Nationals finish winning road trip with 8-0 victory over Rockies

DENVER — Expectations are higher around the Nationals this year.

In any season post-2019, going .500 on a road trip would be cause for celebration. But, given that they played two teams that are likely sellers at the trade deadline, it would’ve been a letdown.

The Nationals didn’t need to win Wednesday, but going 4-2 on this six-game road trip helps them close the gap in the wild-card race. The Nationals took care of business in their 8-0 win over the Rockies.

Washington entered Wednesday with a 4.9% chance to clinch a wild-card spot and a 5.3% chance to make the playoffs.

In an NL where every victory is critical to the wild-card race, the Nationals need to start stringing together wins to make it demonstrably clear which direction the front office should lean at the deadline. Right now, that final wild-card spot is up for grabs.

The club isn’t oblivious to what’s at stake over the next two weeks. The Nationals know losing means the locker room could look different after Aug. 3.

“It’s a hard part of this business that we’re a part of, but we want this group to stick together,” starting pitcher Cade Cavalli said Tuesday. “We really enjoy each other. We have a great culture that’s fun to be a part of. We want to win and keep it going.”

With a six-game homestand against the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays starting Friday, the Nationals will need to capitalize on a soft part of their schedule before a four-game series in Atlanta that takes them to the deadline.

The Nationals needed a strong outing from Cavalli, who has flashed moments of brilliance this season coupled with frustrating inconsistencies. He entered the season as the team’s No. 1 starter, but lefty Foster Griffin has usurped him throughout his All-Star rookie season.

Wednesday was an example of Cavalli at his best. He displayed the tantalizing talent that has the organization high on the right-hander with top-of-the-rotation stuff. He threw six shutout innings, allowing allowing four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

The Nationals’ bats were quiet outside of James Wood’s sacrifice fly that drove in Jorbit Vivas in the fifth inning.

That changed in the seventh, when the Nationals strung together quality at-bats and benefited from poor fielding by the Rockies. With runners on first and second, second baseman Nasim Nuñez’s RBI single coupled with a Mickey Moniak fielding error allowed both baserunners to cross home plate to extend the Nationals’ lead to 3-0.

After Wood lined out, Luis García Jr. hammered a 2-1 sweeper for a two-out, two-run shot to center field. Three consecutive singles scored two more runs to complete the six-run seventh inning.