Instead of outslugging the Braves, it was the Nats’ starting pitching that made the difference, as they shut out Atlanta over the three-games series.

For all we know, this might not be sustainable. There have been nights when this lineup has failed to bring home runners (19 left on base Monday night against the Mets) and the pitching staff is one or two injuries away from being underwater. Jake Irvin is on the injured list with shoulder tightness.

But as pools across the D.C. area begin to open, the Nationals are giving fans a reason to watch.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta (36-18) dropped two of three against the Nats over the weekend, with their best pitcher, Chris Sale (7-3, 1.89 ERA), not scheduled to start the series. Washington (27-27) is a half-game ahead of Philadelphia (26-27) for second place after the Phillies dropped four of six at home to Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Miami (25-29) swept the New York Mets (22-31) to maintain its stranglehold on fourth place, winning the series finale on a walk-off grand slam by Heriberto Hernández in a 4-0 win. The Mets’ consolation is that Juan Soto is beginning to heat up, with seven of his 10 homers and 13 of his 21 RBI coming this month.

O’s Woes: The Birds (23-30) bounced back from getting swept by first-place Tampa Bay by taking two of three from AL Central cellar-dweller Detroit, but they open this week by hosting the Rays.

Diamond King: CJ Abrams homered twice while driving in seven. His 45 RBI are tied for the most in the majors and sit just 20 shy of his career high, with two-thirds of the season remaining.

Last Week’s Heroes: James Wood hit .333 with a homer and five RBI while scoring six runs. Keibert Ruiz hit .357, while Dylan Crews hit his first home run after returning to the majors.

Jake Irvin struck out 13 over nine innings in his two starts before going on the injured list with shoulder tightness. Foster Griffin went 2-0 with 11 strikeouts over 11 innings, while Richard Lovelady tallied two saves.

Last Week’s Humbled: Paxton Schultz allowed six runs while getting three outs and Mitchell Parker surrendered three runs over four frames. Drew Millas hit .182, while José Tena batted .125 and Luis Garcia Jr. went .105 at the plate.

Game to Watch: Saturday, the Nats host San Diego as Foster Griffin (6-2, 3.63 ERA) looks to continue his strong start in D.C. The Padres counter with Michael King (4-2, 2.31 ERA).

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Friday night’s “Bad Day to be a Hot Dog” event featured commemorative hats for fans, and “hot dog fries” at the concession stands that were exactly what they sound like.

On the field, the Nats took two of three from the Orioles thanks to solid pitching and an offense that continues to hum. They currently lead MLB with 255 runs scored.

Despite Sunday’s 7-3 defeat, where they allowed three home runs and stranded 10 base runners, this is a team that’s getting better — with 12 wins in their last 20 games — and has plenty of possibilities this year.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta (32-15) hasn’t wrapped up the NL East yet, but they continue to cruise. Their series win over Boston over the weekend was their 13th in 15 series this year. Philadelphia (24-23) has won 15 of 19 under interim manager Don Mattingly to move over .500, with Kyle Schwarber on a serious tear (.309 with 11 homers and 19 RBI).

Washington (23-24) is 4.5 games out of the third wild card in the National League, while Miami (21-26) lost its battle of the Sunshine State by getting outscored 18-15 while losing two of three to Tampa Bay. The New York Mets (20-26) took two of three from the cross-town New York Yankees, making their last-place season a little more bearable.

O’s Woes: The Birds (21-26) stayed out of last place in the AL East by taking two of three from the New York Yankees before dropping two of three in Washington. Brace yourselves, because they play six of their next nine games against AL East-leading Tampa Bay.

Diamond King: Daylen Lile enjoyed “friends and family week” in Cincinnati (100 miles from his Louisville hometown) by hitting three homers against the Reds. He wound up batting .385 with four homers and 10 RBI for the week, looking as sharp as he has since last September when he was named the NL Player of the Month. Paxton Schultz and Mitchell Parker each tossed three scoreless innings of relief.

Last Week’s Heroes: Keibert Ruiz hit .375 with eight RBI while Luis Garcia Jr. batted .364 with two homers. Zack Littell tossed five scoreless innings in his start, while Cade Cavalli struck out eight over 6.1 frames.

Last Week’s Humbled: Foster Griffin endured his worst start in an otherwise solid season, coughing up nine runs over 4.1 innings. Jake Irvin allowed five runs over three frames. José Tena hit 1-13 while Nasim Nuñez batted 1-16. Joey Wiemer struggled at the plate (batting .143) while allowing four runs in relief of Thursday’s 15-1 loss at Cincinnati.

Game to Watch: On Sunday, the Nationals wrap up their series in Atlanta with Foster Griffin on the mound facing rookie JR Ritchie, who’s off to a solid start in his first major league season.

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The Washington Nationals lead the MLB with 39 errors and 33 unearned runs. The left side of the infield has been the culprit this year, with shortstop CJ Abrams making a team-high seven errors, while third baseman Brady House has six miscues.

But there is promise: Thursday’s 7-5 win over Minnesota saw the Nats execute a 9-4-5-2-6 rundown to end a scoring threat in the third inning, one frame after Jacob Young’s throw to the plate prevented what would have been a third Twins run in the inning.

“To see us be able to execute a play like that and have our heads up to find out where the runner is, and execute the throw, execute the rundown and ultimately get the out, which was a huge out. Also, JY’s perfect throw home earlier in the game that nailed a runner, all those little things. They matter so much,” manager Blake Butera said. “Those are two huge runs — we end up winning by two. Those little things matter — they stack up.”

The Nats took a step back over the weekend, with five more errors resulting in two unearned runs at Miami.

“Looking for glove in all the wrong places,” indeed.

Digesting the division: Atlanta (28-13) faced a potential playoff preview over the weekend, taking two of three from the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves pitchers held the high-octane Dodgers to seven runs over three games.

There’s a three-way tie for second at 19-22. How long does the “fired manager bounce” remain for Philadelphia? After winning eight of nine under interim skipper Don Mattingly, the Phillies have dropped three of five. Miami, after taking two of three from the Nats, improves to 8-5 in one-run games while Washington laments a lost opportunity to move over .500.

The New York Mets (15-25) misery continues with this intriguing stat: Bo Bichette and Mark Vientos lead the team with 16 RBI apiece while Aaron Judge paces the New York Yankees with 16 … home runs.

O’s woes: There was no way the Birds were going to beat the Yankees on the night following the passing of former longtime announcer John Sterling. Sunday’s win over the Athletics keeps Baltimore out of last place by a half game. But they now have to face the very team they were outscored by 39-10 during a four-game sweep to start the month. And the New York Yankees come to Camden Yards somewhat irate after being swept by Milwaukee.

Diamond kings: The catching combination of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas combined to hit .167 in April. But both have begun May in a different manner, with Millas belting a two-run homer against Minnesota on Wednesday and Ruiz going 3-4 with four RBI in Thursday’s win. And while their value remains from a defensive standpoint, it’s nice to see both having success at the plate.

Last week’s heroes: Abrams drove in a team-high nine runs and Jose Tena hit .357 while tying James Wood with a team-high five runs scored. Wood batted .318 with a homer and four RBI. Foster Griffin improved to 4-1 on the season by striking out nine over seven innings of one-run ball at Miami while PJ Poulin tallied a win and a save.

Last week’s humbled: Andre Granillo allowed four runs over two innings while Mitchell Parker coughed up five runs over 3.2 frames. Jorbit Vivas and Nasim Nuñez each hit .125 while Joey Wiemer went 0-3 at the plate and got caught in a rundown as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning of a one-run loss.

Game to watch: The Orioles drop by D.C. this weekend and Saturday’s game has Cade Cavalli on the mound facing Chris Bassitt (who averaged 12 wins with a 3.89 ERA for Toronto the last three seasons). It’s a 4:05 p.m. start and Golden Tempo pulling out of the Preakness downgrades that race considerably. Enjoy a Black-Eyed Susan at the ballpark.

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One month into the season, the Nats still have not won a home series and own a major league-worst 4-12 record at Nationals Park.

Thank goodness they’re one of the better road teams in baseball. At 12-7 away from home, Washington has stayed afloat and out of an early hole that could have made this season feel lost before Memorial Day.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta (25-10) remains the lone NL East team with a winning record nearly a quarter of the way through the season, though the Braves may be without outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. as he undergoes an MRI on his hamstring.

Miami (16-18) dropped two of three to Philadelphia to stay under .500, while Washington (16-19) remains in third place.

Philadelphia (14-20) has won five of six since firing manager Rob Thomson, with Don Mattingly now trying to recapture the interim magic that helped push the Phillies to the World Series in 2022.

The New York Mets (12-22) won two of three against the Angels. Mark Vientos homered twice Sunday and shares the team lead with four.

O’s Woes: Baltimore (15-19) lost 3 straight to the AL East-leading Yankees, getting outscored 27-9 over the weekend. The series ends Monday night. One of the few bright spots this year: Jeremiah Jackson’s 24 RBIs, already surpassing his rookie total from last season.

Diamond King: CJ Abrams hit .429 with a home run and a team-high 7 RBIs. Through 34 games, the shortstop has driven in 27 runs. A 128-RBI pace is ambitious, but eclipsing his career high of 65 looks well within reach by Labor Day.

Last Week’s Heroes: Curtis Mead hit .357 with a team-high five runs, while Nasim Nuñez also batted .357. Cade Cavalli matched his career high with 10 strikeouts, and Andre Granillo and P.J. Poulin each tossed three scoreless relief innings.

Last Week’s Humbled: Zack Littell allowed five runs over 7 1/3 innings, while Miles Mikolas gave up three runs over four innings. James Young hit .182, and Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas combined to go 3-19 at the plate.

Game to Watch: The Nationals host Minnesota on Tuesday with Cade Cavalli on the mound. The Twins counter with Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.85 ERA). Can Cavalli keep his encouraging start going?

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First, the race will be held at Laurel Park due to Pimlico Race Course renovations. Second, this might be the last time the Preakness will be held on the third Saturday of May.

Sports Business Journal reported April 13 that the race could be moved back one week to allow for horses to recover fully from their Derby run, something that kept Sovereignty out of the Preakness last May and thus eliminating any Triple Crown talk before it even had a chance to begin.

The current format of three races in five weeks has been in place for over half a century.

“Basically etched in stone in 1969, and that was in an era when horses would run every two weeks with no issue,” said Barry Abrams, host of “The Far Turn” on the EQUUS TV Network. “But that’s not how it’s done any more. More time between races is absolutely what every trainer wants, and two weeks from the Derby to the Preakness is an anachronism. And the next media rights-holder is going to put an end to that.”

NBC has broadcast the race since 2002 and its contract ends this year. The network (which also airs the Derby) is still in the mix, as is FOX (which broadcasts the Belmont Stakes). But don’t discount ABC/ESPN, the network that aired the Preakness from 1977 to 2001.

The date isn’t the only wind of change surrounding the Preakness. Churchill Downs Incorporated said it has entered into an agreement to acquire the intellectual property for the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Churchill Downs Incorporated previously purchased Calder Race Course in Miami and Arlington International Racecourse in Illinois before shuttering both tracks.

Abrams told ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ not to expect anything in the near future, but he wouldn’t be surprised if 20 years from now the Preakness is moved to a track Churchill Downs owns in, say, Richmond, Virginia.

But let’s refocus on this year’s races.

Renegade is the favorite this year at 5-1 odds (as of Thursday morning), but they’ll be starting from the No. 1 post position — a spot that hasn’t yielded a Derby winner since Ferdinand in 1986.

“It’s obviously not good. When you have a field of 20, which is the only race in North America that has a field that large, when you go from the rail, you really run the risk of being boxed in by the field up against the fence,” Abrams said. “If anybody can figure out a way to work a trip out for him it’s Irad Ortiz Jr., but he’s got to balance between using enough energy to make sure he doesn’t get swarmed but saving enough energy for the end of the race.”

Legendary trainer Bob Baffert has seen six of his horses take the Derby, including Triple Crown winners American Pharaoh in 2015 and Justify in 2018. This year he has two, and Potente has drawn significant attention at around 26-1 odds.

“I think this horse has a real chance to win. His numbers have gotten better every time, he’s won after being up near the early lead and he’s won while being not near the early lead,” Abrams said. “The problem is because he’s going from the 14 in so much traffic, he just may not get the right trip. He may get bounced around.”

Also getting Barry’s eye are the horses starting from the No. 8 and 9 posts, So Happy (6-1) and The Puma (7-1).

“The Puma has danced a lot of dances and is very consistent,” Abrams said. “He won the Tampa Bay Derby and was competitive in his other starts in Florida against really good horses like Commandment.”

Meanwhile, So Happy gives hope to those who subscribe to the “bounce” pattern of a thoroughbred.

“This horse won the Santa Anita Derby going away, while the race before that, he didn’t run well. And two starts before, he did,” Abrams said. “Has he gotten that bounce out of the way and therefore is sitting on a big race?”

Regardless of which horse finishes first, the winning pick remains a straw boater hat, madras jacket, white pants and blue Sperry shoes for men, and a fascinator for the women — plus plenty of sunscreen.

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They finished the run with a flourish, winning back-to-back extra‑inning games in Chicago against the White Sox to take the series from the Pale Hose and improve to 10-6 on the road.

A winning record in April may no longer be in the cards, but a scrappy club that can hit, second in the majors in runs scored, is off to a better‑than‑expected start under first‑year manager Blake Butera.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta (20-9) currently leads the majors in runs scored and ranks second in team ERA. The Braves star Washington never wants to see again is center fielder Michael Harris II, who went 7 for 16 with two home runs and seven RBIs during last week’s series in D.C.

Miami (13-15) ranks fourth in team batting average, led by the strong start of Xavier Edwards, who is hitting .343.

Washington sits in third place, followed by two early-season disappointments. While the New York Mets (9-18) shook off a 12-game losing streak, they also lost Francisco Lindor to a calf injury expected to sideline him for at least three weeks.

Philadelphia (9-19) ranks 28th in runs scored despite having Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber at the top of the lineup. Talk about the whole being less than the sum of its parts.

O’s Woes: Baltimore’s roller coaster season continued with a wild weekend against Boston. The Orioles (13-15) ran out of pyrotechnics Friday night when they hit six home runs in a 10-3 win, only to lose 17-1 the next day. The Red Sox then fired manager Alex Cora and his coaching staff before taking the series finale 5-3.

The softer portion of Baltimore’s schedule continues with a series against Houston before the Orioles run into the AL East-leading New York Yankees. Buckle up.

Diamond King: Nasim Nuñez drove in four runs Saturday to help lift the Nats past the White Sox in extra innings. The infielder also stole five bases during the series, becoming a demon on the base paths. His insertion into the lineup has allowed Luis García Jr. to slide over to first base, filling what was a major vacuum at times last season.

Last Week’s Heroes: García Jr. hit .348, James Wood belted a team-high three home runs, and Daylen Lile drove in a team-best six runs. Foster Griffin struck out 11 over 13 innings while allowing three earned runs across his two starts. Cade Cavalli struck out a career-high 10 in his lone outing of the week, and Jake Irvin allowed just three runs over 10 2/3 innings.

Last Week’s Humbled: Zack Littell’s nightmare 2026 continued when he allowed six runs over six innings, while reliever Cionel Pérez coughed up four runs over 2 1/3 frames. CJ Abrams went 2-for-22 at the plate, and the catching combo of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas combined to go 2-for-23.

Game to Watch: Jake Irvin takes the ball Friday for the Nats, coming off his best start of the season. Visiting Milwaukee counters with Jacob Misiorowski, who leads the Brewers in ERA at 3.38 and strikeouts with 51. Milwaukee won the NL Central last year but sits at 14-13 and in fourth place in the majors’ best division, which carries a combined .572 winning percentage.

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Washington used an opener in PJ Poulin, who delivered two-thirds of a scoreless inning before handing things off to Mikolas and Andrew Alvarez. Mikolas struck out four over four innings, while Alvarez added five strikeouts across 4 1/3 innings, as the Nationals shut out the Giants 3-0 to avoid the sweep.

The opener concept is hardly new, often used by teams such as Tampa Bay, where manager Blake Butera previously worked in the front office.

The last time the Nationals used an opener was in the 2019 season, but one of the innovations set in motion by Butera this year has been a modernized pitching setup designed to better maximize the back end of the rotation. The approach mirrors other lineup adjustments, including batting power hitter James Wood at the top of the order.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta improved to 15-7 and took a five-game lead in the National League East after sweeping Philadelphia over the weekend. Austin Riley homered twice and drove in six runs during the series.

Miami, at 10-12, is tied with Washington for second place. The Marlins’ pitching staff has held opponents to the third-lowest batting average in the majors, but once runners reach base, they have often scored. Miami’s team ERA ranks 18th.

Philadelphia fell to 8-13 and has lost four straight series. Against Atlanta, the Phillies left 22 runners on base and went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

The New York Mets have dropped to last place at 7-15, fueled by an 11-game losing streak in which they have been outscored 62-19.

O’s Woes: Baltimore, at 10-2, slipped from a tie atop the American League East to third place after losing five of seven games. The Orioles benefited early from a soft schedule, not facing a team with a winning 2025 record until last weekend, when they dropped three of four games in Cleveland. The road trip continues in Kansas City before Boston visits Baltimore this Friday.

Diamond King: C.J. Abrams has been primarily a leadoff hitter in his time with Washington, but his move to the middle of the lineup this year has paid major early dividends. Last week, the shortstop hit .318 with two home runs and three RBI.

Last Week’s Heroes: James Wood scored a team-high six runs, while Jose Tena heated up at the plate, hitting .545. Jake Irvin allowed two runs over five innings, and Gus Varland and Orlando Ribalta each notched saves.

Last Week’s Humbled: Zack Littell had two rough starts, allowing 11 runs over nine innings (no math needed for his ERA). Jackson Rutledge surrendered seven runs in just 1 1/3 innings (47.25 ERA), while Cade Cavalli allowed five runs over 5 1/3 innings. Curtis Mead hit .105 at the plate, while Jacob Young batted .182.

Game to Watch: The Nationals host National League East-leading Atlanta on Tuesday. Chris Sale already posted four wins for the Braves, but Blake Elder owns the best ERA in the rotation at 0.77. Washington counters with Foster Griffin, who is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA.

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This year, barring trades, Washington will have six selections.

What kind of players are available at those picks (7, 71, 147, 187, 209, and 223)? Below is a look at the “best” and “bust” picks since 2016, as well as who Washington has taken there. For anyone wondering, the streak of not picking at Nos.14, 42, 57, 63 and 77 continues.

First Round (7)

Washington has done well when armed with a top 10 pick over the years, most recently selecting face of the franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. An offensive lineman has been taken at this spot in four of the last five years.

Last Year: The New York Jets selected Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou, who started all 17 games last season. For a franchise that makes many it was a strong result.

Best: Josh Allen was taken by Buffalo in 2018. The former Wyoming quarterback was instrumental into turning the Bills into a contender this decade, making four Pro Bowls and capturing MVP honors during the 2024 season.

Bust: Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson was chosen by Las Vegas in 2023. While he has played in 50 games, he has made only seven starts while producing 12 sacks over three seasons.

Burgundy and Gold: Washington has picked seventh three times, selecting Baylor back Larry Isbell (never played for the team) in 1952, Wisconsin tight end Pat Richter in 1963 (99 catches over eight seasons where he mostly backed up Pro Bowler Jerry Smith) and Georgia defensive back Champ Bailey.

Unfortunately, Bailey’s best days as a Hall of Famer were in Denver after being traded for running back Clinton Portis.

Third Round (71)

Washington didn’t have a third-round pick last year, but Peters found a starter in the 2024 third round with offensive lineman Brandon Coleman.

Last Year: New Orleans took Texas defensive tackle Vernon Broughton, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2.

Best: California defensive tackle Nnamdi (formerly Justin) Madubuike was picked by Baltimore in 2020 and he’s made two Pro Bowls while earning second-team All-Pro honors once.

Bust: In 2021, the New York Giants selected UCF defensive back Aaron Robinson, who made four starts over eleven games before making his last regular-season appearance in 2022.

Burgundy and Gold: Three picks with Tulane end Art Porter in 1945, never playing a down in the NFL. Missouri guard Gene Pepper in 1950, was a two-year starter and UCF linebacker Rick Hamilton appeared in 34 games over his four-year tenure with the team.

Fifth Round (147)

Just one choice in two years, with Washington safety Dominique Hampton playing one game in 2024 before being signed to Chicago’s practice squad in 2025.

Last Year: Oregon running back Jordan James was chosen by San Francisco. The former Duck played in three games for the Niners as a rookie.

Best: Seattle picked Maryland defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson in 2016 and he became a starter in two of his four years with the Seahawks before leaving via free agency to play for four other teams in his ten-year career.

Bust: Vosean Joseph was taken by Buffalo in 2019 and the former Florida linebacker dealt with injuries before being waived a year later while never appearing in a regular-season game for the Bills.

Burgundy and Gold: Very thin here, with neither Western Michigan tight end Allen Schau (1963) nor Nebraska offensive tackle Mark Doak (1975) ever appearing in a regular-season game for Washington.

Sixth Round (187)

Under Peters, Washington has just one sixth-rounder: UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano, who played in nine games as a rookie last fall.

Last Year: Houston picked Penn State safety Jaylen Reed, who tallied a fumble recovery while making one start in seven games.

Best: In a field that includes names like Michael Tyson (Seattle, 2017) and Ray-Ray McCloud (Buffalo, 2018), Michigan wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was taken by Cleveland in 2020. The ex-Wolverine made 61 catches in 2022 but has dealt with injuries in the last few seasons.

Bust: In 2021, Atlanta chose Arizona State wideout Frank Darby, who posted just a pair of receptions while playing in 16 games over three years before washing out of the league.

Burgundy and Gold: Four players have combined to appear in 28 games for Washington. Illinois guard Marv Bershet (1952) started one season in D.C., Houston guard Melvin Jones (1980) played 11 games while departing right before the first Gibbs Super Bowl season, Ohio State wide receiver Evan Spencer (2015) played just one game in his lone season here and Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld (2016) would find his way onto rosters in Philadelphia and Detroit.

Sixth Round (209)

Washington has had a range of successes and failures recently in this round, from finding starting center Chase Roullier in 2017 to landing failed long-snapper Camaron Cheeseman in 2021.

Last Year: Philadelphia took Virginia Tech defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland. After being released, the former Hokie was signed by Cincinnati.

Best: Stanford kicker Joshua Karty was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in 2024 and has made 29 of 34 field goals, including 6-7 from 50+ yards.

Bust: Green Bay chose Indiana tackle Simon Stepaniak in 2020, and he spent his rookie season on the nonfootball injury list before being released the following year.

Burgundy and Gold: Four selections that include a Super Bowl quarterback. Only California’s Joe Kapp (1959) signed with the CFL and played for Calgary and BC before returning stateside to Minnesota, leading the Vikings to Super Bowl IV.

Neither Syracuse back Roger Robinson (1946) nor Texas Tech back Jim Turner (1953) played a down in the NFL, while Georgia State wide receiver Robert Davis (2017) played in seven games over three seasons while making a pair of receptions in Washington.

Seventh Round (223)

Don’t tell Washington there’s no value to be found this late, as just last year they chose Bill Croskey-Merritt 245th overall and the Arizona product led the team in rushing. There’s something about hyphens in this round under Peters, as in 2024 Notre Dame defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste was the selection (injuries limiting him to one start and 15 games played over two seasons).

Last Year: Seattle selected Miami running back Damien Martinez, who spent 2025 on Green Bay’s practice squad.

Best: Division II Wingate punter Ethan Evans was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, and the Rams make another late-round special teams pick matter. Evans has averaged 47.3 yards per punt over the last three years while also handling kickoffs.

Bust: Steve Tuikolovato was Tampa Bay’s pick in 2017 and the USC nose tackle spent three years on injured reserve before washing out of the league.

Burgundy and Gold: Three players who never saw a regular season down in the NFL. UCLA back Joe Marvin (1952), Gardner-Webb defensive tackle Ralph Warthen (1982) and Missouri defensive back Jeff Smith (1984) each providing minimal impact.

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Unfortunately, a pair of April losses, in which they allowed seven goals in New Jersey and eight goals at the New York Rangers, proved to be just enough to keep the Caps out of the postseason for just the third time in 19 seasons.

Philadelphia’s win Monday night eliminated Washington and set what could be a pivotal offseason in motion. Does Alex Ovechkin come back for a 22nd campaign? And do the Capitals make any other major moves like the one in 2017 that brought T.J. Oshie to D.C.? Thirty-two players appeared in a regular season game for Washington this past winter, and two of the veterans who were 30 years or older (John Carlson and Nic Dowd) are already gone.

Record: 43-30-9 and in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Caps finished three points behind Philadelphia after going 2-2 against the Flyers (while getting outscored 13-12) during the season. The Caps were two points behind Ottawa for the second wild card after going 1-2 against the Senators (getting outscored 12-8). Little did we know that Fabian Zetterlund’s goal with 2:22 left in regulation on Jan. 1 would eventually prove to be the difference of playing in April or packing up early.

Rankings: The Capitals finished with the 15th most goals per game in the NHL at 3.18. The team ranked ninth in goals against (2.90), while the power play (17.8%) ranked 25th and the penalty kill (80.1) finished 14th.

Iceman of the month: Tom Wilson tallied three goals with five assists to lead the team with eight points in April. On a team whose players mostly failed to match career highs set last season, Wilson’s 30 goals with 32 assists is only three goals and three points shy of the total he posted last winter.

Hot sticks and cold pads: Connor McMichael scored four goals with three assists while Ryan Leonard tallied four goals and two assists. Cole Hutson had two goals with three assists, while the rookie and Martin Fehérváry each posted five points in April. Logan Thompson went 4-1 with a goals-against average of 2.22 and a saves percentage of .912.

Ovi odometer: Alex Ovechkin wraps up the season with one goal and four assists in April to give the captain 32 goals and 32 assists for the season, the first time since 2007 he finished a season with the same number of goals and assists. In his 21-year career, Ovechkin’s had more goals 14 times and more assists five times (2010-11 saw him post 32 goals with 53 assists in the most non-Ovi season ever).

He played all 82 games of the season for the first time since 2018 while averaging the lowest average time on ice (17:27) of his career. The tally gives Ovechkin 929 goals for his career. The question of course is will that become the number (like 892 and 801 before it) that players will be shooting for in the future.

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So far this season, they’ve exceeded expectations at the plate, ranking third in the majors in runs scored after finishing 20th in that category last year. Now, if only they can fix a bullpen that’s sprung plenty of leaks this season.

Digesting the Division: Atlanta (10-6) owns the best run differential in the majors at plus-34 and is enjoying a breakout season spearheaded by Drake Baldwin (five homers and driving in 16-plus runs). Miami (8-8) is coming off a sweep at the hands of Detroit, while getting outscored 16-3. Philadelphia (7-8) is treading water, ranking 26th in runs scored and near the bottom in team ERA.

Washington (7-8) exits the cellar because of the slumping New York Mets (7-9), who’ve dropped consecutive series to Arizona and Sacramento. And yes, I know we’ve been directed to call them “The Athletics,” but they play in Sacramento for now. If MLB wanted it differently, the league should have had a smoother transition for the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Break Up the Birds: Baltimore (8-7) has moved into a tie for first place in the AL East after winning five of six games behind the bat of Gunnar Henderson (four homers). But for those looking forward to the team’s first division game, the waiting continues, as the O’s won’t face an AL East foe until April 24 (Boston).

Diamond King: James Wood has bounced back nicely after a slow start, batting .545 over the past week with three homers and eight RBIs, while scoring a team-high eight runs. And just like he’s found a home in the leadoff spot, Wood is also getting comfortable playing in right field.

Last Week’s Heroes: Curtis Mead hit .375, while CJ Abrams batted .364. They each notched a homer and four RBIs. Foster Griffin threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings in Saturday’s win in Milwaukee, while Paxton Schultz tossed two scoreless innings over two outings, and Cole Beeter tallied his first save of the season.

Last Week’s Humbled: Cole Henry allowed five runs over 2 2/3 innings, while Andre Granillo surrendered two runs over two-thirds of an inning before being sent down to Triple-A Rochester. Joey Wiemer cooled off after his record-tying start, batting .182 while the catching combination of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas went 3-for-16 at the plate.

Game to Watch: On Thursday, the Nats wrap up their series in Pittsburgh, as Foster Griffin looks to continue his sharp start to the season. He’ll be facing Braxton Ashcroft (1-1, 2.12 ERA, 20 strikeouts) who’s pitching well in his second big league season.

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A lot more fun than what we are dealing with this week. Unfortunately a pitching staff that owns an ERA of 6.04 can’t make six run efforts stand against lineups that made the playoffs last season.

The Nats were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the two-time defending World Series champions put 31 runs on the board to negate decent production at the plate by the Nats (17 runs).

From starters coming up short to relievers imploding, it was a rude awakening in D.C. And until the pitching can deliver nine straight solid innings, it’s going to be a long April.

Digesting the Division: Miami (6-3) has taken an early half game lead, thanks in part to the bat of Liam Hicks. The catcher’s three homers and 12 RBI have him well on his way to passing the six and 45 he posted last season as a rookie. Atlanta (6-4) and the New York Mets (6-4) are tied for second after the Braves dropped a pair of one run games over the weekend at Arizona while the Mets outscored San Francisco 24-5 while taking the last three games of their series. Philadelphia (5-4) has won four of five to climb out of the cellar, while Washington (3-6) returns to the place they resided from last June 24 onward.

O’s Woes: Baltimore (3-6) got swept over the weekend by Pittsburgh, with Sunday’s 8-2 loss sparked by former Oriole slugger Ryan O’Hearn’s four RBI. The Birds’ bats have had little trouble finding their way on base (their .337 OBP ranks seventh in MLB) but have had issues getting home (their 32 runs are tied for 19th in the big leagues). This week they face San Francisco and the Chicago White Sox.

Diamond King of the Week: Foster Griffin made a great first impression in his first two starts of the season, striking out 11 while allowing three runs over 10 innings.

Last Week’s Heroes: CJ Abrams hit .333 with three homers and 10 RBI while Luis Garcia Jr. batted .346 with six RBI. Offseason pickup Jorbit Vivas may be wearing the number 84, but the infielder went .455 at the plate. Starter Cade Cavalli allowed one run over six innings in his lone start of the week.

Last Week’s Humbled: Miles Mikolas tossed 15 strikes in 23 pitches over his first two innings against the Dodgers Friday before coughing up 11 runs over his next 2.1 frames, ballooning his ERA to 14.46 on the season. Jake Irvin allowed six runs over four innings in his start, while reliever Cionel Perez allowed five runs over two thirds of an inning in his two outings (67.50 ERA for those scoring at home). The catching combination of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas combined to hit 4-for-23.

Game to Watch: Tuesday the Nats face St. Louis and pitcher Matthew Liberatore who’s posted a 1.64 ERA in his two starts this year. Cavalli has pitched well in both of his regular season outings and this game has the potential for an interesting mound matchup.

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The Washington Capitals 6-4 win over Philadelphia wraps up a 7-4-2 March and keeps them on the outskirts of playoff contention with seven games remaining in the regular season.

Three straight wins to enter the final month delivers cause for confidence, even minus two key cogs who were dealt right before the March 6 trading deadline.

Nic Dowd centered the fourth line spectacularly since his arrival in 2018 while John Carlson was one of those players you thought might be a cradle-to-grave player for this organization like Alex Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom.

While it would have been nice to have the 36-year-old who can still contribute (10 goals and 36 assists this winter) retire a Capital the potential return for an aging team retooling on the fly was too tempting. They’ll have five picks in this year’s NHL Draft plus eight selections in 2027. And eventually Carlson will be back at Capital One Arena to see his number 74 go up in the rafters. But for now, the Caps remain in the race for their playoff lives.

Record: 38-28-9 and in sixth place of the Metropolitan Division. They currently stand four points behind the New York Islanders for third place while they’re three shy of Columbus for the second Wild Card. The Caps wrap up the regular season with the Bluejackets while four of their other remaining six games are against clubs with winning records.

Rankings: Entering April the Caps rank 15th (3.15 goals per game) in scoring and seventh (2.89) in goals against, 25th (17.8%) on the power play and 13th (80.0%) on the penalty kill. Both special teams’ units improved over the last month, but not enough to make a major difference.

Iceman of the Month: Ovechkin tallied seven goals with two assists, including two big goals in a March 31 win over Philadelphia.

Hot Sticks and Cold Pads: Ryan Leonard scored six goals with three assists while Connor McMichael and Jakob Chychrun added two goals with six assists. Trevor van Riemsdyk (zero goals and four assists) led the team in plus/minus for March with a +7. Logan Thompson saw action in 12 of 13 games played last month.

Ovi Odometer: Ovechkin’s seven goals give him 31 for the season and 926 for his career. Adding his 77 playoff goals to the mix and Ovi passed the 1,000 goal when one combines the totals. At his current scoring pace Ovi would finish the season with 34-33-34-35 goals and 929-30-31-32 for his career.

Matchups of the Month: The Capitals wrap up the home portion of their slate Sunday, April 12, when they host Pittsburgh. Will this be the last time we’ll see Ovi and Sidney Crosby together on the ice? And will the Caps still be in contention for what could be Ovechkin’s final home game in Washington?

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The Opening Day 10-4 win gave the team its first winning record since May 10 … of 2024.

And the series victory was the Nats’ first to start a season since 2018.

“There’s still things we can work on and get better, and that’s the fun part of this,” manager Blake Butera said after Sunday’s 6-3 victory. “Our team’s so young, they’re hungry and they’re still learning as we go day in and day out. We can still play better baseball but not take away anything, we’re leaving very happy taking two out of three against this really good team.”

Keep that in mind as they play another really good team this week — Philadelphia — before hosting a really great team — the Los Angeles Dodgers — this weekend.

Digesting the division: Miami (3-0) is the early leader in the NL East thanks to three straight one-run wins over Colorado. The New York Mets and Atlanta are tied for second with the Nationals at 2-1, taking different paths to get there: the Mets averaged six runs against Pittsburgh while the Braves held Kansas City to two runs per game. Philadelphia began the season by dropping two of three to Texas, but the Phillies play 12 straight against clubs with non-winning records in 2025 — starting with Washington.

Break up the birds: The Orioles also began the season by taking two of three games from Minnesota, with Tyler O’Neill’s three-run homer helping them push past the Twins in Sunday’s series finale. Baltimore wades into the season softly, avoiding teams that posted a winning record last year, until April 16 when the Orioles visit Cleveland.

Diamond king: Joey Wiemer is off to a monster start, going 6-6 with two homers and four RBI. How hot does he stay as the season progresses? His career bests for homers and RBI are 13 and 42, set in his rookie season of 2023.

There was initial surprise when Robert Hassell III and then Dylan Crews were sent down to the minors late in Spring Training. Not anymore.

Last week’s heroes: Keibert Ruiz homered while driving in three, while Brady House’s hot Spring Training carried into the first weekend of the season as the third baseman hit .308 with a team high four runs scored. Jake Irvin tossed five scoreless innings to secure the series win Sunday, while Clayton Beeter posted a save in his first appearance of the year.

Last week’s humbled: Andre Granillo had a rough outing Saturday, allowing two runs over two thirds of an inning. Miles Mikolas had a less-than-ideal debut as well, coughing up four runs over five frames. James Wood homered over the weekend but is off to a 1-13 start from the leadoff spot.

Game to watch: On Friday, the Nats play their home opener against the defending two-time World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who began their season by sweeping Arizona despite Shohei Ohtani batting 1-8. Buckle up!

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Welcome to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, as the wheat and chaff were separated over a six-day stretch that began with Howard posting its first win in the Big Dance and ended with the dreaded 9:45 p.m. tipoff that sadly is the price of CBS keeping the tournament with Turner Sports’ help.

And as the dust settles (or perhaps that’s the shreds of the backet you filled out), there’s still plenty to digest.

Best game

Iowa’s takedown of defending national champ Florida takes the prize, though Nebraska’s win over Vanderbilt saw a shot clang out at the buzzer for the Commodores. Or St. John’s buzzer-beating win over Kansas.

Conference call

The Big Ten is the early winner, going 13-3 over the first weekend while sending six schools to the Sweet Sixteen. The SEC has four teams in the Regional Semifinals, while the Big 12 has three, and the Big East has two. The ACC only has overall No. 1 Duke still playing.

Planting seeds

Twelve of the top 16 teams advanced, with each region boasting three of the top four seeds playing this weekend. Twos were wild (going 8-0) while the No. 9s (5-3) were sneaky good. Two teams from the bottom half of the bracket are still playing, and south No. 9 Iowa as well as west No. 11 Texas hardly fit the image of “pesky, small school surviving and advancing.”

Speaking of the annual “Is Cinderella dead?” debate (no mid-majors made the round of 16 for the second straight season), the argument could also be made that the NIL and transfer portal era have also killed — or at least wounded — the game’s blue bloods. For the first time since 1954, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA failed to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

While St. John’s coach Rick Pitino suggested that the new era has evened out the playing field, UConn’s Dan Hurley expanded on the new college hoops reality.

“Tradition, history, it doesn’t mean as much as it did to recruits,” Hurley said. “I think first and foremost right now, it’s about the overall commitment you’re going to make. … You can’t get by on your ‘brand’ anymore and players dreaming of having played there one day.”

That said, Friday’s doubleheader delivers four elite programs to the District. Overall No. 1 seed Duke needs no introduction. UConn was as high as No. 2 nationally, St. John’s began the year No. 5 and Michigan State has been ranked as high as No. 7.

Coaches Pitino, Hurley, Tom Izzo and Jon Scheyer have combined to post 2,025 wins, reach a combined 18 Final Fours and capture five national championships. And that doesn’t include the titles each school won before their current coaches took over.

Get ready for some elite hoops between now and Sunday evening.

Friday’s games

No. 1 Duke (34-2) vs. No. 5 St. John’s (30-6) at 7:10 p.m.

I’m still floored that the Red Storm was the No. 5 seed after winning the Big East regular season and tournament titles. I also remain stunned they’d put St. John’s and UConn in the same region when only three schools from the conference made the tournament.

It’s more than just a battle of big men Cameron Boozer (ACC Player of the Year) and Zuby Ejiofor (Big East Player of the Year): the Blue Devils rank third in the nation in scoring defense and are fifth best in rebounding margin, while the Red Storm ranked 20th in turnover margin.

“Are we good enough to beat Duke? I have no idea,” Red Storm coach Pitino said. “We are very hungry, but what team in the Sweet 16 is not hungry? You’re four games away from a national championship, the dream of every athlete and every coach, and every fan.”

No. 2 UConn (31-5) vs. No. 3 Michigan State (27-7) at 9:45 p.m.

Elite defense and rebounding carry over into the nightcap: both teams led their respective conferences on the glass, while the Huskies paced the Big East in scoring defense as well as defending the three-pointer. These two teams actually played a scrimmage in October, and Hurley said he feels that while his team was exposed that day, both teams benefited from working out together.

“We both have had great seasons. We both — I thought — crushed the nonconference. We’ve played at the top of our leagues in conference play. And now we’re both in the second weekend. I’m just excited,” Hurley said. “UConn-Michigan State, it’s a crazy Sweet 16 game and I’m excited to be in it.”

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For the first time since 2017, Davey Martinez won’t be the club’s manager; and for the first time since 2005, Mike Rizzo won’t be in the franchise’s front office.

There was hope last March that the pieces were in place for this team to make the leap from rebuilder to contender, but instead, the Nats took a step back and the Rizzo/Martinez era ended before All-Star Week last summer.

The new brain trust has quite a bit of history to turn around. The Nats have posted six straight losing seasons, making the 2012 to 2019 run of five playoff berths and a World Series title seem like a distant memory.

New President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and first-year manager Blake Butera begin their construction of this team from the ground up.

“One of the biggest things that this organization is going through right now is, obviously, there’s a huge changeover, but you’ve got to identify there’s a lot of mistakes that were being made. And they haven’t been identified in the past. Now you’re addressing them. And I think that’s a big part of this,” Nats TV analyst Kevin Frandsen told ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ earlier this month from Spring Training. “I just think there’s a lot that’s a huge positive in a year that’s going to be a big growing year.”

Cade Cavalli is the Opening Day starter, and the right hander’s road to the majors included a major detour — Tommy John surgery in 2023.

“I’m super grateful for the opportunity. It’s been a long road. There’s a lot of days in Florida at the complex, where it’s like, ‘Man, is my time ever going to come?'” Cavalli told the media Monday.

“It’s very frustrating when my body’s not quite cooperating and I think that it’s just a testament of people around me, supporting me, saying, ‘Your time will come.’ And to get in that meeting and be told that, it was very special.”

But this is not a “feel-good” move. The 2020 first round selection has been impressing everyone since the start of Spring Training.

“Looking absolutely fantastic down here in terms of his arsenal, his presence,” Nats TV announcer Dan Kolko said.

“He’s added a new breaking ball this year, he’s throwing a sweeper to go along with his big curveball. He’s throwing 97-98, and just the way he goes about his work on a daily basis.”

Cavalli will front a staff that includes starters such as Foster Griffin and Jake Irvin, plus relievers Brad Lord and Cole Henry. Last year’s staff ranked 29th in team ERA while allowing the fourth most walks in the majors.

The lineup will look quite different from the one trotted out last year, which is typical. For the past six seasons, six different first basemen and six different third basemen have started Opening Day for the Nats. And some players who seemed to be a big part of the future one year ago have either been traded (MacKenzie Gore to Texas), demoted (Dylan Crews to the minors) or shifted (Luis Garcia seeing plenty of time at first base as well as second this spring).

The Nats ranked 21st in runs scored, but their 443 walks taken was the third lowest total in the majors.

James Wood began 2025 with a bang, clobbering 24 homers before All-Star Week, but ended the season with a measly seven homers after the break. The 23-year-old should be more consistent in 2026, and he’s not the only player who Kevin Frandsen will have his eye on as the year progresses.

“How many guys are going to get better? How many guys can prove themselves this year that they are a piece going forward?” Frandsen said.

“That’s the one true question to get from this lineup. So can Daylen Lile prove that he can do it? Does CJ (Abrams) prove that he can play shortstop every day and get better? They have to get answers.”

The schedule does not start softly: four of the Nats’ first five series are against clubs that made the playoffs last fall, including the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers for the home opener April 3.

Notable series include the Orioles dropping by D.C. from May 15-17, meeting the New York Mets in the District from May 18-21, and Philadelphia stopping by South Capitol Street from June 22-25.

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