It’s been a long and eventful homestand, with a pair of four-game series and a whole lot of news, both involving the roster and the All-Star Game. And it finally comes to an end this afternoon with one more game against the Cardinals. A win would leave the Nationals with a 4-4 record on the homestand, which, all things considered, would be fine. Not great, but fine.

The pitching staff, as we know, is on fumes at this point. The Nats’ last three starters have combined for only 12 2/3 innings. So they really do need some length today from Mitchell Parker. The rookie left-hander has completed six innings in three of his last four outings, so he has the ability. He’s reached the 100-pitch mark only once in 15 total starts; Davey Martinez might have to push him beyond that number today.

For the fourth straight day, the Nationals lineup faces a veteran St. Louis right-hander. This time it’s Miles Mikolas, who enters with a 5.19 ERA and 1.222 WHIP. He was lit up by the Reds two starts ago for 10 runs, but he did bounce back last time out and held the Pirates to two runs over six innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Hot and humid, 94 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF James Wood
DH Jesse Winker
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
1B Juan Yepez
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

OAKLAND – The Orioles will try to win the series this afternoon while they also complete their West Coast trip, saying goodbye to the Oakland Coliseum for the last time.

They also want to avoid a second series loss to the Athletics this season.

Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Cedric Mullins is in center. Colton Cowser is on the bench.

Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base. Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter, moving down to seventh in the order.

Ramón Urías is playing third base again, with Jordan Westburg at second.

OAKLAND – Austin Hays gets another start in left field this afternoon after collecting three hits last night on his 29^th birthday. He’s matched up against Athletics right-hander Luis Medina.

Colton Cowser is on the bench. Cedric Mullins starts in center field, Ryan O’Hearn is in right and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.

Ramón Urías starts at third base, with Jordan Westburg shifting to second and Jorge Mateo going to the bench.

Ryan Mountcastle moves down to sixth in the order.

Left-hander Cade Povich makes his sixth major league start. He’s allowed six runs in his last five outings to match the total in his debut.

The Nationals could be a perfect 5-0 on this homestand. Instead, they’re a disappointing 2-3. Why? Because three times they had a chance to walk off the opponent in the bottom of the ninth but failed to do so, then lost in extra innings. It happened twice against the Mets, and then it happened again Friday night against the Cardinals.

The cumulative effect of all that: The bullpen is fried. Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey and Robert Garcia have each pitched four of the last five days. Derek Law has pitched the last two days. Dylan Floro has pitched three of the last five days. In other words, Davey Martinez may have no choice but to use some combination of Jacob Barnes, Tanner Rainey and Jordan Weems today, no matter the score or situation.

MacKenzie Gore could help the cause a lot if he can provide some length on what’s going to be another scorching hot and humid afternoon. The left-hander has managed to complete at least five innings in 14 of his 17 starts to date. But he’s only completed the sixth inning five times, only once in his last seven outings.

Lance Lynn, meanwhile, gets the start for the Cardinals. It’s hard to believe this, but he’s the same guy who was on the mound for St. Louis a whopping 12 years ago when Jayson Werth hit his iconic homer to win Game 4 of the 2012 National League Division Series. Lynn, now 37, has bounced around over the years, but he’s back with the Cardinals and sporting a 3.59 ERA despite a 1.300 WHIP in 17 starts.

You'll notice a new name at third base: Trey Lipscomb. The Nats recalled the 24-year-old from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon and designated Nick Senzel for assignment, signaling a permanent change at the hot corner for the rest of the season. More on that move to come ...

OAKLAND – The Orioles moved their West Coast trip to Oakland for a three-game series before the Athletics relocate to Sacramento next year.

Ryan Mountcastle is in the lineup tonight and batting third. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter.

Colton Cowser is in center field, with Austin Hays in left and Anthony Santander in right. Jorge Mateo remains at second base, with Jordan Westburg at third.

Albert Suárez stays in the rotation while Cole Irvin moves to the bullpen. Suárez has registered a 2.43 ERA and 1.247 WHIP in 17 games (10 starts). He tossed four relief innings against the Athletics in April and allowed four runs and seven hits with six strikeouts. Seth Brown homered.

In three career appearances against Oakland, Suárez has allowed nine runs and 15 hits in 12 2/3 innings.

It’s hot today. Really, really hot. And humid. Really, really humid. The temperature in Washington as I type this is 97 degrees, the heat index 109. And it’s barely going to cool down before first pitch tonight against the Cardinals. If you’re coming, please do what you can to hydrate and stay out of the sun. If you’re not coming, enjoy the game on TV from the comforts of home.

After a wild series against the Mets that included back-to-back 10-inning losses and then back-to-back dramatic wins, the Nationals now host the Cardinals for four games in a wraparound series that extends through Monday. They would love to keep the good vibes going, but they’re going to need to continue to get excellent pitching and start scoring some more runs, especially early in games.

Patrick Corbin is tonight’s starter, and you know the drill at this point. With Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli remaining on the injured list for the foreseeable future, Corbin’s spot in the rotation appears to be secure once again. It’s up to him to make the most of it and at least give his team a chance. He was good in three straight starts against the Tigers, Diamondbacks and Padres. Then he struggled against the Rays. A bounceback start tonight would be very nice.

The Nats lineup faces a tough challenge in veteran Sonny Gray, 9-5 with a 2.98 ERA, 0.992 WHIP and 109 strikeouts in only 87 2/3 innings. The good news, if there is any: James Wood gets to face a righty starter for only the second time in five big league games. The Nationals also have a new first baseman: Juan Yepez, who was officially promoted from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon to replace the demoted Joey Meneses, with Josiah Gray transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Hot and humid, 95 degrees, wind 9 mph out to left field

Boy, did the Nationals need that win Wednesday night. After dropping five straight to the Mets to begin the season, then falling behind 5-0, they stormed back to win 7-5 thanks to the offensive heroics of Luis García Jr. and James Wood and a really impressive job by an overworked bullpen.

The domino effect of that, though: You have to assume Robert Garcia, Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan are all going to be unavailable for this morning’s series finale, none of them able to pitch for the fourth straight day. If this game is close late, Davey Martinez is going to have to rely on some different relievers for a change.

A long start out of Jake Irvin would help the cause tremendously, and Irvin has shown an ability to do that this year. He has completed at least six innings 12 times in 17 starts, and he has reached the seventh twice. If he can keep his pitch count manageable, you wonder if Martinez will push the right-hander a bit more than usual today.

After finally facing a right-hander Wednesday, the Nats will be going up against a lefty again today in veteran Jose Quintana. Given how well Wood has handled southpaws so far, you have to think he’ll remain in a prominent spot in the lineup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 11:05 a.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv, MLB Network (outside D.C. market)
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 5 mph out to center field

Will tonight be the night? Can the Nationals finally beat the Mets after starting the year 0-5 against their division rival? Better yet, can they do it in the standard nine innings after losing each of the first two games of this series in the 10th?

Starting pitching hasn’t been a problem for the Nats this week. On the contrary, they have remained in these games thanks to some dominant performances from their starters over the last two days. Mitchell Parker will look to continue that trend in his 15th start. The left-hander is 5-4 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.119 WHIP to begin his rookie season.

The Mets called up rookie right-hander Christian Scott to make his sixth major league start tonight. The 25-year-old is 0-2 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.084 WHIP to begin his big league career. After holding his own against two southpaws in his first two games, this will be James Wood’s first time facing a right-handed starter in the majors.

If you’re coming to the game tonight, you’ll be treated to the traditional postgame fireworks ahead of tomorrow’s July 4 celebrations.

Note: The Nationals requested unconditional release waivers on Eddie Rosario, who was designated for assignment on Monday to make room for Wood.

SEATTLE – Ryan Mountcastle is out of the Orioles lineup tonight for the third game in a row.

Mountcastle was used as a pinch-hitter Saturday. Manager Brandon Hyde told the media Sunday night that Mountcastle was “under the weather.”

Heston Kjerstad is the designated hitter. Colton Cowser is in left field and Cedric Mullins is in center.

Jorge Mateo is the second baseman, with Jordan Westburg at third.

Gunnar Henderson’s on-base streak ended Sunday at 36 games. He struck out four times.

Monday wasn’t a typical day at the ballpark. Today should be, as the hullaballoo of James Wood’s debut dies down and the rookie outfielder just gets to work on being a big leaguer for a team trying to start winning games again.

The Nationals had themselves within a game of .500 just over a week ago, but they’ve lost six of their last seven and now suddenly sit at 39-45, three games behind a Mets team they led for most of the season’s first half. They need to get this thing back in gear before it spirals too far out of control.

Wood and his teammates will be facing another left-hander tonight in Sean Manaea. The 32-year-old has solid numbers (3.89 ERA, 1.297 WHIP, 76 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings) but he’s also walking four batters per nine innings. A Nats lineup that frequently hasn’t shown enough patience needs to show it tonight.

DJ Herz, meanwhile, starts for the Nationals, and the rookie left-hander needs a bounceback performance after back-to-back shaky outings on the road that have made his 13-strikeout gem against the Marlins feel like a distant memory. We still don’t know what exactly is going on with Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli, so Herz’s job may not be on the line tonight. But a strong outing would certainly help his cause to stick around and avoid a trip back to Triple-A Rochester.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly clear, 84 degrees, wind 10 mph out to left field

A day Nationals fans (and players, for that matter) have long awaited has arrived at last. Nearly two years after the deal went down, the top prospect acquired in the Juan Soto trade makes his major league debut. And he’ll be joined on the field by two other top young building blocks who arrived in the same trade with the Padres.

It’s James Wood Day on South Capitol Street, and this promises to be the organization’s most significant debut since Soto himself arrived in May 2018. Don’t be surprised, though, when the lineup is unveiled and you have to scroll down a bit to find Wood. Soto batted sixth in his first career start (after one game coming off the bench). Same for Ryan Zimmerman (after four games off the bench) and Anthony Rendon. Bryce Harper batted seventh in his debut. Trea Turner batted eighth (after four games off the bench).

Abrams, who also had to earn his way up the lineup, will be leading off as usual against Mets starter David Peterson. Despite the lefty-lefty matchup, here’s some good news: Abrams has an .889 OPS vs. left-handers this season, and Wood had a 1.089 OPS against lefties at Triple-A. Not bad.

MacKenzie Gore is on the mound, and he is especially excited to have this assignment tonight, knowing the significance of this game. The young lefty knows he needs to control his emotions and perform a lot better than he did last week in San Diego, when he allowed five runs in five innings during a highly charged game with the Padres. The Mets also got to Gore for six runs in 4 1/3 innings last month, so he should have plenty of motivation to be good tonight.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv, MLB Network (outside D.C. market)
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 79 degrees, wind 11 mph in from left field

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – We’ve reached the final day of a long road trip, one that saw the Nationals play nine games in three cities in three time zones. They’ve gone 3-5 to this point, so a winning record is out of the question. But a victory today over the Rays at least would seal two series wins to combat the unfortunate sweep in San Diego.

Stymied at the plate for the better part of 15 innings, the Nats finally broke out in a big way in the top of the seventh Saturday, exploding for six runs in rapid fashion en route to an 8-1 win. They will look for more of that, and preferably earlier, this afternoon against Tampa Bay right-hander Taj Bradley. The 23-year-old strikes out a lot of batters (11.1 per nine innings) but he also serves up a lot of homers (10 in 49 2/3 innings). The Nationals aren’t exactly a power-laden bunch, but they might need to try to take advantage of any meatballs they do see at the plate today.

Patrick Corbin, meanwhile, gets the ball. Yes, he’s still part of the rotation, and that could continue if he continues to pitch effectively. Three weeks ago, the lefty looked like he was on his last legs, destined to be bumped to the bullpen. But over his last three starts, he’s got a 2.60 ERA and 0.981 WHIP. Josiah Gray makes another rehab start today in Rochester, so we’ll have to see how this all plays out once today’s results are in.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Tropicana Field
Gametime: 1:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF Jesse Winker
DH Harold Ramírez
2B Luis García Jr.
1B Joey Meneses
3B Ildemaro Vargas
C Drew Millas
CF Jacob Young

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – We’ve still got more than two weeks to go until the All-Star break, but technically speaking the second half of the season begins today for the Nationals, who have now played 81 games. At 38-43, they’re probably a little better than most people expected, though they also have to acknowledge they could be even better given how good the pitching has been.

They’re also mired in a four-game losing streak and would love to turn that around this afternoon with a win over the Rays. The good news: They’ve got arguably their most consistent starter on the mound in Jake Irvin. The right-hander enters 5-6 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.087 WHIP. Most impressively, he has allowed two or fewer earned runs over six or more innings in 10 of his 16 starts. That’s consistency for you right there, the good kind.

At the plate, the Nats have to do more than they did during Friday night’s 3-1 loss. We’re waiting to find out about Jesse Winker’s status after he tweaked his right knee in the first inning Friday. If he can’t go, that’s a pretty notable loss in the heart of the lineup, and it will be up to others to pick up the slack against right-hander Aaron Civale, who enters with a 5.20 ERA and hasn’t been credited with a win since April 9.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Tropicana Field
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF Jesse Winker
1B Joey Meneses
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Harold Ramírez
C Keibert Ruiz
3B Nick Senzel
CF Jacob Young

X-rays on catcher Adley Rutschman’s right hand came back negative but he isn’t in tonight’s lineup.

Rutshman was hit by a foul tip last night and later homered. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Rutschman feels better today and he planned on swinging a bat.

Heston Kjerstad also is out of the lineup after homering last night and driving in three runs.

Colton Cowser is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right.

For the Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Obviously, there’s already big news about what’s coming Monday when the Nationals return home. But before James Woodapalooza, there’s a three-game series to be played this weekend at Tropicana Field, where there’s no fear of any rain delays (thank god).

The Nats need to get themselves back on track after a brutal series in San Diego. Most importantly, they need to get their pitching back on track. That group has surrendered 6.3 runs per game on this road trip after allowing only 3.8 over the previous 26 games. So the spotlight tonight is on Mitchell Parker, who struggled in Colorado but actually finished quite strong with five straight strikeouts.

At the plate, the Nationals actually have been productive on the trip, scoring an average of 6.3 runs per game after averaging just 3.8 runs the previous 34 games. Some of that, though, has come too late, as was the case Wednesday in San Diego, when they were one-hit until a five-run top of the ninth that came too little too late. They’ll go up against veteran right-hander Zach Eflin, the former Phillie who has a 4.20 ERA this season but has issued a remarkable six walks in 81 1/3 innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Tropicana Field
Gametime: 6:50 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF Jesse Winker
1B Joey Meneses
2B Luis García Jr.
C Keibert Ruiz
DH Eddie Rosario
3B Nick Senzel
CF Jacob Young

SAN DIEGO – Are there any more fireworks left in this series between the Nationals and Padres? The Nats certainly hope so as they look to avoid the three-game sweep in today’s finale.

Last night’s game was full of emotion and got pretty heated early, but it eventually settled down and became more about baseball than any off-field theatrics. Let’s see if the Nats can take the frustration of these two losses and turn it into something positive before heading to Tampa Bay.

While the Nats have been able to score runs over the first two games of this series, they haven’t been able to keep the Padres from doing so as well. They’ll turn to rookie DJ Herz to hold this lineup and give them a chance to get out of here with a win. Herz was charged with four runs (three earned) in his last start at Coors Field, so he’ll try to get back to what made him so successful when he struck out 13 Marlins over six shutout innings in his start before that.

Meanwhile, Dylan Cease hasn’t been all that impressive after coming to the Padres from the White Sox this spring in exchange for four players. The veteran right-hander is 6-6 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.106 WHIP in 16 starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN DIEGO PADRES
Where: Petco Park
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, wind 10 mph from left to right

SAN DIEGO – “It sucks we didn't get a win. But we just got to keep our heads up and come back tomorrow.”

That was Keibert Ruiz after last night’s brutal 7-6 loss in 10 innings to the Padres after the Nationals had a three-run lead going into the bottom of the 10th. Let’s see how the Nats respond tonight in the second game of this three-game set.

MacKenzie Gore goes to the mound to face his former team for the third time. He is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.862 WHIP in his first two outings against the Padres, who included him and CJ Abrams in the blockbuster deal for Juan Soto. Gore is coming off one of his more bizarre outings in which he gave up a career-high 10 hits, nine of which were singles, to the Diamondbacks while striking out seven over five innings. The young lefty typically bounces back well after a rough outing, so the Nats certainly hope that’s the case tonight.

Yu Darvish was supposed to make his return from the injured list to start for the Padres, but that has been delayed due to right elbow inflammation. So it will be right-handed rookie Adam Mazur taking the hill with an 0-2 record, 7.27 ERA and 1.962 WHIP from his first four major league starts. 

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN DIEGO PADRES
Where: Petco Park
Gametime: 9:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 74 degrees, wind 8 mph from left to right

SAN DIEGO – Hello from beautiful, sunny Southern California! The Nationals are set to begin a three-game series here against the Padres after winning two of three in Colorado against the Rockies. And they have escaped the extreme heat of both Denver and Washington, D.C. to San Diego, where it is forecasted to be in the mid-70s all week.

Don’t look now, but this series actually has some playoff implications. Yes, it is still June, but entering today, the Nats are only a half-game behind the Padres for the final National League Wild Card spot. With a series victory, they could leave town firmly in a postseason position and at or above .500.

The Nationals are sending Patrick Corbin back to the mound for his 16th start of the year. Although he has only been charged with one run in each of his last two outings, it should be noted that Josiah Gray will be making his fourth rehab start with Triple-A Rochester in the coming days. As he gets closer to his return, the Nats get closer to having to make a decision on their veteran left-hander, who needs another solid outing to make a case for keeping his rotation spot.

Matt Waldron makes his 16th start of the year for the Padres. The right-handed rookie is 5-6 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.164 WHIP this season. He’s currently on a dominant stretch of five straight quality starts in which he’s gone 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA. Waldron hasn’t given up more than two runs in a start since May 5 against the Diamondbacks.

Harold Ramírez is reportedly meeting the Nationals here in San Diego. No roster move has been announced yet, so we’ll see if he makes it in time for today’s game. The Nats signed the veteran outfielder to a minor league contract after he was designated for assignment by the Rays and cleared waivers earlier this month.

DENVER – It’s a new day at Coors Field, and the Nationals are grateful for that, because it means they don’t have to dwell on Saturday night’s disastrous, 8-7 loss to the Rockies, a game that saw them run into four outs on the bases, then give up runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, the last of them scoring on the first walk-off pitch clock violation in major league history. Good times.

The good news: In spite of all that, the Nats still have a chance to win the series this afternoon. Jake Irvin gets the ball, and he’ll take his crack at trying to keep the ball in the yard here on what is going to be a hot, dry afternoon made for offense. Irvin had his first rough outing in a while last time out, allowing four runs in five innings to the Diamondbacks. He makes his first career start in Colorado, having missed this assignment last year right after he was called up for his debut.

At the plate, the Nationals will try to keep the good offensive vibes going against Kyle Freeland, just activated off the 60-day injured list after missing two months with an elbow strain. The veteran left-hander was awful in his first four starts in April, going 0-3 with a 13.21 ERA before landing on the IL. You would think he’ll be limited today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Coors Field
Gametime: 3:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 93 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF Ildemaro Vargas
1B Joey Meneses
DH Nick Senzel
C Keibert Ruiz
3B Trey Lipscomb
2B Luis García Jr.
CF Jacob Young

The Orioles need a win today in Houston to avoid being swept for the second time this season. They trail the Yankees by 1 ½ games in the American League East.

With the Astros starting left-hander Framber Valdez, the Orioles lineup counters with Adley Rutschman leading off for the first time this season, Gunnar Henderson batting cleanup and Jordan Westburg batting fifth.

Henderson, who extended his on-base streak to 29 games yesterday, is serving as the designated hitter while Jorge Mateo starts at shortstop.

Ryan Mountcastle moves up to second in the order. Austin Hays is in left field and Colton Cowser is in center.

Albert Suárez is making his ninth start and 16^th appearance. He’s registered a 2.05 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in 48 1/3 innings, and with only one home run surrendered.