The 2025 Nationals lost seven games in a row from July 29 through August 5, with their pitchers yielding 70 runs while their offense scored just 26.
Within that losing streak, the Nationals became the first team in MLB history to allow their opponents more than 80 hits, more than 50 runs and more than 10 home runs in a span of four games.
No other pitching staff since 1932 had given 80 hits over four games. For the first time in franchise history (Expos and Nationals), their pitchers allowed at least seven runs and 10 hits in six consecutive games.
The last six of the seven losses in a row were serious drubbings: 9-1, 16-9, 8-2, 14-3 and 16-7. The last five of the losses were in front of home crowds.
In that 16-9 loss, Nats’ pitchers yielded a club-record 25 hits. Four days later, they gave up 24 hits and another 16 runs. Washington’s pitchers allowed 101 batters to reach base in the four games, Aug. 1-5, the first team to do that since 1993.
After scratching out a 2-1 win with just four hits on Aug. 6, the Nationals were shut out the next two games, 6-0 on three hits and 5-0 on four hits.
This horrible stretch ensured that the Nats would not improve on the 71 wins of 2023 and 2024, further derailing the rebuilding that has been going on since 2021. It likely cost interim manager Miguel Cairo any chance of keeping the job. Looking back at this as 2026 begins is a reminder of how far the Nationals have to go to become respectable, let alone contenders.
Washington baseball history 