Washington Nationals Gear Up for NL East Showdown with Atlanta Braves

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - APRIL 18, 2026: Victor Estevez #7 congratulates James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park on April 18, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. The Giants beat the Nationals, 7-6 in 12 innings. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images The Nats were able to salvage their weekend series against the San Francisco Giants with a 3-0 win on Sunday, and now they’re slated to play host to the red-hot Atlanta Braves.

Zack Littell gave up 6 runs in the 2nd inning of Game 1 to essentially put the game out of reach, as Daylen Lile and James Wood’s homers were only able to cut the deficit to 5. Game 2 was an extra-inning heartbreaker, as the Nats wasted walk-off chances in the 10th and 11th innings after tying the game in the 9th before relinquishing the deciding run in the 12th. Bulk outings from Miles Mikolas and Andrew Alvarez blanked San Francisco in the final game of the series, with a Keibert Ruiz RBI double and a 2-run Joey Wiemer blast more than enough to secure the victory.

Atlanta comes to the nation’s capital as winners of 8 of their last 10 games, with a sweep of the division rival Philadelphia Phillies extending their lead in the NL East. Getting to the Braves’ pitching staff has been far from easy for teams to do, and the Nats are next in line, looking to bring themselves closer to the division lead. Monday – 6:45 PM EST ATL: RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.

77 ERA) WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6. 16 ERA) It had been a rough go for Elder the past 2 seasons after he broke onto the scene in 2022 and then posted respectable numbers as a 12-game winner in 2023. Through 4 starts in 2025, however, it’s been a completely different story.