Nationals vs Guardians Preview: Young Nats Look to Snap at Guardians

The Nationals are rolling hard. They just won four straight games and are riding some serious momentum into Cleveland. Look at what happened in the last two games—the Nationals crushed the Guardians 10-2 and 6-3. Their hitters are connecting. Wood, Mead, García Jr., and Abrams all went deep in that 10-2 victory. The ball was flying out of the park. Washington's record sits at 29-27, and they're making noise on the road. Tonight, they need Miles Mikolas to keep the hot streak alive. The Guardians have to find answers against this red-hot offense.

Miles Mikolas is a veteran pitcher with big-league experience. He was an All-Star in 2018 and again in 2022. That's serious credentials. But this season has been tough for him—his ERA sits at 7.2 right now, which means he's been giving up runs. His record is 0-1 so far. Cleveland won't be scared, but Mikolas knows what it takes to pitch at the highest level. The Guardians' offense needs to jump on him early. Can Mikolas settle down and find his form?

The Guardians are 32-25 and fighting to stay in the race. But they just lost two straight to Washington. That's a problem. At home in Progressive Field, Cleveland should be strong. Gavin Williams takes the mound for the Guardians. He's part of a solid pitching staff with Tanner Bibee leading the way. The bullpen has been excellent too. Cleveland has to lock down defensively and get their hitting going. The Nationals' bats are hot, and you can't let them keep swinging like they did in those last two games.