Brad

Lord

The 25-year-old hurler also issued a pair of walks in the ballgame while punching out four opposing hitters. All of the damage done against him came via the long ball, with Miguel Vargas crushing a two-run shot in the first inning, Brooks Baldwin adding a solo shot in the fourth and Dominic Fletcher launching a two-run blast in the fourth. Lord got nine whiffs on 80 pitches on the afternoon, posting a CSW of 26 percent. He finishes the 2025 season with an uninspiring 5-10 record, 4.34 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 108/43 K/BB ratio across 130 2/3 innings in 48 appearances (19 starts). He’ll probably have to battle for a spot in the Nationals’ rotation to open the 2026 campaign.

The 25-year-old hurler struck out four batters on the night while allowing only one base on balls. All of the damage done against him came via the long ball as Michael Harris II swatted a solo homer in the fifth inning and Ronald Acuña Jr. added a go-ahead blast in the sixth inning. Lord got seven whiffs on 96 pitches on the night — six on his fastball — while posting a CSW of 22 percent. He finishes the season with a 5-9 record, 4.12 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 104/41 K/BB ratio across 126 2/3 innings in 47 appearances (18 starts).

Gore won’t make a final start Sunday after giving up four runs in two innings against the Braves on Monday. The Nationals could just use Brad Lord, tonight’s schedule starter, on four days’ rest then. Gore, who missed two starts at the beginning of the month with shoulder tendinitis, ends the year 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA. That doesn’t look like much now, but he did make the All-Star team before fading, and his 27.2% strikeout rate is a new high.

Lord’s season high for pitches in a 2025 split between the rotation and the pen had been 92. Today’s game saw him open with 92 pitches through five scoreless innings. For some reason, though, Miguel Cairo thought this was a good time to extend him in probably his next-to-last start of the season. He opened the sixth by giving up hits to two of the three batters he faced before being lifted and was charged with two of the Braves’ four runs in the frame. So, no positive outcome here. Lord will face the Braves again next week.

Lord fought through traffic on the bases in nearly every inning here and bent, but didn’t break to wind up with a quality start. He barely barely missed any bats either, it just didn’t matter much against this pitiful Pirates lineup. Next up for Lord is a meeting with the Braves at home.

A nice rebound from giving up seven runs each of his last two times out. Lord’s 92-96 mph fastball was incredibly effective today; he threw it 40 times and it was put into play just once, with that turning into a 103-mph double-play ball from Ian Happ. It had a 30% CSW. Lord improved to 3-3 with a 5.28 ERA in nine starts since joining the rotation. He’ll face the Marlins on Thursday, unless the Nationals perhaps decide to add a spot starter with no days off next week.

Lord gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three. Things got away from the 25-year-old right-hander in the second inning. Lord allowed an RBI single, walked the bases loaded and issued a walk with the bases loaded before giving up a grand slam to Brandon Lowe with two outs. Lord has a 4.34 ERA and 85/35 K/BB ratio in 103 2/3 innings this year. He’s lined up to face the Cubs on the road next weekend.

It was two runs through four before the Yankees turned this one into a rout in the fifth. It’s the first time in 13 starts and 29 relief appearances this season that Lord has allowed more than four runs. He should face the Rays on Sunday, but the Nationals might monitor his workload in September after a season in which he’s bounced around between the pen and the rotation.

It was a miracle that Lord wound up with a win in this start. Of the 17 balls the Mets put in play, 13 were hard-hit and 11 were hit harder than 100 mph. Runners were on base in five of the six innings he started, but he wriggled out of trouble enough to keep his team ahead. He’s lined up for a two-start week next first in Yankee Stadium and then at home against the Rays.

Lord allowed seven hits, but they produced only nine total bases and he walked just one. He’s allowed a total of eight runs over 26 innings in five starts since rejoining the rotation, and it’s very clear the Nationals made the right choice in turning to him as a starter rather than having him replace Kyle Finnegan in the ninth. He’ll face the Mets next week.