Free-falling Nationals host Rockies for four-game homestand
The Washington Nationals open a four-game Rockies Nationals homestand at Nationals Park on Monday, Aug. 24, against a Colorado club that has lost six straight and sits at 50-80. Washington is 61-71 after a Miami sweep and is fighting to stay out of last place in the NL East. Both teams arrive ice-cold: they have combined for 10 consecutive losses, and August has turned playoff talk into damage control for the Nats.
Key Takeaways
- Washington is 10 games below .500 and just 1.5 games ahead of last-place New York in the NL East after being swept in Miami.
- Colorado is MLB's worst team at 50-80, riding a six-game skid and a pitching staff that has dragged it down all season.
- Monday's opener features Cade Cavalli (11-5, 3.22 ERA) against Ryan Feltner (5-7, 5.97 ERA) at 6:45 p.m. ET.
- The Nationals won two of three at Coors Field about a month ago, but both clubs have cratered since.
- Four games this week offer Washington a chance to reset against the league's weakest opponent.
Why does this Rockies Nationals series matter now?
What looked like a salvageable 2026 season for Washington has collapsed in August. The Nationals are 2-8 over their last 10 games, per Yahoo Sports, and a three-game sweep in Miami left them clinging to fourth place—just 1.5 games above the Mets. Playoff hopes are gone; the new goal is avoiding a fifth-place finish in the division.
Colorado offers a rare soft landing. With only 50 wins through 130 games, the Rockies are the worst team in MLB and months removed from any October conversation. Their pitching, as usual, has been the anchor. For a Nationals offense that scored just 20 runs on a 1-8 road trip, this homestand could be the spark—or another chapter in a bizarre, hard-to-watch season chronicled in our Bizarre World coverage.
Who is pitching in the Rockies Nationals opener?
Game one on Monday pits right-handers Cade Cavalli and Ryan Feltner. Cavalli has been one of Washington's few bright spots: he has not allowed a run in his last two starts, striking out 21 with four hits allowed over 14 innings, per Sports Illustrated. He enters at 11-5 with a 3.22 ERA and eight straight quality starts.
Feltner enters at 5-7 with a 5.97 ERA. He was roughed up for seven runs in five innings by the Dodgers at Coors Field in his last outing, though he had allowed just five runs over 10.1 innings in his two prior starts. DraftKings lists Washington as a -187 favorite with a run total of 8.
What does the rest of the homestand look like?
After Monday, Washington hosts Colorado on Tuesday (Andrew Alvarez vs. Kyle Freeland), Wednesday (starter TBA vs. Tanner Gordon), and Thursday (Jake Irvin vs. Gabriel Hughes). Alvarez has a 2.42 ERA in August and could lock down a rotation spot for 2027. Irvin and Hughes both carry ERAs above 5.75, suggesting more run-scoring potential—or more misery—for two struggling lineups.
Can either team break out of this slump?
History says maybe not tonight. The Rockies scored just 21 runs during their winless six-game homestand; the Nationals managed 20 across nine road games. SI's betting preview leans Under 8 runs, citing Cavalli's dominance and two offenses that have gone cold at the worst time.
Still, the matchup favors Washington on paper. Favorable pitching matchups all week against Colorado's battered rotation give the Nationals their best chance in weeks to climb away from the division basement. For the Rockies, it is another road test in a season long defined by pitching woes—and little else to play for.