Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Game Thread

TL;DR

The Washington Nationals face the Atlanta Braves today at 1:05 PM EST at Nationals Park. Cade Cavalli will pitch for the Nats, while JR Ritchie makes his MLB debut for the Braves.

Key points

Game time is 1:05 PM EST
Cade Cavalli is pitching for the Nationals
JR Ritchie is debuting for the Braves
Nationals Park is the venue
Braves lineup has minimal changes

Washington NationalsAtlanta BravesCade CavalliJR Ritchie

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 22: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves forces out James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals at second base on a Luis Garcia Jr. #2 (not pictured) hit ball in the second inning during the baseball game at Nationals Park on April 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images Last night was a very on brand game for the 2026 Nats. The offense was there, but the pitching was not good enough and they made a couple mistakes on defense. With Cade Cavalli on the mound, they will hope to get better results on the mound. They need Cavalli to go deeper into ball games though. The Nats have made a few tweaks to the lineup. Interestingly, Jose Tena is hitting third. Usually when the Nats make these seemingly weird lineup moves, they tend to pay off. Nasim Nunez will be back at second, pushing Jorbit Vivas to third. will be out of the lineup for the second time in three games. Cade Cavalli will get the ball and being efficient will be a key for him. There are not many changes for this Braves lineup. will be back in the lineup at DH, which pushes to catcher. JR Ritchie will be making his MLB debut on the mound. I actually talked to him a few years ago for a I did. He is a good kid and I hope he has a great career. However, I hope he gets shelled today.

Q&A

What time is the Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves game today?

The game starts at 1:05 PM EST.

Who is pitching for the Washington Nationals against the Braves?

Cade Cavalli will be on the mound for the Nationals.

Who is making his MLB debut for the Atlanta Braves?

JR Ritchie will be making his MLB debut for the Braves.