Nationals Slip Further, Offense Shines

On April 16th, Washington Nationals slipped further from 500 again, dropping their second

shutout lost this week to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That puts them at 8 wins and 10 losses early in the season, after starting strong with

three of their first four victories.

Pitching remains the big headache, with starters like Miles Mikolas and Jackson Rutledge posting

double-digit ERAs in limited action.

Reliever Andre Grenillo's given up runs in most outings too, though yesterday's staff

settled in after a rough first inning.

On the flip side, the offense is firing on all cylinders thanks to CJ Abrams and James

Wood.

Abrams leads with six home runs and tops team stats, while Wood earned nationally player

of the week with three homers and slick defense.

In Wednesday's game, Jake Irvin and Brad Lorde limited the Pirates to just two more hits

after early damage, but the bats went quiet in the shutout.

Defeat.

The one last shot to split the series, Thursday at 12.35 p.m. Eastern, with Foster Griffin starting

his fourth game.

Still hovering at 28th in ESPN power rankings, but those young stars keep hope alive for a turn

around.

You've been listening to Washington Nationals News today, AI Power Team Coverage.