Washington, D.C
Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats drop second straight to Cubs; 5-3 in D.C.; DJ Herz runs into trouble in 5th…
DJ IN D.C.:
In his previous four starts before facing the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon in D.C., DJ Herz gave up 6 of the 15 hits, 7 of his 11 walks, and 4 of the 7 runs he allowed in the outings in the first innings of those appearances.
“The first inning over the last couple of starts has been rough,” manager Davey Martinez told reporters, as quoted on MLB.com, after Herz tossed a clean first inning (minus the HBP and the 2 walks which loaded the bases before he got out of the 27-pitch bottom of the inning in Atlanta) against the Braves last week in Truist Park, “… but he seems to settle down a little bit and he starts throwing strikes and utilizing his pitches.
“It’s about getting the ball close to the zone because his stuff is really good. If he gets too erratic, that’s when he gets in trouble. When he keeps the ball in the zone, he gets a lot of swings and misses.”
“[The first inning] has been like that three times in a row,” Herz said. “That’ll stop eventually, but I just keep grinding through [my starts] and they will eventually change.”
Asked how he’s able to put the rough firsts behind him and settle in, Herz told reporters, “It all happens just by attacking the zone. When I’m attacking the zone and [I get] settled in, it all plays.
“I’m not chasing anything, I’m just letting it happen.”
Martinez said his starter would also have to deal with the emotions of going against his one-time team, since he was facing the Cubs who drafted him in the 8th Round in 2019 and traded him (along with infielder Kevin Made) to the Nationals (for Jeimer Candelario in 2023).
“He’s going to be a little wild, I mean, not pitch-wise, yeah, it’s his old team, right?” Martinez said. “But we got to be able to control his heartbeat, but we expect him to go out there and compete, and I know he’ll do that.”
“He might be a little anxious. We got to get him through that first inning. We’ve said that his last few outings. He comes out and he’s just geeked up, ready to go. We’ve to get him to slow his heartbeat down and get him through that first inning and settle in and he should be fine.”
Herz, who said in Spring Training he wanted to show Chicago they made a mistake when they dealt him, got through a quick, clean first, worked around a walk (and balk) in the top of the second, and struck out 2 of 3 batters in the third for three scoreless (and hitless) on 46 pitches.
DJ Herz in spring training: “I’m going to show them up, or I’m going to come out and I’m just going to put everything on the line and be a beast and do everything I can to make the Cubs know that they messed up a little bit.” https://t.co/e33XFbwvO4 https://t.co/xUBcKBUj82
— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) August 31, 2024
Herz retired the Cubs in order in a 13-pitch fourth which left him at 59 pitches overall, but it went all pear-shaped for the southpaw in the fifth. He took the mound with a 2-0 lead, but a single by Isaac Paredes for the first hit by the visiting team, a walk to Michael Busch, and a line drive single by Nico Hoerner loaded the bases with no one out before a sac fly by Pete Crow-Armstrong cut the lead in half, 2-1, an RBI single by Christian Bethancourt tied things up at 2-2, and a ground ball to the mound brought in the third run, 3-2 Cubbies.
That was it for Herz, who threw 87 pitches total in the outing, walking two, striking out five, and giving up three hits and four earned runs, the fourth scoring after he was in the home dugout, 4-2, in what ended up a 5-3 win for the Cubs.
“We talked about the first inning, right?” Martinez said after the second straight loss in the series. “The first inning he came out and he threw the ball really well, and then he had one inning where he just got the ball up a little bit. So, we tried to get him out of the inning, he couldn’t get it. He threw one changeup right down the middle, it cost him a couple runs.
“But overall I thought he threw the ball [well]. Pitch count got up there, but he was attacking the zone.
“Sometimes he was trying to make that finish pitch, he couldn’t get it over, and he got into deep counts.”
“I think there were times when I got 0-2 or 1-2 and I was trying to maybe [get hitters to] chase,” Herz said, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, “… instead of just staying in the zone and not nibbling,” the lefty said. “I think that came back to get me, especially in that last inning.”
LEADOFF SPOT:
Davey Martinez gave CJ Abrams a night off against Yankees’ lefty Carlos Rodón on Wednesday night, with the shortstop scuffling at the plate and mired in a long-ish slump this month (.184/.250/.322 line in August).
“We’ve got a day off tomorrow. I wanted to give him two days off,” he explained. “I told him there’s a good chance he might get into the game today, so be ready. But I wanted to get him off his feet. He’s played a lot. He went through the All-Star break, didn’t really have any time off. So I’m trying to give him a day off here and there.”
Martinez moved rookie Dylan Crews up to the top of the Nationals’ lineup in the series finale with New York.
“I would really like him to hit up at the top because he does take pitches, he understands the strike zone, but yet he’s aggressive,” Martinez said, as quoted by MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato. “I know that he can walk, so I would love to hit him up at the top.”
Martinez told reporters he would keep his newest outfielder up top against a lefty in the series opener with Chicago (NL) and he did, even with Abrams back in there in the first of three with the Cubs.
Abrams hit seventh in the lineup.
“Just want to give him a little breather,” the skipper said of dropping Abrams to the 7-hole. “I want him to relax a little bit, just kind of start working better at-bats. As you know, he’s chasing a lot. I just want him to kind of slow down a little bit. So I talked to him before I sent the lineup out. He’s good with it. And like I said, when you start getting on base and taking your walks, I want you to get back up there. But we need to slow you down a little bit. He’s just swinging a lot.”
Seeing Abrams revert to some bad habits at the plate led the manager to make the decision to shake things up a bit.
“He’s got to go back to using the middle of the field and swinging at strikes,” he said. “I know he likes swinging at the first pitch, as we always see. I told him, I said, “I’m not going to tell you not to, especially if you get a fastball, but it’s got to be in the zone. And that’s where we need to be.’ But like I said, he worked his way to be a leadoff hitter. He’s going to do it again. I just want to just ease his mind a little bit and just go out there and have fun and get some decent pitches to hit. If not, walk.”
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As Martinez noted, Abrams has struggled throughout the second half, with a rough .178/.243/.282 line over 35 games and his 148 plate appearances since the All-Star Break, after a .268/.343/.489 first half (in 89 games and 398 PAs).
“He’s been struggling pretty much since the All-Star break and we’re trying to get him going,” Martinez said.
”I think the biggest thing we need to do with him is understand that he needs to slow his feet down. He’s really going to get the baseball. We need him to get back, get ready early, and slow his feet down a little bit.”
“It’s been going on for a while, been wanting to do it for a while, and I thought, ‘Let’s do it now and see if we can get him back so he can finish the season off strong.’ A lot of teams move their guys all over the place.”
The hope, Martinez said, is Abrams will see the way opposing pitchers attach his teammates (especially his fellow lefties in the lineup) and be better prepared for his own at-bats.
“I want him to focus on watching some of the other guys’ at-bats, and see what the pitcher is doing for a little bit until he goes up there.
“We talked about that today —- he gets to see a couple lefties like [James] Wood and [José] Tena hit in front of him and see what the pitcher is trying to do to them.
“Hopefully he’ll understand what the guy is trying to do and see what the balls are doing.”
If the move sparks something in Abrams, and he finishes strong he’ll end the year on a positive note.
“I think it will help him. I think, one, like I said, the pressure of being that first guy to get on base and try to get something going for us, it’s definitely a lot of pressure,” Martinez acknowledged.
“Right now, I think the best thing for him is just to kind of move him down, not feel the added pressure. He can hit, as we all know, but just getting him back in the zone, and getting him to take some pitches maybe will definitely help him out, and like I said, once he gets going again we’ll get him back up there.”
Washington, D.C
Weekend weather in the DC Area: A little bit of everything
WASHINGTON (7News) — If you’ve got plans around D.C., Maryland, or Northern Virginia this weekend, you’ll want to stay flexible.
The forecast brings a mix of warm temperatures, sunshine, and a few rounds of showers and storms—especially Saturday and late Sunday.
Here’s a simple, hour-by-hour style breakdown so you can plan ahead.
Saturday: Warm Front, Clouds, and Spotty Storms
Morning (6 AM – 12 PM)
Mostly cloudy to start
A few early showers possible, especially toward the MD/PA border
Temperatures climbing through the 60s into the low 70s
What’s happening: A warm front is lifting north, bringing in milder air.
Afternoon (12 PM – 5 PM)
Highs reach the mid-70s
Clouds may break at times
Scattered showers and thunderstorms develop
Storm window: 2 PM – 7 PM
About a 50% chance of rain
Severe risk is low, but not zero
Possible:
Brief heavy downpours
Gusty winds
Maybe even small hail in isolated spots
Good news: Not everyone sees rain—but keep an eye on the sky.
Evening & Night (After 7 PM)
Storm chances linger early, then fade
Skies turn partly cloudy overnight
Lows drop to the mid-50s
Winds become light
Most of the night should be quiet and comfortable.
Sunday: The Pick of the Weekend
Morning
Dry and pleasant
A mix of sun and clouds early
Afternoon
Sunny and warmer
Highs in the low 80s
Light southwest breeze
This is your best outdoor day—great for parks, brunch, or yard work.
Sunday Night (After Midnight)
Clouds increase
Showers likely after midnight (70% chance)
Lows in the mid-50s
Winds shift from the north
Rain becomes more steady and widespread overnight
Looking Ahead (Late Sunday into Monday)
A cold front approaches from the northwest
Best chance for rain: Sunday night → Monday morning
Rainfall totals:
Generally 0.10″ to 0.25″
Locally higher in spots
Storms are possible, but:
Limited instability
Severe weather risk remains low
Weekend Planning Tips
Saturday:
Keep plans flexible—have a backup indoor option in the afternoon
Sunday:
Get outside early—it’s the best weather window
Sunday night:
Expect rain if you’re out late or traveling
The Big Picture
This weekend is part of a warming trend, with temperatures climbing from the 70s into the 80s. But with that warmth comes multiple chances for showers and storms, especially as weather fronts move through the region.
This weekend compared too next
Washington, D.C
Mom finds out daughter with autism was sexually abused at DC school week after it happened
CONTENT WARNING: This story contains content that may be uncomfortable to some readers. Discretion is advised.
WASHINGTON (7News) — A mother said she learned her 13-year-old daughter was sexually abused in a D.C. school when a detective contacted her a week after it happened. She said the school never notified her.
7News sat down with the mother on Friday, while her daughter was being evaluated and interviewed by detectives. We’re not sharing the mom’s identity to protect her daughter.
ALSO READ | Virginia health officials monitor cruise ship passengers for deadly hantavirus symptoms
The mom said she got a call Sunday night, “regarding my daughter and a sexual assault that happened at school involving my daughter last Monday.”
However, it didn’t come from the place or people she said she counted on.
“I never got a phone call from the school, an email, a text, nothing to say,” said the mom. Nothing happened until a week later.
That’s when a detective called and told her what happened.
“She was forced to give oral sex to a student in school,” said the mom.
Her 13-year-old daughter is disabled, autistic, and has challenges communicating.
The mom said she was sending her daughter to school without knowing what happened.
“I noticed a little behavior, emotional changes,” said the mom. “When I got that call now, it makes sense to, you know, what you because of what she had experienced at school and to come home and she didn’t say anything or no one had called me and just like it breaks my heart.”
7News obtained a copy of the police report, which confirms the youth investigative branch is investigating what happened to her daughter as sexual abuse. It shows that a Kelly Miller Middle School social worker reported it to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) last week.
“I just hope that I can be able to get her back on the right track. From all the trauma, on top of trauma,” said the mom. “To be able to grow and not have to hold that in the back of her head that she experienced in school, which should have been her safe place.”
7News started reaching out to DCPS just after 12:30 p.m. to ask if the students suspected of the abuse have been removed from the school, and why parents wouldn’t have been notified about the incident. They did not get back to us until after our first report aired. They did not answer either question. They provided the following statement.
A district spokesperson provided this statement:
At DC Public Schools (DCPS), student safety and wellbeing are paramount, and the district treats any allegation of sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness. DCPS will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as this matter is investigated.
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and our obligation to maintain student confidentiality, we are unable to provide comment on individual student cases.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault or abuse, the National Sexual Assault Hotline can be accessed by calling 1-800-656-4673.
Washington, D.C
Canvas cyberattack leaves many DC-area school systems without service
WASHINGTON – A cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system left thousands of schools and universities offline Thursday, disrupting access to grades, assignments, course materials and lecture videos as students prepared for finals.
The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach, according to the Associated Press. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, did not immediately respond to questions about whether the system was taken down as a precaution or knocked offline, the AP reported.
READ MORE: Canvas outage impacts thousands of schools, universities: Hacker group reportedly takes credit
The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed. Many school systems and universities in the Washington, D.C. region rely on Canvas as their primary learning management system.
In Montgomery County, school officials said access to the platform will remain unavailable “out of an abundance of caution” while they work to understand the impact of the incident and any potential vulnerabilities. Families were urged not to log in until MCPS and the myMCPS Classroom vendor resolve the issue.
The University of Maryland said it does not yet know when Canvas will return to service.
Canvas Cyberattack DC-Area School Systems Affected
Montgomery County Public Schools
Canvas (myMCPS Classroom) owned by Instructure Inc., is used by the school district as its learning management system. Due to a reported global cybersecurity concern involving Canvas, and impacting numerous school systems, universities, corporations in Maryland, other states, and worldwide, thus access to myMCPS Classroom has been disabled.
Out of an abundance of caution, access to the system will remain unavailable while we work to better understand the full impact of the incident and any potential vulnerabilities involving information connected to the platform. Please do not attempt to log in to the platform until MCPS and the myMCPS Classroom (Canvas) vendor have resolved this problem.
At this time, appropriate MCPS technology and security staff are continuing to assess the situation and coordinate with the vendor. We understand this disruption is frustrating and appreciate your patience as this work continues.
myMCPS Classroom provides access to student information such as grades, assignments, attendance, and course materials, and is an important tool for students and families to monitor academic progress. Additional information on how students can access resources and functions in myMCPS Classroom will be provided as soon as possible.
Updates will be shared as soon as additional information becomes available.
University of Maryland
Canvas may appear to be up right now, but please to not use it. DIT Security is not confident the system is safe to use right now. Please check back here before using Canvas.
For our faculty who use Canvas, we have created this guidance, and we will continue adding resources tomorrow. Please stay in touch with your students as we adapt to this evolving situation.
Prince George’s County Schools
There has been a cybersecurity incident involving Canvas, our Learning Management System.
Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, notified us of a global cybersecurity incident affecting 275 million users across numerous educational institutions. We have been informed that PGCPS was one of the many impacted organizations. While personal information including names, emails and Student IDs was impacted, NO sensitive information, such as dates of birth, passwords, financial information, was involved. PGCPS does not store that type of sensitive information or parent information in Canvas.
We are using this as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of exercising caution when communicating by email and remaining vigilant regarding suspicious messages, spam, phishing attempts, or other potentially fraudulent communications.
We will continue to monitor the situation and remain in close communication with Instructure.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Due to the ongoing issues with the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), AACPS will operate schools on Friday, May 8, 2026, without the use of the LMS. The Virtual Academy will also remain open with altered instructional delivery that will also not use the LMS. Further instructions will be communicated from the school principal. The latest information regarding the breach and the status of school district operations can be found at www.aacps.org/canvasbreach.
Prince William County Public Schools
We are aware of the error appearing when accessing Canvas and are actively working with the vendor to resolve it. The issue is not just impacting PWCS, and is widespread and national in scope. We will provide updates when the vendor has resolved the issue.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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