2 Big Things To Know Before Baltimore Orioles’ Series vs Washington Nationals

The Nationals are not who we thought they were. Here's what you need to know before Baltimore's next series.

May 1, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) celebrates with catcher Samuel Basallo (29) after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Orioles head down to Washington, D.C., this weekend for this year’s edition of the Beltway battle. This is a battle between two teams that are not meeting expectations early in the season.

The Orioles have been worse than advertised, while the Nationals have been better than advertised.

It is going to be a warm weekend in the Nation’s Capital, so let us break down a couple of things to watch in the series.

This Is A Battle Of Two Top Offenses

Sep 2, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (29) celebrates with Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles sport one of the better offenses in the league, ranking 11th in terms of runs scored. The Washington Nationals are second in all of baseball with 227 runs scored so far this season. The Nationals are also tied for second in the NL East with the Phillies. Needless to say, the Nationals have been much better than most expected this season.

The Nationals' pitching has not been great, which is why they need to outscore you to death in order to win games. Unfortunately for Orioles fans, the Orioles do not have a great pitching staff either.

This equates to both teams hammering the ball all weekend long. With the temperature ranging up into the mid-80s at times this weekend, combined with Nationals Park’s park factor, expect there to be a lot of runs.

James Wood and CJ Abrams have been on an absolute tear for Washington, while Baltimore looks to regain the momentum they lost during the Yankees series offensively.

This is a wonderful get-right spot for this offense, which should take advantage of the holes on the Nationals’ roster. Stealing bases, forcing the defense to make smart plays, and playing good defense themselves will be key to winning this weekend.

This Features Two Bad Pitching Staffs

May 9, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Shane Baz (34) deliver a pitch during the first inning against the Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Both the Orioles and Nationals pitching staffs have not been great this season. The Nationals' 26th-ranked starters have hardly been better than their 27th-ranked bullpen (in terms of ERA). 

Meanwhile, the Orioles starters have a 5.19 ERA, good for the 3rd worst in baseball, but their bullpen has a 4.16 ERA, 16th in baseball.

The Orioles need to get something out of their starting rotation, which will have to go up against James Wood to begin the game all weekend long. Once the starters are out of the game, Orioles fans can breathe just a little easier.

One man in particular, Rico Garcia, has been lights out for the Orioles this season. He has given up one run and one hit in 64 batters faced this season. Unfortunately, that one hit was a game-tying home run by Michael Massey of the Royals back on April 21st. He has a 0.47 ERA in 19 innings this season to go along with 22 strikeouts. He has been a shining light on an otherwise dim pitching staff.

These games will likely come down to who can score more against the others’ bullpen. The Orioles have the heavy bullpen advantage, and they will need to capitalize on that. If the O’s starters continue on the same trajectory, the bullpen will need to clog the runs to give the offense a chance to play catch-up against the bad Nationals bullpen.

All in all, this should be a really fun series with a lot of offense and young stardom shining. The Orioles lead the all-time series 64-55 and will look to improve upon that number as the Nationals are a meager 6-13 so far at home this season.

If there was ever a time to get your team some momentum back, it is this weekend down in D.C. The weather will be warm, the pitching will be bad, and the hitting will be prime time.