Nationals Ace MacKenzie Gore Doesn't Hold Back Ripping Team's Recent Performance
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The Washington Nationals knew some tougher days could be on the horizon after moving some of their key contributors ahead of the MLB trade deadline last week.
Veteran utilityman Amed Rosario was traded to the New York Yankees. Left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Chafin and right-handed relief pitcher Luis Garcia were traded as a package to the Los Angeles Angels.
Starting pitcher Michael Soroka was dealt to the Chicago Cubs and closer Kyle Finnegan landed with the Detroit Tigers.
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That is a lot of production out the door, but the standard remained the same for the Nationals, who are looking to compete and end what has been a disappointing campaign on a high note.
Alas, they haven’t been remotely competitive recently, and it has drawn the ire of their ace, MacKenzie Gore.
He did not mince his words after the team was blown out by the Athletics on Tuesday night, losing 16-7 in a game he surrendered 12 hits and one walk that resulted in eight earned runs being charged against him.
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“This is embarrassing. … What’s happened this homestand is not acceptable, no matter what happened last week. We’re all better than this,” as shared by Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post.
The Nationals were blown out, again. Their ace’s take?
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) August 6, 2025
“This is embarrassing. … What’s happened this homestand is not acceptable, no matter what happened last week. We’re all better than this.”https://t.co/b215XwhblS
Riding a six-game losing streak, Washington has been on the receiving end of some beatdowns during that stretch.
They have lost five straight games by at least six runs, including some historically poor performances against the Athletics in their most recent series.
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The Nationals are the first team since the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993 to surrender 100 baserunners in a four-game span. They are also the first teams since 1932 to give up 80 hits over a four-game span.
As shared by Mark Zuckerman of MASN on X, the last time Washington surrendered 7+ runs in six straight games was in 2009 and it featured some names that not even the most hardcore of fans will remember.
The losing pitchers during that stretch were Kip Wells, Scott Olsen, Daniel Cabrera, Julian Tavarez, Garrett Mock and Joe Beimel.
Nats pitching has allowed 7+ runs in 6 straight games, matching the club record from May 2009. Losing pitchers during that streak:
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) August 5, 2025
Kip Wells
Scott Olsen
Daniel Cabrera
Julian Tavarez
Garrett Mock
Joe Beimel
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This time around, the losses were charged to Chafin, Gore, Mitchell Parker, Jake Irvin, Brad Lord and Gore again.
This has been a brutal stretch of baseball by the Nationals and their ace summing it up as embarrassing is an apt way to describe it.
Only the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, with 42 and 30 wins respectively, have fewer than the 44 that Washington has recorded.
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