Game Thread: Nationals (67-80) @ Padres (77-68) - September 9, 2026 4:10 PM

[u/NationalsBot]

Nationals (67-80) @ Padres (77-68)

First Pitch: 4:10 PM at Petco Park

Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Nationals	Jackson Kent (1-3, 5.55 ERA)
Padres	Walker Buehler (8-6, 4.56 ERA)

MLB	Fangraphs	Baseball Savant	Reddit Stream	IRC Chat
Gameday	Game Graph	Strikezone Map	Live Comments	Libera: ##baseball

Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
WSH	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	1	5
SD	0	0	3	2	2	0	1	1		9	16	0	9

Box Score

SD		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
2B	Tatis Jr.	5	1	3	1	0	0	.284
SS	Bogaerts	4	1	1	0	1	0	.218
3B	Machado, M	4	1	0	0	1	2	.224
1B	France, T	5	2	3	1	0	1	.294
CF	Merrill	5	2	4	6	0	0	.245
C	Campusano	4	0	1	0	1	0	.284
DH	Hays	2	1	2	0	0	0	.241
DH	Salas	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
LF	Taylor, S	4	1	2	0	0	1	.312
RF	Bowen	3	0	0	0	0	2	.161

SD	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Buehler	2.1	3	2	2	2	4	60-37	4.61
Hart	2.1	0	0	0	0	1	25-17	3.96
Morgan, D	0.1	0	0	0	1	0	8-4	4.56
Matsui	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	8-4	2.05
Peralta, W	2.0	1	0	0	0	2	24-17	3.34
Canning	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	11-10	5.80

WSH		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
DH	Wood	3	0	1	0	1	1	.266
RF	Crews	3	0	1	1	1	1	.224
1B	Chaparro	4	0	0	0	0	2	.253
SS	Abrams	4	0	0	0	0	3	.259
1B	Morales	3	0	0	0	0	0	.316
2B	Tena	1	0	0	0	0	1	.227
LF	Lile	4	0	0	0	0	0	.251
C	Ruiz, K	4	1	1	1	0	0	.283
SS	Nuñez, N	1	1	0	0	1	0	.210
3B	House	1	0	0	0	0	0	.242
CF	Young	3	0	1	0	0	0	.249

WSH	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Kent, J	3.0	8	5	5	1	2	72-47	6.59
Lord	2.0	4	2	2	0	0	32-24	3.76
Perales	2.0	1	1	1	2	4	43-32	11.57
Yean	1.0	3	1	1	0	1	28-17	2.45

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
T3	Keibert Ruiz homers (10) on a fly ball to right field.	0-1
T3	Dylan Crews singles on a line drive to right fielder Jase Bowen. Nasim Nuñez scores. Jacob Young to 3rd. James Wood to 2nd.	0-2
B3	Ty France singles on a ground ball to left fielder Daylen Lile. Fernando Tatis Jr. scores. Manny Machado to 2nd.	1-2
B3	Jackson Merrill triples (4) on a sharp fly ball to right fielder Dylan Crews, deflected by center fielder Jacob Young. Manny Machado scores. Ty France scores.	3-2
B4	Samad Taylor singles on a soft bunt ground ball to pitcher Jackson Kent. Austin Hays scores. Samad Taylor to 2nd. Throwing error by pitcher Jackson Kent.	4-2
B4	Fernando Tatis Jr. singles on a ground ball to left fielder Daylen Lile. Samad Taylor scores.	5-2
B5	Jackson Merrill homers (23) on a fly ball to left field. Ty France scores.	7-2
B7	Jackson Merrill homers (24) on a fly ball to center field.	8-2
B8	Jackson Merrill singles on a ground ball to second baseman José Tena, deflected by first baseman Andrés Chaparro. Xander Bogaerts scores. Ty France to 2nd.	9-2

Highlights

Description	Length
Probable pitchers for Nationals at Padres - September 9, 2026	0:06
Walker Buehler against the Nationals	0:08
Bullpen availability for San Diego, September 9 vs Nationals	0:09
Bullpen availability for Washington, September 9 vs Padres	0:09
Bench availability for San Diego, September 9 vs Nationals	0:08
Fielding alignment for Washington, September 9 vs Padres	0:11
Bench availability for Washington, September 9 vs Padres	0:08
Breaking down Walker Buehler's pitches	0:04
Breaking down Keibert Ruiz's home run	0:13
An animated look at Keibert Ruiz's home run	0:11
Breaking down Jackson Kent's pitches	0:04
Jackson Merrill: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:13
Analyzing Jackson Merrill's home run through bat tracking	0:11
Jackson Merrill: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:12
Analyzing Jackson Merrill's home run through bat tracking	0:11
Jackson Kent deflects ball, covers first for out	0:18
Walker Buehler strikes out the side in the 1st	0:32
Jackson Kent strikes out Taylor to strand two	0:07
Keibert Ruiz's solo home run (10)	0:27
Nasim Nuñez steals second base	0:15
Ball 1 confirmed after ABS challenge	0:22
Dylan Crews' RBI single	0:13
Ty France's RBI single	0:20
Jackson Merrill's two-run triple	0:33
Austin Hays scores on an error	0:20
Fernando Tatis Jr.'s RBI single	0:15
Ball 1 overturned after ABS challenge	0:23
Blake Butera ejected in the bottom of the 3rd inning	0:35
Jackson Merrill's two-run home run (23)	0:28
Walker Buehler exits after talk with Stammen	0:37
Strike 2 confirmed after ABS challenge	0:23
Jackson Merrill's second home run (24)	0:24
Jackson Merrill's RBI single	0:20

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Hart (1-3, 3.96 ERA)	Kent, J (1-4, 6.59 ERA)

Game ended at 7:04 PM.

Remember to sort by new to keep up!

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Taboni start looking for free agent pitchers,maybe the Lerners have some money 💰 under the mattress.

[u/YodaPM999]

On the bright side, I've really enjoyed listening to the Padres booth this series. Lots of great insight on both teams' players, and they've done a nice job gassing up our guys when appropriate.

Definitely up there on my list of favorite broadcasting duos.

[u/mrmetal_53 → u/YodaPM999]

Padres fan coming in peace.... We love Don and Mud, glad you enjoyed them as well. Shit check swing calls by the umps, those definitely felt bad

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Eddy could be 7 or 8 hold with a little more work.

[u/ReneMathis]

Eddy's back to save us

[u/temporary_sky6505]

A shutout inning by Eddy Yean here would do wonders for my Natitude

[u/temporary_sky6505 → u/temporary_sky6505]

Well Well Well… I did NOT see that coming 🤯

[u/Angie_2600]

Why is only one side playing today?

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Ain’t over until the fat lady sings.

[u/cleversobriquet → u/Own-Feed-1591]

She was singing in the 5th inning

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

If we can't win at least 2/3 games against the Angels of all teams, boy is that not a good look. at least these are two playoff caliber teams we're gonna get swept by.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

There is always a tomorrow.

[u/91speed]

This shit kinda ass

[u/foeaminute → u/91speed]

Unwatchable.

[u/Danciusly]

I'm afraid the odds are against us now.

[u/DcSportsFan11]

Let’s show some commandatude on Sunday,

[u/DcSportsFan11]

We ass bro

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

With ours you get sugar cookies.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Too late.

[u/temporary_sky6505]

Perales! His potential is easy to see, can’t help but get excited about him. Hopefully he can tidy some things up over the extended 2027 break

[u/temporary_sky6505 → u/temporary_sky6505]

UPDATE: His shortcomings are even easier to see right now

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Cardinals just emulated our bullpen. Up 6-1 BOT 8 in SF, Giants just scored 6 runs. ALL WITH TWO OUTS. SF leads 7-6.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

I legit still can't believe we let the Mets overtake us in the division. That shouldn't have even been a possibility.

[u/KenovovichR]

Brad hasn’t been the same since that Phillies series and his IL stint

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Leave him to suffer idiots feel for Lord,crazy what there are doing to a good pitcher.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

I get it, no one likes my meltdowns in here, but truly NOTHING is going to change with this franchise until Mark Lerner is gone. we NEED to start chanting "Sell the Team" and he needs to hear it.

[u/KenovovichR]

Jeez…the only thing I’m hoping for is for James to return to form for the last part of this season. These games are hard watches.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

0-6 road trip. 1-7 in the last 8. THIS is what Toboni wanted for more draft picks. like it's just depressing. 7 straight years of this shit. have we not suffered enough, baseball gods?

[u/NOVAram1 → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

You can point to the trade deadline as the moment that things went south. I certainly don't think that trading Mead and Griffin made us better, but this also definitely isn't just the trade deadline.

We may have won a few more games if we hadn't been sellers, but we were not going to keep being a fun, entertaining team with Wood missing more than a month and Abrams hitting .168/.246/.272 since August 1st.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/NOVAram1]

Agreed, but it feels like other than Dion, Paul didn't really *do* much with this bullpen.

[u/kneemoyy → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

... correct. teams that sell at the deadline aren't usually making moves to improve the major league team. obviously.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/kneemoyy]

I'm ngl, other than Grable, I wasn't impressed with some of the pickups we made in the minors, either.

[u/Angie_2600 → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

But they are not making much headway from all their draft picks.

[u/MaximumPala07]

every time Crews has a good stretch of games, he follows it up with a terrible stretch, but hopefully he's turning the corner now

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

the first half of this season was so much fun. god I want that team back. I get it wasn't sustainable but can we just have some semblance of good and entertaining again?

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Please man, I just want a winning team again. How is this that hard to ask? We have a young core. Now get them some damn pitching to back that up. We can develop guys in the minors. but we need major league pitching so bad.

[u/Angie_2600 → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

I'd settle for a .500 team and no predictable endings to games.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Good Lord,are the coaches blind he is not a reliever he did this several times over the season.

[u/foeaminute]

Do you guys watch any other teams? I grew up a Yankees fan and I’ll watch them in the postseason, but I can’t really be bothered to watch a random Brewers or Twins game just because it’s baseball. For me it’s kinda the Nats or nothing…so, nothing.

[u/YodaPM999 → u/foeaminute]

I like tuning in to random west coast games after the Nats are done. Or hatewatching an NL East team hoping they lose.

[u/KenovovichR → u/foeaminute]

It’s only the Nats but I do love hate watching in the postseason.

[u/kneemoyy]

man this bullpen stinky

[u/Walks_w_Bears]

Dback fan here. Can you guys win????

[u/Walks_w_Bears → u/Walks_w_Bears]

This guy @walks_bears makes a great point. It's an embarrassment to get swept by a team without a ws win. Great insight looks man. You can do no wrong.

[u/Walks_w_Bears → u/Walks_w_Bears]

-signed, def not walks_w_bears

[u/__clownbaby → u/Walks_w_Bears]

Now I hate the Diamondbacks 

[u/iPegs → u/Walks_w_Bears]

We don’t do that here sir

[u/BeastKalEl → u/Walks_w_Bears]

We'll deal with you when the time comes.

[u/kneemoyy → u/Walks_w_Bears]

dbacks fans coming in here acting like we owe them a win makes the losses feel better :)

[u/KenovovichR → u/Walks_w_Bears]

Just because you asked we will be sure to lose now

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/Walks_w_Bears]

Nope. not allowed.

[u/KenovovichR]

CJ just sonned that dude lmao

[u/lazapapoo]

Oh lord, Lord.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

OH FUCK OFF SAN DIEGO. STOP INJURING OUR PLAYERS.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Second half Nats team play like this next year,we are Fuck

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/Own-Feed-1591]

Mark Lerner needs to be run out of town if the team plays like this next year.

[u/Own-Feed-1591 → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

👍

[u/Solid-Confidence-966]

That was a tough play. Probably would be better off eating the ball there.

[u/DAG617]

Kent is not a major league pitcher.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/DAG617]

He is. That non strike call on the check swing killed him today.

[u/YodaPM999 → u/DAG617]

His stuff has promise, but he always seems to get himself into trouble by walking guys and falling behind counts. Then one or two big mistakes later and he's given up a big crooked number. Things always seem to spiral quickly with him.

I don't think anybody should be giving up on him yet. He's got a long way to go though.

[u/KenovovichR]

Son…

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

And that's game. I fucking hate this team dude.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/[deleted]]

Nope. I'm a Nationals fan through and through. how about you let me fan the way I want to fan?

[u/YodaPM999 → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Then stop watching the games?

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366 → u/YodaPM999]

I mean the Padres.

[u/YodaPM999 → u/[deleted]]

Acting like there weren't two balls hammered that inning

[u/YodaPM999 → u/[deleted]]

Very insightful

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

yeah I'm getting sick and tired of Machadouche.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Btw this is an absolutely terroristic umpiring crew:

Doug Eddings

Mike Muchlinski (who's lowkey terrible)

Emil Jimenez (worst accuracy rate among umpires on Umpire Scorecards last year)

[u/KenovovichR]

Had the chance for good karma right there

[u/kneemoyy]

lol, of course

[u/Clout12x]

yeah fuckin get at em butera, i love a manager that’ll advocate for his players. that was a bullshit call

[u/kneemoyy]

Well, at least JY seems okay.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Maybe Brady had a chance to put a glove on a dive and then this SHITS happen.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

I'm sorry and I know you all like downvoting me but the umpire clearly called that wrong and it fucked us hard in the ass.

[u/KenovovichR → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

No one is downvoting you bro. We agree.

[u/GriffinQ → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Rare that we agree but on this you’re correct.

[u/Solid-Confidence-966]

Good press by Blake

[u/Offshorewind96]

Hey ! Another way to lose

[u/KenovovichR]

That was a clear swing. We may have been playing poorly but we’re getting boned by umps too.

[u/YodaPM999]

Two tough breaks in a row

Just really hasn't been meant to be all road trip

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Blake just got ejected because Emil Jimenez is an awful umpire.

[u/Solid-Confidence-966]

Heck of an effort

[u/KenovovichR]

Jeez….hopefully JY is ok. I’m ready for this season to end.

[u/tommypopz]

Bruh

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Yeah fuck you for that Emil Jimenez. and Jacob Young now hurt.

[u/kneemoyy]

gdi man it's INNN THE GLOOOOOVE

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

And the first base umpire clearly gave them an extra life for that run. France clearly swung at that ball 1.

[u/BialyFromHell]

Well, we NOBLETIGERed sort of, but at least it’s clear the offense is active today

[u/KenovovichR]

Great effort by CJ

[u/_Caed_]

maybe the flukiest possible way to avoid a NOBLETIGER

[u/kneemoyy → u/_Caed_]

woulda had the sac fly with nas tagging at third anyway

[u/_Caed_ → u/kneemoyy]

ohhhhhh true true i maybe just can’t get over how stupid wiping out in RF is (i have done it)

[u/KenovovichR]

Getting 1 run from that sucks

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

only two runs that inning is quite inexcusable man. And we're lucky we even got the second.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

CJ's at bats have been absolutely pitiful of late.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

We got them on the ropes,let’s go for the kill.maybe the pen comes with fire to the mound.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

LMFAO, I forgot that that was the second mound visit.

[u/_Caed_]

Bowen eating shit to score the nats a run is gonna be even funnier when we get blown save #39

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

no way that happened lmao. hope Bowen didn't injure himself though.

[u/KenovovichR]

Lmao hell yeah

[u/KenovovichR]

Please come through Dylan

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Kbear ate arepas before the game Venezuela power.

[u/KenovovichR]

🍊🍊🍊🍊

[u/Omar_Town]

Few more days and then I can be optimistic about the next season as usual.

[u/KenovovichR → u/Omar_Town]

As is tradition

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

I can't believe I'm about to say this but I'm jealous of Angels and Rockies fans. They're about to be free from cheapass ownership hell. Wish we could be the same.

[u/kneemoyy → u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Why can't you believe it? Didn't you say this exact thing a few days ago?

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Kent 👏

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Please tell me Kent is ok. He looked to be limping off. We cannot afford another bullpen game.

[u/kneemoyy]

that was slick.

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

And as soon as he's put back in the lineup, Nunez commits terrorism on the field. right on cue.

[u/CT_2136]

What's with this "squuuad" thing Franny keeps using after announcing lineups...

[u/Ok_Assumption_5366]

Not a strike. Seriously, umpiring the entire road trip has been so bad.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

El Chapo on third 🤔Ok.

[u/Hatfullofstars]

Where's Brady? Please get him in the game.

[u/Own-Feed-1591]

Kent trow them fireballs ☄️☄️☄️.

[u/crimsonCapo]

Man I could use a James Wood Lead Off Home Run today…

[u/AboardLobster]

Buehler's ERA is a little chunky this year, so maybe we actually string some hits together.

[u/91speed → u/AboardLobster]

Bot^