WASHINGTON — The Oakland Athletics blanked the Washington Nationals 6-0 on August 7, 2025, at Nationals Park, riding a dominant pitching performance from Jacob Lopez and timely hitting to secure the series win. Lopez struck out a career-high 10 batters over 7 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and no runs, improving his record to 5-6 with a 3.59 ERA. For the Nationals, starter Mitchell Parker took the loss, dropping to 7-12 after surrendering four runs on six hits in five innings, pushing his ERA to 5.43. The shutout marked the Nationals’ fifth loss in six games on their homestand, where they were outscored 61-23 overall.
The Athletics jumped ahead early in the second inning when Darell Hernaiz tripled off Parker and scored on Colby Thomas’ first career home run, a fly ball to center field that made it 2-0. Thomas, a 24-year-old outfielder in his rookie season, finished 1-for-1 with three RBIs before being replaced in the sixth. Oakland added another run in the same inning on Shea Langeliers’ sacrifice fly, scoring Luis Urias to push the lead to 3-0. In the fourth, Thomas delivered again with a sacrifice fly that plated Hernaiz, extending the advantage to 4-0.
The Nationals’ offense struggled throughout, managing only three hits—doubles from Robert Hassell III and singles from Daylen Lile and Riley Adams—while leaving runners in scoring position twice. CJ Abrams, James Wood and Jacob Young combined for 0-for-11 with five strikeouts, emblematic of the team’s season-long batting woes. Washington entered the game hitting .254 as a team, but failed to capitalize against Lopez, who induced seven groundouts and three flyouts in his outing. Reliever Tyler Sterner closed out the eighth and ninth for Oakland, striking out two.
Oakland tacked on insurance runs late. Tyler Soderstrom led off the eighth with his 21st home run of the season, a solo shot to right field off reliever Poulin, making it 5-0. In the ninth, Max Schuemann doubled and scored on Nick Kurtz’s groundout force play, finalizing the score at 6-0. Schuemann paced the Athletics’ attack with three doubles, while Hernaiz contributed a triple and two runs scored.
The game drew 14,519 fans to Nationals Park on a partly cloudy afternoon with 77-degree temperatures and an 8 mph wind from right to left. First pitch came at 12:05 p.m., and the contest lasted two hours and 32 minutes, with umpires Phil Cuzzi at home plate, Dan Bellino at first, Clint Vondrak at second and Tony Randazzo at third.
For the Nationals, now 45-69 and entrenched in fifth place in the NL East, the loss highlighted ongoing rebuilding challenges in their 21st season in Washington. Under managers Dave Martinez and interim Miguel Cairo, the team has leaned on young talents like outfielder James Wood, who hit .254 with an .832 OPS entering the game, and pitcher MacKenzie Gore, though the offense ranks near the bottom in runs scored league-wide. Washington finished the homestand 1-5, dropping their home record to 21-35. The club, which won the 2019 World Series, has projected a ceiling of around 80 wins for 2025 but sits well below that pace. Recent draft picks, including power hitters like Ethan Petry and Wyatt Henseler, signal a focus on future slugging potential.
The Athletics, improving to 51-66 and fifth in the AL West, have shown progress from their 69-93 finish in 2024, their final year in Oakland before relocating. Manager Mark Kotsay’s squad has emphasized a young core, including Soderstrom and Kurtz, with the team hitting 196 home runs last season and continuing strong defensively. Oakland’s second-half surge includes a 10-9 record since the All-Star break, despite injuries, positioning them as potential playoff contenders in 2025 with offseason additions. Prospects like Jacob Wilson add depth to a roster projected for improvement.
The Nationals next host the Milwaukee Brewers, seeking to snap their skid, while the Athletics travel to Baltimore. For Southern Maryland fans, the loss underscores the patience required in a rebuild, but proximity to D.C. keeps the team accessible for live experiences.
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