Nationals Pitcher MacKenzie Gore Acknowledges Shortcomings After Loss to Yankees
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The Washington Nationals appear to be suffering yet another drought this season, starting with their 6-4 loss on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. That sparked what would soon become an unfortunate streak of loss after loss.
On Monday, the Nationals entered a three-game set with the New York Yankees, but things are not going in Washington's favor as they're just moments away from dropping the entire series. The Yankees defeated the franchise 10-5, followed by a 5-1 victory on Tuesday.
While they still have one more game to go against New York, their top pitcher MacKenzie Gore has pinpointed some of the glaring issues going on within himself. Recognizing the issue is one thing, but being able to fix the problem is another.
Gore Admits to Shortcomings During Latest Game
MacKenzie Gore seemed to cruise on by in the first couple of innings on Tuesday evening, but once the third inning arrived, his performance quickly went downhill. Giancarlo Stanton was able to hit a three-run double to left field off Gore, immediately sending the franchise into a spiral. Over five innings pitched, he was only able to make three strikeouts and allowed three runs on three hits.
"That's who those guys [the Yankees] are at the top of their lineup. They get a few base runners and get some momentum going, and they have a big swing. That's how they manufacture runs and that's what they did. I just didn't do a good job of not letting them do that," Gore told Nationals on MASN during his post-game interview.
MacKenzie Gore discusses his performance tonight against New York. pic.twitter.com/LCuL3ClGkL
— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) August 27, 2025
It goes without saying that the Nationals have been one major letdown as of late, and things do not seem to be changing for the better. Manager Miguel Cairo summed up where the franchise needs to go from here, aside from obvious pitching improvements.
"We didn't capitalize on those scoring chances," he stated, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. "[When you face a team] like the Yankees, you have to score whenever you get a chance. We have to come back tomorrow and [try] again."
At this point, Washington has one primary goal, which is to put an end to their disheartening road losing streak. If Wednesday's matchup goes anything like the past several days, the Nationals will be in trouble. They're in a poor standing within the Major Leagues as it is — dropping further into the hole is the last thing the franchise hopes to do.
