Nationals throw their first shutout of 2026 in the weirdest way imaginable

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsMLB Season Miles Mikolas was one of three pitchers to combine for the shutout. Jamie Sabau / Getty Images Share article1WASHINGTON — The man who took the ball first was a reliever, and a former waiver claim at that. The man who took the ball second was a veteran starter who had grown accustomed to the rhythms a 37-year-old starter often does. The man who took the ball third was — well, he was a starter, too; one who, after Sunday’s game, was optioned back to Triple A. Together, they delivered the first shutout of the Washington Nationals’ season, a 3-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. “One hundred percent,” manager Blake Butera said. The Nationals have not had a dominant pitching staff since they won the 2019 World Series. They have the second-highest ERA in MLB, even after the shutout. But they understand — behind a new front office and a new manager — they are in this predicament because they spent the early 2020s with an old-school development plan in the minor leagues with traditional messaging for those pitchers once they got to the majors. Consider 2026 the chance to do the opposite, and consider Sunday an example of what the experimentation needs to look like. It will take time to develop high-octane arms in the minor leagues. Until that happens, they need to sift through players who haven’t been given a shot. They need to put those players in unfamiliar roles, make them try uncomfortable things and see who rises. you just got blanked 🤧 pic.twitter.com/BA7r3rlXZ9 — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 19, 2026 Take the opener — a role the Nationals have never fully embraced — a pitcher who had been designated for assignment at last year’s trade deadline. And yet, the Nationals brought PJ Poulin in as a waiver claim, embracing him as an example of the sort of transaction they so often avoided during the last couple of years. So far, he looks like a keeper as Washington’s designated opener. “Jeez, after spending eight years in the minor leagues, there’s definitely a chip on my shoulder,” Poulin said. “Every chance I have to compete up here (no matter the role), I cherish it, I appreciate it, and I respect the fact that it’s incredibly hard to get up here.” Miles Mikolas was brought to Washington to offer leadership and eat innings. When that did not work, the Nationals began using an opener in front of him, as well as a piggyback starter to follow his shorter stints. They will need more than Sunday’s outing (which saw him enter with two outs in the first and exit with two outs in the fifth) to prove this is a new version of the veteran, one with razor-sharp fastball command. But Butera said the right-hander’s role is undefined, and Mikolas said he doesn’t mind as long as he can help the team out. “We’re trying to win some ballgames here, and this is how we think it’s going to work,” Mikolas said. “Baseball is always evolving and changing with roles and how pitches are used. At this point, I’m glad to contribute.” Ultimately, he said, it just “feels nice to come off the field having not given up a bunch of runs.” And then there is Andrew Alvarez, who pitched the final 4 1/3 frames. The Nats didn’t plan to call Alvarez up until Saturday’s game went to extra innings. Alvarez himself couldn’t remember the last time he finished a game. “I had a Mickey Mouse seven-inning complete game in Harrisburg,” Alvarez said. “I was a reliever a lot in Fredericksburg. … But I knew, once I had the ninth, all I wanted to do was finish that game.” Alvarez was the 20th player to throw a pitch for the Nats this year. Last year, it wasn’t until July 2 that the Nats used their 20th pitcher. Everyone seems to have a grip on the circumstances ahead. The players understand this is what they must do to stick in the majors. The coaching staff understands it needs to be as transparent as possible when it asks players to pitch in these new spots. They all understand there is doubt outside their walls but confidence within them. Some players, Butera said, want to prove other teams wrong. Others want to prove the Nationals right. Their message has not wavered. “Our message to our entire group is, ‘Wherever you were previously, you’re a Washington National now,’” Butera said. “‘We believe in you.’” Because the lesson for these Nationals, developmentally and emotionally, is that there is no one way to develop a pitcher. “It’s a special game,” Alvarez said. “There’s not a lot of other (leagues) that have this many rounds. … It allows everybody to get a shot. Progression comes in all different times. Some people peak earlier. It’s a long game. And it allows people to get opportunities that they might not get in other types of sports.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Spencer Nusbaum is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Washington Nationals. Before joining The Athletic, he spent two years covering the Nationals for The Washington Post. He is a graduate of American University. Follow Spencer on Twitter @spencernusbaum_