixth with a little bit of two-out offense, as Luis Garcia Jr. came up huge with a two-run single off of lefty Logan Allen. That pushed the lead to 10-2, and that’s where our score would stay all the way to the finish line.

The game was firmly in control as the offense wrapped up their big night, but Zack Littell didn’t hear a bell. Through the middle innings, he really settled in, retiring nine in a row at one point. In fact, after that RBI double in the fourth inning by Martinez, not a single Cleveland baserunner made it safely to second base again the rest of the night. This is exactly the kind of clinic we’ve been waiting for from Littell, and a great sign as he’s been trending better and better recently.

It’s not just Littell who’s been performing better, the rotation as a whole has been nails lately for the Nationals, a huge boost throughout this hot stretch. Particularly, this last trip through the rotation was absolutely lethal, look at each starter’s last start:

• Zack Littell: 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
• Foster Griffin: 6 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
• Jake Irvin: 5 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
• Miles Mikolas: 5 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
• Cade Cavalli: 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts
• All Combined: 30 innings, 15 hits, 3 runs (0.90 ERA), 6 walks, 32 strikeouts

Littell cruised his way through the late innings without stress, and notably, pushed his pitch count above triple digits to 106. That’s a count that we haven’t seen much at all from Nats’ starters this season, as Blake Butera allowed Zack to give his tired bullpen a much-needed day of rest.

❝Ultimately, the record doesn’t really matter until the end of the year, but at the end of the day, having games like this — the way we are playing lately, keep stacking good game after good game. Look up a couple months down the road and see where we are at. At the end of the day, just happy with the win, and the way we’re playing.❞

— said manager Blake Butera on going over .500

What’s Next?

As much as I love sitting here with a winning record, that experience will be very short-lived if the Nats can’t get a win tomorrow night. The boys will try to keep the good times rolling with another 6:10 start time tomorrow. They’ll be opposed by a breakout left-hander, Joey Cantillo (4-1, 3.05 ERA), who is having some consistent success in a starting role this season for the first time in his career. The Nationals will counter with their ace who’s finally starting to pitch like one, Cade Cavalli (2-3, 3.86 ERA). Cavalli is coming off of a seven-inning effort against the Mets, the latest in a string of what’s been some greatly improved outings from him.

Down on the Farm

AAA Rochester

• 8-5 win tonight versus Syracuse
• Andry Lara: 6 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts (5.12 ERA)
• Cole Henry (rehab assignment): 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
• YoYo Morales: 2-5, RBI (.355 BA, 1.018 OPS)
• Abi Ortiz: 2-5, double, home run (8), 4 RBIs (.239 BA, .837 OPS) Walk-Off HR
• Seaver King: 2-4, home run (1), 2 RBIs (.391 BA, 1.140 OPS)
• Trey Lipscomb: 2-4, home run (9), RBI (.240 BA, .768 OPS)
• Tres Barrera: 2-4 (.250 BA, .637 OPS)
• Tomorrow: Off-day

AA Harrisburg

• No game today
• Tomorrow: 12:00 game at Reading (Starter TBA)

High-A Wilmington

• No game today
• Tomorrow: 6:40 game at Brooklyn (Starter TBA)

Low-A Fredericksburg

• No game today
• Tomorrow: 7:05 game at Delmarva (Liam Sullivan pitching)