Washington hosts Pittsburgh in an early rubber match at Nationals Park, with Washington reshuffling the lineup as Dylan Crews sits. Robert Hassell moves to right, Jacob Young to center, Daylen Lile in left, and James Wood shifts to DH while Riley Adams handles catching and Nasim Nunez stays at second. Cade Cavalli starts for the Nats. Pittsburgh counters with a lefty-friendly lineup featuring Oneil Cruz, Ji Hwan Bae, Spencer Horwitz, Joey Bart catching, and Mike Burrows on the mound. The Nats seek a September spark against aPirates club facing similar odds, hoping to prove they can beat teams in this tier.

The tactical shifts create fantasy intrigue: expect Hassell and Young to climb the batting order, Lile and Wood to contribute from spots that boost run potential, and Cavalli to deliver mixed results against a left-handed heavy Pirates lineup. For Pittsburgh, left-handed combinations against Cavalli will test Washington’s defense and opportunistic baserunning. This game is a chance for both teams to showcase resilience in a tight early-season schedule.

Pirates explode for a decisive eighth, snapping a seven-game skid with a 5-1 win at Nationals Park as Bubba Chandler silenced Washington by retiring the first 15 batters he faced. The inning opened with a bases-loaded situation and Pittsburgh capitalized with two timely hits from Andrew McCutchen and Nick Yorke to take control.

Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham drew walks to fuel the rally, Bryan Reynolds added the final blow, and Pittsburgh padded the lead with cushion runs. The result offers a spark for fantasy managers, underscoring late-season depth and a potential uptick in value for Pirates role players the rest of the way.

The Pirates dropped a 2-1 extra-innings decision to the Orioles at Camden Yards, clinching their 29th losing season in 33 years. Spencer Horwitz delivered a fourth-inning homer that stood as one of just two Pirate hits, briefly putting Pittsburgh ahead. Tyler Wells rode a long stretch of dominance before that blast, and Baltimore summoned a walk-off rally to seal the win. A tight, low-offense duel shifts focus to late-season grind for both clubs.

The Cardinals walked off for a 7-6 win in Busch Stadium after Alec Burleson lined a 1-1 slider over center off Dennis Santana, snapping a Pirates rally in the ninth. Earlier, Spencer Horwitz plated Ronny Simon with a first-inning groundout, and Nathan Church added a second-inning sac fly to pull the Cardinals level. For fantasy players, Burleson’s late power injects upside in deeper formats, while Santana’s hiccup could tilt bullpen roles going forward.