Pirates' Skenes Looks to Stay Hot Against Surging Nationals

The young stars of Pittsburgh and Washington square off in an early-season NL matchup.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 5:07pm

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the players, field, and energy of the contest.Two young, rising teams battle it out on the diamond in a cubist-inspired visual representation of their early-season clash.Today in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, two of the early surprises in the 2026 MLB season, will face off in a four-game series starting Monday. The Pirates will send reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes to the mound, who has bounced back from a rough Opening Day start. The Nationals will counter with their own young ace, Cade Cavalli, who has been strong in his first three outings of the year.

Why it matters

This early-season matchup between the upstart Pirates and Nationals features two of the game's brightest young pitching talents in Skenes and Cavalli. Both teams have exceeded expectations so far, making this a potentially pivotal series in the NL playoff race.

The details

Skenes (2-1, 5.25 ERA) will look to build on his last two starts, in which he's allowed just one earned run in each outing. The Nationals will counter with Cavalli (0-0, 2.51 ERA), who has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his three starts this season despite some control issues.

  • The series opener is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026 at 6:40 p.m. ET.
  • Skenes' last start was on April 8 against the Padres, where he went 6 1/3 innings and allowed one earned run.
  • Cavalli's most recent start was on April 11 against the Cardinals, where he went 4 2/3 innings and allowed one earned run.

The players

Paul Skenes

The reigning NL Cy Young award winner, Skenes is off to a strong start for the Pirates after a rough Opening Day outing.

Cade Cavalli

The Nationals' young right-hander has been impressive in his first three starts of the 2026 season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have been one of the early surprises in the 2026 MLB season, leading the competitive NL Central with a 9-6 record.

Washington Nationals

The Nationals have also exceeded expectations so far, sweeping the Brewers on the road and sitting at 7-8 on the young season.

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What’s next

The four-game series between the Pirates and Nationals will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with the final game on Friday.

The takeaway

This early-season matchup between two of the NL's surprise teams features a compelling pitching duel between two of the league's brightest young stars in Skenes and Cavalli. The outcome of this series could have significant implications for the NL playoff race.