Nationals Can't Stop Making Errors and the Reds Are About to Punish Them For It

The Washington Nationals walk into Cincinnati this week carrying a scarlet letter nobody wants. They hit like a playoff team. Their defense? That's a different story. The Nationals own an MLB-worst 39 errors heading into their road series against the Reds starting Tuesday night, and it is not even close. The next closest team is the Tampa Bay Rays with 28. The Nationals made five errors alone in a series loss to Miami over the weekend, dropping Sunday's deciding game 5-2, plus they tacked on mental mistakes and base-running miscues that weren't technically errors but cost them just as much. All this despite solid pitching performances they could not capitalize on.

Cincinnati's Defense Is Built Different

The Reds are one of the better fielding teams in baseball, which is exactly what Washington does not want to see right now. Cincinnati halted an eight-game losing skid Saturday and has won back-to-back games after torching the Houston Astros 5-0 on Sunday. In that victory, their defense showed up in clutch moments. Andrew Abbott pitched six scoreless innings and said it plainly: "Guys step up in big ways. And I think we feed off the energy." Spencer Steer made a diving catch of a foul pop at the dugout steps to end the first inning. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes made a backhanded stop on a sharp grounder to end the fifth. Elly De La Cruz collected three hits in his third straight multi-hit game. JJ Bleday added a two-run triple. This is not a team that is going to gift the Nationals anything.

Mikolas and Singer Take the Mound

Washington right-hander Miles Mikolas (1-3, 7.44 ERA) gets the ball Tuesday. Before his last start against Minnesota on Wednesday, Mikolas told catcher Drew Millas the game plan: "We're going to dominate the bottom, make them chase, and then pop the top." It worked. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowed two runs on three hits, gave up his ninth homer of the season, did not walk a batter, and struck out three for the win. Lifetime against the Reds, though, Mikolas is 6-9 with a 5.45 ERA across 23 appearances. Cincinnati counters with Brady Singer (2-2, 5.63 ERA), who has struggled in May with eight earned runs in 9 1/3 innings over his last two starts. Singer is 0-1 with an 11.05 ERA in two career starts against Washington. Luis Garcia Jr. drove in a run and scored a run for the Nationals in Sunday's loss, while Daylen Lile collected two hits and pitcher Cade Cavalli allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Cavalli remains confident: "I think over 162, we'll look up and we'll be happy with what we've done."

First pitch Tuesday night. Washington needs to tighten up the defense or Cincinnati is going to make them pay.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.