Voting for the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America awards is hardly easy. There is a lot of pressure when filling out your ballot because of the pedigree and history that are attached to the awards.

If there was an “easy” one of the four, it would probably be Manager of the Year.

When it comes down to Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player, there are so many statistics that can be used to compare and contrast the candidates. It sometimes comes down to which ones the voters value more, and that often changes (i.e. the emergence of sabermetric numbers over the last decade).

But for Manager of the Year, there is really only one stat that matters: Record. Then that is often balanced against a team’s expectations coming into the season and any hardships they had to endure (roster changes, injuries, prolonged slumps, etc.).

Voters also take a team’s talent level into consideration. Dave Roberts may never win another Manager of the Year award because the Dodgers are always loaded with MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates with World Series-or-bust aspirations.

One week ago, Kyle Finnegan blew a four-run lead in Arizona, then had to sweat out the final 24 hours prior to the trade deadline before learning the Nationals were retaining him. It was an emotional couple of days for the Nationals closer, who found himself suffering his worst loss of the year while simultaneously worrying about where his next appearance would come.

That next appearance finally came Saturday, when Davey Martinez summoned Finnegan for a four-out save against the Brewers. And that was followed immediately on Sunday, when Finnegan recorded the final three outs of a 4-3 victory to cap a wild week with a decidedly upbeat conclusion.

“That’s the life of relief pitching,” he said. “It can be a bit of a roller coaster at times. You’re going to have good outings, bad outings. And you’ve just got to stay the course. I had a rough one in Arizona, but we always bounce back. And I’m happy to have two good outings under my belt and put it behind me.”

Both last Monday’s outing against the Diamondbacks and Saturday’s game against the Brewers saw Finnegan inherit a four-run lead. The cushion Sunday was merely one run, leaving no margin for error. And when he lost a seven-pitch battle with Rhys Hoskins, who delivered a leadoff single to right to begin the ninth, the pressure ratcheted up right away.

Finnegan, though, made quick work of the rest of the inning. He got Blake Perkins to fly out on the second pitch he saw. Then he went right after Brice Turang and got him to hit a ground ball on the second pitch he saw for the game-ending double play.

The situation practically begged for James Wood to do something big. Though the Nationals were leading at the time, the prospect of pulling off a 1-0 victory given the current state of their bullpen felt risky at best.

So here was a golden opportunity to extend that lead: Bases loaded, one out in the bottom of the sixth, Wood at the plate as the crowd tried to will the rookie outfielder to a clutch hit.

And when Wood’s sinking liner to left got past a diving Jackson Chourio and rolled all the way to the wall, that crowd roared as four Nationals sprinted around the bases, three of them scoring in front of Wood, who stopped at third with the clutch triple that proved the difference in a tight, 4-3 victory and a series win over the Brewers.

"That was a big moment, and he came through," manager Davey Martinez said of his 21-year-old phenom. "The kid's going to be OK."

It was the latest in a string of clutch hits by Wood, the 21-year-old phenom whose first month in the big leagues has featured plenty of ups and downs and still leaves much to be desired. But what Wood has lacked in consistency, he has made up for in frequently rising to the occasion in big spots.

When he had to come out of Wednesday’s series finale in Arizona after getting struck by a foul ball in the groin, Keibert Ruiz figured to be uncertain for Friday’s series opener in Washington. In the end, Ruiz didn’t just start that game against the Brewers. He’s started all three games this weekend.

Feeling strong physically, and performing better at the plate recently, Ruiz is back in the lineup this afternoon. The second time he’s caught a day game after a night game in the last week.

“He’s doing well. He’s playing well,” manager Davey Martinez said. “I just want to continue to get him out there. We’re trying to get him going; he’s been swinging the bat a lot better, so I’m trying to keep him and get him locked in.”

Ruiz’s last day off came Sunday in St. Louis, though even then he wound up as a late-game replacement for Riley Adams. He then started all three games in Arizona, though he departed the last two early (once because the game was a blowout, the other time because of the unfortunately located foul ball).

Because he had to be hospitalized two years ago when a similar incident occurred, the Nationals were initially worried about Ruiz’s status. But he insisted this one wasn’t nearly that bad, so he was back to work Friday night when the team returned home. He’s recorded a hit in each of this series’ first two games, including an RBI single during the Nats’ four-run first-inning rally Saturday evening.

The Nationals haven’t won a bunch recently. But when they have won, they’ve won in bunches. In fact, every time they’ve snapped a losing streak since July 12, they’ve followed that first win with another win. And if they can keep that pattern up today, they’ll wind up with a series victory over the Brewers, their second series win over the National League Central leaders in a month. At this point, you’ll take that, right?

Mitchell Parker faced Milwaukee in that previous series at American Family Field, and though the Nats wound up winning the game, his start was a disaster. That’s the day Parker failed to get out of the first inning. And he followed up that start with another short one against the Padres. Fortunately, he bounced back in Arizona with five innings of two-run ball, so he should enter this one feeling better about himself.

The Nationals jumped all over Aaron Civale in the first inning Saturday. They’ll try to do the same today against a brand-new face: Tobias Myers. The 25-year-old rookie has been pretty good for the Brewers, with a 3.10 ERA and 1.143 WHIP in 16 games (15 starts). And he’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last nine outings, so the right-hander presents a real challenge today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 85 degrees, wind 7 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
1B Juan Yepez
2B Luis García Jr. 
C Keibert Ruiz
LF James Wood
DH Travis Blankenhorn
RF Alex Call
CF Jacob Young
3B Trey Lipscomb

He’s not the most important player on the Nationals roster, and there are others who probably have more to prove over the next two months. But make no mistake, this is an important stretch for Luis García Jr., who would love nothing more than to continue what he’s done so far this summer throughout August and September and state once and for all the Nats should consider him their second baseman of the present and future.

It was exactly one year ago when the Nationals were quite unsure about that and optioned a slumping García to Triple-A to send him a message that he was assured of nothing. And the way manager Davey Martinez talked about him this spring, it seemed clear García still was assured of nothing and the organization wouldn’t hesitate to go in another direction at second base if he didn’t perform.

Four months later, García has done just about everything in his power to put those thoughts to rest. His defense is tremendously improved. And after an up-and-down first half at the plate, he’s now turning into one of the team’s most productive hitters, which he certainly proved this afternoon.

"It's definitely paying off for him," Martinez said. "I see a different kid. More confident. Understands what he needs to do. ... He's playing really well."

During a 6-4 victory over the Brewers that got a bit too tense late, García went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, a single and a stolen base. By day’s end, the 24-year-old's offensive numbers for the season were creeping up on those of double play partner and National League All-Star CJ Abrams.

Josiah Gray stood in the clubhouse at Nationals Park, his right arm protected by a complex brace, only 10 days removed from major elbow surgery, and had no trouble smiling wide.

“I love seeing everybody,” he said. “I love still being a part of this, still being part of the team and rooting for our guys. Just seeing everybody’s face yesterday was settling.”

In these early days of recovery, there isn’t much for Gray to do from a rehab standpoint. He takes part in about one hour of physical therapy a day, but that’s all for now. It’ll be months before he’s allowed to throw a baseball again. It’ll be at least a year before he’s pitching in a big league game again, maybe longer.

Gray isn’t the first to have Tommy John surgery, nor will he be the last. He’s already consulted with a number of friends in the game who have been through this before – notably Cade Cavalli, Jake Irvin and Joe Ross – and learned some valuable lessons about the proper mental approach to his recovery.

“This is a long process, but also you can learn a lot about yourself in this process,” he said. “You can come out of it a better athlete, a better pitcher, a better person. … I’m looking forward to seeing where I’m at this time next year.”

It’s Harry Potter Day at Nationals Park, and hopefully one or two of these young wizards know how to cast a spell to prevent it from raining. Otherwise, there’s a decent chance of storms later this afternoon. Fingers crossed they somehow hold off and allow the Nationals and Brewers to play as scheduled at 4:05 p.m. with no interruption.

The Nats, plain and simple, need a win. They’ve dropped five in a row since winning two straight in St. Louis last weekend and now reside at a season-worst 12 games under .500. They were in Friday night’s game, which was tied 3-3 in the sixth before Milwaukee broke things open against the bullpen and made it 8-3.

So it’s up to DJ Herz to keep the Brewers lineup in check. This is his first start against those guys, because he was back at Triple-A Rochester when the Nationals visited Milwaukee before the All-Star break. Herz has been solid since returning to the majors, not to mention eerily consistent. In each of his two starts, he has allowed two runs over five innings while throwing 79 pitches. Davey Martinez would certainly take that again this afternoon, though Herz is welcome to be even better if he likes.

The Nats lineup faces a familiar foe, but one wearing a different uniform: Aaron Civale. The right-hander faced them as a member of the Rays on June 29, giving up two runs on six hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings. Since then, he’s been traded to the Brewers, for whom he has produced a 4.29 ERA and 1.429 WHIP over four starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 92 degrees, wind 13 mph out to left

After a rough start to the season on South Capitol Street, the Nationals have actually played better at home than on the road recently. Their .460 winning percentage at Nationals Park outpaces their .441 mark on the road. That bodes well for the remainder of the year, during which the Nats play 31 of their final 53 games at home.

Tonight started their longest homestand of the season, a 10-game stretch against the Brewers, Giants and Angels. To get to benchmarks of an improving season – such as a better overall record (71-91) and better home record (34-47) than last year – having a strong homestand over these next 10 days would go a long way.

But in the opener against the Brewers, who they took two of three against in Milwaukee right before the All-Star break, the Nats came up short to lose their fifth straight game by a score of 8-3 in front of 22,132 fans in D.C.

Jake Irvin appeared to be the right man to send to the mound to begin this three-game set. Although he struggled to end the first half, including being charged with seven runs (six earned) in four innings against these very Brewers at American Family Field, the rest during the break seemed to benefit him entering the second half. He allowed only four runs with 12 strikeouts over 12 ⅓ innings against the Reds and Cardinals, with the Nats winning both of those games.

However, Irvin wasn’t as efficient tonight, leading to an exit with two outs in the sixth due to a high pitch count.

The time has come and passed to trade Joey Gallo, who the Nationals signed to a one-year, $5 million contract before spring training in hopes the veteran slugger could be a chip by the deadline. Now the club is just hoping he can return to the field soon for the final stretch run of the season.

Gallo, 30, has been on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain since June 12. Although the former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner was only batting .164 with a .606 OPS, five home runs, 11 RBIs and 71 strikeouts to 21 walks, the Nats would like him back as soon as possible to lengthen their lineup and play defense at multiple positions.

Although there were no real injury updates from manager Davey Martinez ahead of Friday’s opener against the Brewers, the closest thing was that Gallo hopefully could start a minor league rehab assignment as soon as next week.

“There's really nothing. Still nothing, no change. Everybody's still the same,” Martinez said of the team’s injury report to start his pregame session with the media. “I'm hoping, honestly, that Joey Gallo this weekend makes some progress and he'll go out on a rehab assignment sometime early next week. So right now that'll be the only change.”

While the slugger struggled at the plate, Gallo was playing solid defense for the Nats at first base, with 6 Defensive Runs Saved in 316 ⅓ innings. He also won both of his Gold Gloves earlier in his career while playing the outfield, so the Nats may have him play more out there over these next two months. Although Dylan Crews’ anticipated major league debut during that time would probably limit opportunities there.

The Nationals just finished a brutal stretch. Over the last week-plus, they have been no-hit by Dylan Cease, lost back-to-back games in walk-off fashion, suffered a club-worst 17-0 loss, traded away three of their most productive players and been swept twice. Now they enter the dog days of August.

After sweeping the Marlins on June 16, the Nats were one game under .500. Since then, they've gone 14-24 with only three days off, plus the All-Star break. But with yesterday’s day off, they have an off-day in seven of the remaining nine weeks. That hopefully will help them finish the season strong.

What would also help them to start this 10-game homestand is another strong series against the Brewers, against whom the Nats won two of three in Milwaukee right before the break. Jake Irvin, who starts tonight, took the mound in that final game looking for the sweep, but was charged with seven runs (six earned) in four innings while taking a loss. But the right-hander has been solid to start his second half of the season, allowing only four runs with 12 strikeouts over 12 ⅓ innings against the Reds and Cardinals, with the Nats winning both of those games.

Frankie Montas makes his second start against the Nats in the past two weeks, this time as a member of the Brew Crew. The right-hander was traded from the Reds to the Brewers for two players on Tuesday before the deadline. This will be his first start for Milwaukee after the Nats got to him for seven runs in 4 ⅔ innings in his penultimate start with Cincinnati opening the second half.

Note that tonight’s game is exclusively on Apple TV+ for a national broadcast.

MILWAUKEE – In a first half packed with encouraging, unexpected performances from the Nationals’ young pitchers, Jake Irvin stood at the top of the pack.

More than anyone else on the staff, the 27-year-old took the kind of forward strides that forced any skeptics out there to reconsider how he might just fit into the long-term plan, looking far more like a frontline starter than a back-end innings-eater.

Two bad starts to close out the half – capped by today’s slog during a 9-3 loss to the Brewers – don’t diminish everything Irvin did the previous three months. But they will leave a bit of a sour taste in the right-hander’s mouth as he heads home for the All-Star break.

"Look at the big picture, and see that it was a good first half," he said. "But just let these last two starts be a reminder that there's still work to be done. And we're going to get better and move forward with this."

One of the National League’s most consistently effective starters so far this season, worthy of an All-Star selection even though he didn’t get one, Irvin was roughed up for seven runs (six earned) in only four innings this afternoon. That came on the heels of a six-run outing last week against the Mets, these two duds turning Irvin’s 2.80 ERA into a 3.49 ERA in short order.

MILWAUKEE – The jubilation of a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Brewers had the Nationals clubhouse thumping Saturday evening. So when the team’s relievers were summoned to Davey Martinez’s office about 30 minutes after the final out was recorded, everyone just assumed the manager was going to praise them for the job they did to churn out 8 1/3 scoreless innings after starter Mitchell Parker was pulled in the bottom of the first.

Martinez did praise them for that above-and-beyond effort, but he also had news to share with the group: Hunter Harvey had been traded to the Royals for third base prospect Cayden Wallace and the 39th pick in tonight’s MLB Draft.

The room went silent, Harvey probably the most stunned of the entire group, his baseball life upended in a manner of seconds.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions yesterday, especially with the bullpen,” Martinez said this morning. “Those guys did so well yesterday in the game, and to have to break the news to them that one of their brothers was leaving us to go play somewhere else … they all get it. They understand what the reality is in this game; those things happen. I wish nothing but the best for Hunter. He’s a big part of the Nationals family.”

As it turned out, Harvey wasn’t among the five relievers who pitched Saturday and made an improbable win possible. In the moment, it was easy to assume he was unavailable after pitching the previous two days. After the fact, it was clear he was unavailable not for that reason but because the trade was in the works.

MILWAUKEE – It’s been an eventful weekend here, to say the least. Friday night’s win was solid. Saturday afternoon’s win was wild. And the postgame trade of Hunter Harvey threw an unexpected wrench into the proceedings. And at the end of all that, the Nationals now take the field this afternoon with a chance to sweep the first-place Brewers and go into the All-Star break on a decidedly high note.

The Nats will hope to keep the good offensive vibes going, this time against right-hander Colin Rae. The 34-year-old journeyman is enjoying a solid season, but he’s not a big strikeout guy and he has allowed 14 homers in 99 1/3 innings. If the Nationals can hit the ball in the air on a warm, muggy day here, they should have a chance to score some runs.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for the first-half finale, and it’s been a fantastic first half for the right-hander, aside from an ugly loss to the Mets last week. Irvin will hope to turn that around, pitch more like himself and go into the break on his own personal high note.

Update: The Brewers are actually not starting Rae today. Instead, it will be left-hander Rob Zastryzny opening a bullpen game.

Update II: The Nationals have recalled right-hander Amos Willingham from Triple-A Rochester to take Harvey's roster spot.

MILWAUKEE – It was just about the worst possible way this game could have started for the Nationals, Mitchell Parker unable to get out of the first inning with a pitch count bordering on dangerous levels, the Brewers storming out to a quick five-run lead.

The Nats bullpen was already in less-than-ideal shape on Day 16 of a brutal, 17-day stretch to close out the season’s first half. But there were still eight innings to play, and nothing had to be written in stone at that early juncture, no matter how ugly it looked.

And sure enough, by the time CJ Abrams demolished a 99-mph fastball from Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill in the top of the ninth and Kyle Finnegan finished off a remarkable bullpen effort that included 8 1/3 scoreless innings, the Nationals – yes, the Nationals – were the ones celebrating in the middle of the diamond at American Family Field, having pulled off a 6-5 victory that has to qualify as one of the most stunning in team history.

"You can either lay down or fight back," Abrams said. "We do a good job of fighting back. It's not over 'til it's over, and we showed that."

Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the first, with Parker pulled and Davey Martinez having to turn to his bullpen at that ridiculously early juncture, the Nats somehow clawed their way back to win.

MILWAUKEE – The Nationals have decided to use the last two days before the All-Star break as an opportunity to get a look at another pitcher who could figure into their long-term plans if he keeps doing in the majors what he did at Triple-A.

The Nats called up reliever Eduardo Salazar prior to today’s game against the Brewers, swapping the right-hander for Jackson Rutledge, who was optioned back to Rochester following his strong spot start Friday night at American Family Field.

Salazar, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Mariners last month, then proceeded to post eye-popping numbers in nine games at Triple-A: one earned run allowed in 10 2/3 innings, with 15 strikeouts and only two walks.

“Very impressive,” manager Davey Martinez said, adding: “I really wanted to give him a chance, especially in the next couple days, see what he can do if we get him in there. He threw the ball really well at Triple-A. He was a really good addition for us to pick up. I appreciate the guys adding another arm for us.”

Salazar has nine games of big league experience over the last two seasons with the Reds and Dodgers but has been on a meandering ride the last few months. The Mariners claimed him off waivers May 23, but after only four appearances at Triple-A Tacoma, the Nats claimed him off waivers June 13 and added him to their organization.

MILWAUKEE – It’s been a while since the Nationals last won a series opener. You have to go back to June 21 in Colorado for the most recent case. So Friday night’s 5-2 victory over the Brewers was significant, because it now gives them two opportunities to win this series before heading into the All-Star break. It’s always better to play ahead than behind, right?

The Nats got a rare, sustained offensive attack in the opener, rapping out 12 hits and scoring in four different innings. They’ll try to do the same today against Dallas Keuchel, who has had quite the meandering path through the league the last few years. A stalwart of the Astros’ rotation from 2012-18, the left-hander has pitched for six major league organizations since, and not especially well. This will be his fourth start for Milwaukee, and his last one was wild: three hits, five walks, zero strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings against the Dodgers … without allowing a run.

Mitchell Parker gets the ball for the Nationals, looking to close out his breakthrough first half on a high note. The rookie boasts a 3.44 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in 16 starts, and his consistency has been remarkable. He’s gone at least five innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs in 12 of those 16 starts. He’s gone at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs in six of those starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: American Family Field
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 10 mph in from center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
1B Juan Yepez
LF James Wood
DH Harold Ramírez
2B Ildemaro Vargas
C Riley Adams
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

MILWAUKEE – Nobody wants to be at Triple-A. Everyone at Triple-A wants to be in the majors, whether for the first time or for the first time in a while.

The challenge for those grinding away at the highest level of the minor leagues is not to think too much about trying to get promoted, not to treat every game like a potential ticket out of town.

For Jackson Rutledge this year, that has proven far more difficult than he ever imagined.

“I’m going to be honest,” the right-hander said Friday night. “I haven’t done a great job of it.”

Rutledge said this after making a spot start for the Nationals, his first big league start of the season, even though the season is now nearly 60 percent complete. He thought he’d have been up here a lot sooner, fully believing he’d be the organization’s first choice to come up from Rochester when something happened in the rotation, just as manager Davey Martinez suggested would be the case at the end of spring training.

MILWAUKEE – If anyone was worried the grind of 17 games in 17 days to close out the season’s first half – not to mention 13 losses over the last 17 games – would leave the Nationals a dejected bunch this evening, Jesse Winker and Co. made sure to allay those fears right off the bat tonight.

And if anyone was worried Jackson Rutledge wouldn’t be up to the challenge of his first big league start of 2024 against the first-place Brewers, the big right-hander also made sure to allay those fears right from the get-go.

Rutledge allowed only two runs in a strong-if-abbreviated spot start, and Winker led a balanced offensive attack with an RBI double and a solo homer against his former team as the Nats topped the Brewers, 5-2, and snapped their five-game losing streak with an all-around impressive showing.

An exhausted roster arrived in Milwaukee late Thursday night following a series sweep in New York and had to muster up the energy to take on the Brewers in the final weekend of this daunting stretch before everyone can enjoy a well-deserved All-Star break.

"That's your job. That's what you sign up for, to come in and grind it out," Winker said. "It's hard. It's a hard game. It was a tough stretch of games, and we've been playing a lot of really good teams, but it's a good league. It's our job to keep coming in, put the work in and grind stuff out."

MILWAUKEE – When the Nationals demoted DJ Herz to Triple-A earlier this week, it opened the door for the club to carry a long reliever for the first time this season. But with the fifth starter’s spot in the rotation coming back up this evening, the team had no choice but to drop that long man in favor of a fill-in starter.

With Jackson Rutledge recalled from Rochester to start tonight’s series opener against the Brewers, the Nats optioned Joan Adon back to Triple-A, only four days after calling him up.

Adon, a starter through his entire professional career until recent weeks when he was converted to a long relief role in the minors, wound up appearing in only one game for the Nationals this week, pitching the ninth inning of what became a 5-0 loss to the Cardinals. The team never found itself in a situation where it used him for multiple innings the rest of the week.

Rutledge is not expected to remain in the majors after making his spot start tonight, so the Nats could send him back down and call up a reliever to take his spot. But they can’t recall Adon for 10 days unless he’s replacing an injured pitcher.

Club officials do still believe Adon could prove valuable later this season as a much-needed long man in the bullpen, once he gets fully acclimated to the role.