Nats Journal

It’s going to be an absolutely scorching hot weekend here in the DMV, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees and heat indexes reaching 110, and the conditions at Nationals Park are not going to be particularly pleasant for players or fans. If you’ve got tickets, please take precautions, stay hydrated and take advantage of the cooling centers the Nats are providing everyone.

Photo by Grace Navarro / ALL-PRO REELS Another month in this unexpected baseball season has passed, and it might have been the Nationals’ most-dramatic month yet. They actually finished June with a losing record (13-14) but four of those losses came via blown leads in the ninth inning, so they easily could’ve been 17-10. As has been the case throughout the season, All-Pro Reels has been providing outstanding photography from all home games and even a few road series as well.

Major League Baseball has suspended Cade Cavalli and Willson Contreras seven games, Miles Mikolas five games and Nate Eaton three games for their roles in Tuesday night’s brawl between the Nationals and Red Sox at Fenway Park. The league handed down the punishments late this afternoon after reviewing the incident, determining Cavalli and Contreras were both responsible for the fracas that took place while also flagging Mikolas and Eaton for their role in the brawl itself.

The Nats took the series in Boston with a 10-2 thrashing of the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon. Mark (From Fenway Park) & Al dig into the victory that puts Washington at two games over .500 entering the upcoming homestand. (05:30) The offense scored double digits despite CJ Abrams getting the day off. Washington jumped out early on Boston starter Payton Tolle, who ended up being charged with six runs allowed. (07:00) James Wood homered for the 22nd time to make it 10-0 in the top of the 7th.

Photo by Grace Navarro / ALL-PRO REELS BOSTON – The season is 54 percent complete, and the Nationals still have used only 15 position players, fewest in the majors. It’s a testament both to their good injury fortunes and their well-rounded offensive production that they haven’t needed to make more than a couple of roster changes in more than three months. And it’s a reminder that the most productive lineup in baseball doesn’t just rely on its two biggest stars.

Photo by Tessa Sumagui / ALL-PRO REELS BOSTON – And after all that … the Nationals won another road series in convincing fashion. On the heels of Tuesday night’s benches-clearing brawl, the Nats ran roughshod this afternoon at Fenway Park, getting homers from Andrés Chaparro, Nasim Nuñez and James Wood to take two of three from the Red Sox and earn their seventh win in their last eight road series. They wound up outscoring Boston, 18-2, after Tuesday’s fourth-inning incident.

BOSTON – After an emotionally charged night, the Nationals and Red Sox are right back at it for their series finale on a scorching hot afternoon. Will there be any carryover from Tuesday’s brawl? You wouldn’t think so, but never assume anything in this sport. Also, please scroll down below the lineups for new comments this morning from Paul Toboni and Cade Cavalli about Tuesday night’s events.

The Nats beat the Red Sox 8-1 on Tuesday night in a game that will be best be remembered for a bench clearing brawl. Mark (From Fenway Park) & Al hold an extended discussion about what happened in the bottom of the 4th in Boston. Cade Cavalli struck out Willson Contreras and then after some verbal exchanges, both teams ran onto the field. Contreras was ejected, but not Cavalli. (05:30) Cavalli was every bit the Ace in the win as he struck out 13 Red Sox hitters and lasted seven innings.

Photo by Billy Sabatini / ALL-PRO REELS BOSTON – At the conclusion of an emotionally charged ballgame, it was Miles Mikolas of all people who best summed up Cade Cavalli’s evening. “Incredible,” the veteran right-hander said of his Nationals rotation mate. “I really hope that this little kerfuffle, skirmish, donnybrook, whatever they’re calling it … I hope that doesn’t take away at all from what he did on the mound today. He had an incredible game.

BOSTON – Cade Cavalli set off Willson Contreras. Then he proceeded to set down everybody else in the Red Sox lineup. In an emotional game that included a full-fledged, benches-clearing brawl after Cavalli struck out Contreras in the bottom of the fourth, the Nationals’ young ace ultimately stole the show with the best start of his career: seven innings of one-hit, 13-strikeout ball at Fenway Park.