SAN DIEGO — The self-inflicted losses sting the most, and the Nationals have become far too familiar with them.

Rookie Jared Simpson loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning with the Nationals clinging to a three-run lead, and was subsequently removed, leaving Erik Tolman to clean up his mess. The Padres inched closer with an Austin Hays sacrifice fly, and Tolman just couldn’t put All-Star Manny Machado away.

With the count at 1-2, Machado didn’t bite on a ball outside of the zone and stayed alive after fouling off three consecutive pitches. But on pitch eight of the at-bat, Machado hit a groundball single up the middle to drive in two runs and tie the game. Another lead gone, the Nationals clinched the MLB record for blown saves in a season at 38.

Tolman allowed the go-ahead run on a Luis Campusano single to right field.

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The Nationals will need a more reliable bullpen next season, when they will likely return a core group of position players that powered the offense and made the team one of the surprising contenders of the first half.

To see a thriving, functioning bullpen, the Nationals just have to take a gander at the opposing team. The Padres have a cadre of fire-throwing relievers that are dependable. Entering Tuesday, Padres relievers ranked sixth in strikeout rate per nine innings (9.39), posted the sixth-lowest walk rate (3.33) and have the fifth-lowest ERA (3.36).

When one looks back on the 2026 Nationals, the bullpen implosions will be front of mind. Missed opportunities and ineffectiveness robbed the team of what could’ve been a competitive wild-card pursuit.

Coming into the season, the Nationals didn’t have high expectations, especially in Year 1 of a new front office and coaching staff. But as the offense ascended into one of the league’s best, the team had plenty of chances to win ballgames, only to see leads evaporate.