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Nationals' Disastrous Third Inning Against Yankees Saw Something Not Done in 22 Years

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 1:00 PM ET

It was not a good day at the ballpark for the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees by getting a win that would halt their four-game losing streak, the hope was that Cade Cavalli would be the stopper since he's been performing at a high level since coming back from his long-term injury and recovery.

But that was not the case, as the Yankees bludgeoned the Nationals by a score of 11-2, which was largely powered by an offensive explosion in the third inning at the expense of Cavalli, with nine runs being scored and four homers being hit.

That disastrous frame also resulted in something that hasn't happened in a Major League Baseball game since 2003: a team threw at least 77 pitches in a singular inning.

The Nationals threw 77 pitches that inning, the second-most by a team since at least 2000 in a frame

Marlins threw 91 on 6/27/03 in the first at Fenway
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 27, 2025

While making MLB history for the wrong reasons is never a positive thing, there could be worse company to keep than the 2003 then-Florida Marlins since they went on to win the World Series that year after going 91-71 during the regular season.

Unfortunately for Washington, that won't happen for them this year. With a 53-80 record, they are on pace to finish last in the NL East for the fifth time out of the six seasons since they won the World Series in 2019, a disastrous stretch for the franchise.

The Nationals are trying to figure out who they can build around going forward, but their up and down performances for the better part of this campaign makes it hard to pinpoint who can be a cornerstone beyond James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore; who all have had their own struggles in the second half.

What's Next for Cade Cavalli?

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There were expected to be some highs and lows for the former top-ranked prospect after he came back from Tommy John surgery to make his first major league start since 2022. So these types of outings were likely baked into expectations.

However, it does cloud the perception of the right-hander since he had been more than solid across his first four starts since returning, owning a 2.82 ERA where he flashed some of his elite stuff that caused him to be such a highly-touted prospect in the first place.

But now at 27 years old, it's now or never for Cavalli if he's going to develop into that front-line starting pitcher this franchise envisioned he would be when they selected him 22nd overall in the 2020 draft.

One start isn't going to change that thinking. But how he bounces back will be a major tell regarding if Cavalli can be a key piece in the rotation or if he's a stopgap until some of the younger pitchers make their way up the pipeline.