Nationals Look to End Skid Against Cardinals

Washington hosts St. Louis in three-game series after dropping five straight games.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 2:22pm

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The Washington Nationals are looking to snap a five-game losing streak as they host the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series. The Nationals had a strong start to the season but have struggled recently, blowing late leads in several games. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have alternated wins and losses so far this year. Right-handers Andre Pallante and Zack Littell are the scheduled starters for the series opener.

Why it matters

The Nationals' early-season skid has raised concerns about their bullpen and ability to hold leads, while the Cardinals are trying to find more consistency. This series could provide an important early-season test for both teams as they aim to establish themselves in the competitive NL East and NL Central divisions.

The details

The Nationals have lost five straight games after winning three of their first four to start the season. In their latest defeat, they blew a 6-1 lead to the Los Angeles Dodgers, with their bullpen struggling to protect the late-inning advantage. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have alternated wins and losses through their first eight games, most recently salvaging the series finale against the Detroit Tigers with a four-run fifth inning. St. Louis will send right-hander Andre Pallante, who tossed five scoreless innings in his first start, against Nationals righty Zack Littell, who took the loss in his season debut.

  • The three-game series between the Nationals and Cardinals begins on Monday, April 6, 2026.
  • Pallante's first start of the season came on Tuesday, April 4, 2026, when he pitched five scoreless innings against the New York Mets.
  • Littell made his first appearance of the year on Tuesday, April 4, 2026, taking the loss against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The players

Andre Pallante

A right-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA so far this season after tossing five scoreless innings in his first start.

Zack Littell

A right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals who is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA after his first outing of the year, a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ivan Herrera

A 25-year-old catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who has started to heat up at the plate, hitting safely in six straight games after a slow start to the season.

Luis Garcia Jr.

A young infielder for the Washington Nationals who hit a home run in their recent loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

James Wood

A Nationals outfielder who also homered in the defeat against the Dodgers, though Washington was unable to hold the lead.

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What they’re saying

“He threw a really good game. Missing bats with the slider, used the sinker appropriately inside. What he was able to do with the baseball was really good.”

— Oliver Marmol, Cardinals Manager

“Getting the shortened spring, we're still trying to get to a place where we can just go out there and compete and not worry about the execution, pitch shapes, how the body is moving. We'll get there.”

— Zack Littell, Nationals Pitcher

“I think we have to be smart about how that workload gets increased in order to have [Herrera] healthy for an entire season. But up to this point, I feel like he's done a really nice job behind the plate.”

— Oliver Marmol, Cardinals Manager

“You've just got to wear it and move on from it and learn from it. Yeah, it's tough, but we're going to learn from it and keep battling and come out on top for more of these games.”

— James Wood, Nationals Outfielder

What’s next

The Nationals and Cardinals will play the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

The takeaway

This early-season matchup between the Nationals and Cardinals will test both teams' ability to bounce back from recent struggles. The Nationals' bullpen issues and the Cardinals' search for consistency will be on full display, with each squad looking to gain an edge in their respective divisions.