Just when you thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse for the bullpen of the Washington Nationals, it got worse, drastically worse. On Thursday night, with the Nationals leading 5-2 heading into the 7th inning, the bullpen was unable to get 9 outs and secure a split of a 4-game series with their NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies.
Cade Cavalli deserved better, as he went 6.0 strong innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts. He left in line for the victory, and ended up with another frustrating no-decision in a game he easily should have won. Surely, Cavalli was frustrated, and it appears as if patience is beginning to wear thin among the Nationals’ decision-makers.
Gus Varland out, Zak Kent in as Nationals search for bullpen answers
Although at one point it appeared as if he might have gained the inside track to the Nationals’ closing role, Gus Varland has completely tumbled out of being a usable pitcher. He has allowed at least 1 earned run in 5 of his last 6 outings, but last night’s blow-up was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He allowed 6 hits and 5 earned runs in just 2.0 innings, striking out just 2 batters and taking the loss for the Nationals while raising his ERA to 6.25 and WHIP to 1.77, both unacceptable for a big leaguer. While Varland ended up allowing the go-ahead homer to Bryce Harper as well as a few more runs, he is not the only one to blame. Mitchell Parker has been equally as bad as Varland has recently, yet he still remains on the big league roster.
But with the Nationals still hesitant to make any big moves until they know where they stand closer to the deadline, they have chosen to demote Varland to AAA Rochester in favor of Zak Kent. While Kent has not spent the whole season with the Nationals, his numbers and performances in Washington have not looked fantastic, and it will be interesting to see how he performs his second time around up with the big league club.
Kent owns a 5.79 ERA and 1.61 WHIP so far in 2026, although in his 4 games with the Nationals he does own a 5:0 K:BB ratio. His ability to at least throw strikes will be crucial for the most desperate bullpen in baseball, and hopefully he can at least contribute something at this point for a unit that can’t stop melting down in big moments.
What do you think of the Nationals swapping out Gus Varland for Zak Kent in the bullpen? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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