Grisham opened the day with a leadoff homer into the short porch as the Yankees overwhelmed Washington in a rout, six homers allowed and a third inning that spiraled into a nine-run nightmare with 15 Yankees reaching. Nationals pitchers totaled 77 pitches in that half-inning, the most in a half-inning since 2003, a hollow marker of the night.

Washington’s minus-171 run differential highlights how far they are from contending and fuels talk of a full rebuild: new manager, new GM, and a payroll focused on drafting and development over splashy free agents. The piece argues the path back lies in organizational change and patient, data-driven reconstruction rather than quick fixes.