Washington, D.C
Washington Nationals Rising Rotation Star Showing Cy Young Potential
The Washington Nationals are heading into the offseason after a promising campaign in 2024, in which they saw a lot of development even as they only won 71 games for the second straight season.
This winter figures to be an interesting one for the Nationals. They have the ability to spend and have a young core of talent, which could make Washington a desirable destination for free agents once again.
Washington’s win total figures to take a nice jump in 2025 if it can add some veterans, along with the improvement of its young core. The everyday lineup for the Nationals gets most of the attention with top young prospects in Dylan Crews and James Wood. However, they have some young talent in their starting rotation as well.
Since the pitching rotation is fairly young, there was inconsistency throughout last year. One pitcher who has shown some signs of elite potential has been MacKenzie Gore.
The talented southpaw came over as part of the Juan Soto trade and has pitched well so far for the Nationals. Recently, Bobby Blanco of MASN Sports wrote about Gore’s potential to be a Cy Young candidate in the future.
From his perspective, the way that Gore finished the season allowed him to put up some of the best numbers of any pitcher on the roster.
“..he posted a 1.55 ERA and 0.910 WHIP over his final seven starts. When it was all said and done, he had the best ERA by any Nationals pitcher who made at least 20 starts, and the most strikeouts since 2019. If Gore can put his eclectic stuff together for a full season, he has the potential to be the Nats’ best pitcher since Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.”
In September, the 25-year-old totaled a 2-1 record and 1.26 ERA in five starts. A month isn’t a small sample size, and Gore clearly has some elite potential. Considering he is still a young pitcher, becoming more consistent is a priority.
While the summer months were tough for the southpaw, he shined to start and end the season. As the franchise heads into 2025, he should build upon how he ended last year.
Competing for a Cy Young might still be a few years away, but he has shown glimpses that he can be an elite pitcher.
Washington, D.C
Man dies after being stabbed in Northeast DC
Washington, D.C
Thieves steal $50,000 worth of clothing from Northeast DC store
D.C. police have released video of suspects in a string of smash-and-grabs in Northeast D.C. Police say a group of thieves allegedly stole $50,000 worth of merchandise from high-end clothing store A Ma Maniére on H street in September.
The stunning action caught on camera inside the store led to this reaction from Doris Windham, who plans to open up her own business on the same street in Northeast D.C. next month.
“To hear that those types of things are happening in this area, it’s a little alarming,” she said.
Security cameras inside the store captured the moments the first couple of suspects are seen crawling through a door that police say they smashed with a tool before smashing the interior door with a brick.
Fast forward in the video and multiple suspects can be seen running to the door with arms filled with clothes.
D.C. police say another burglary happened last month just up the street at a vape shop.
Investigators released a video captured outside the H & Vape store on H Street.
Police say back in october, three suspects broke into the rear door of the business with two crowbars.
Once inside, the group is seen on video walking behind the counter before leaving with their hands filled with vape products.
“So to come and do that somewhere where we’re trying to build up, it’s just not cool,” Windham said.
Investigators say anyone with information about either burglary is asked to contact police.
Washington, D.C
Washington Spirit outlast Gotham FC in penalty kicks to advance to NWSL final
A trio of saves by goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury halted the defending NWSL champion in its tracks, as the Washington Spirit outlasted Gotham FC in a game that went the distance. The Spirit converted its first three attempts in alternating order with Kingsbury’s saves to end the shootout sequence with the fewest rounds necessary.
Washington returns to the NWSL championship for the first time since it won the title in 2021, where it’ll face the winner of Sunday’s other semifinal between the Orlando Pride and the KC Current.
“I just wanted to do whatever I could to help the team win,” Kingsbury told the CBS broadcast after the game. “We’ve been practicing for these, and just to grind out those 120 minutes, I knew they would come through and make them (the penalties). I just did my part.”
TICKET PUNCHED.
The Washington Spirit are heading to the NWSL Championship after defeating Gotham FC in PKs.
🎥 @AttackingThird | @WashSpirit pic.twitter.com/4Cl3QGMRnc
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 16, 2024
It was a result that frankly flips the game on its head from where things stood as it reached second-half stoppage time. At that point, Gotham was carrying a narrow 1-0 lead, earned shortly after halftime. Some nimble interplay between Yazmeen Ryan and Rose Lavelle led to a Ryan cross that fell inch-perfectly to Esther González’s forehead. The Spanish striker’s header lobbed back across Kingsbury’s goal, putting her in an awkward position and making her unable to stop it from falling into her net.
However, Washington pushed hard to bring things level. The Spirit outshot Gotham 9-2 following González’s opener until the end of regulation, keeping the defending champion on their heels as Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós replaced attacking-minded players with defensive alternatives in hopes of icing the game.
Ultimately, Hal Hershfelt was up for the big moment.
The budding USWNT star and Spirit midfielder rose up after a Makenna Morris free kick to tower over Gotham’s zonal marking scheme and power the ball past Ann-Katrin Berger. The majority of the 19,365 fans in attendance met her goal with a near-deafening cry of cathartic jubilation. After another Hershfelt header fell atop Berger’s goal in the 96th minute, it was clear that this game would require extra time.
Now playing without its ideal complement of attackers, Gotham seemed content to attempt counterattacks and keep its shape in hopes of reaching the penalty shootout. Bruninha made that task more difficult in the 101st minute, being sent off after earning a second yellow card to the delight of the crowd following a challenge on Trinity Rodman.
Once the shootout arrived, the 20 minutes of shorthanded soccer appeared to catch up with Gotham. So, too, did the voracity of the support behind Washington; while home crowds are often referred to as a 12th player for soccer teams, that advantage proved to be even more palpable against a Gotham side playing with 10.
“I think it’s more just the confidence and having the fans behind me,” Kingsbury said. “I was really trying to get them into it, because I knew that would give us a great advantage, for their penalty takers coming up and trying to make one in front of that wall of fans. Like, I would be scared.”
The game continues an impressive stretch by the Spirit in the wake of Croix Bethune’s season-ending meniscus tear. Before her knee injury, Bethune was playing at a level that didn’t just land her on Emma Hayes’ squad for the Olympics but had her in pole position for rookie of the year and the NWSL Best XI. Without Bethune (and U.S. international Andi Sullivan, who suffered a torn ACL in October), Washington has leaned into a deep pool of capable if unproven box-to-box midfielders, arguably led by Hershfelt — herself a rookie, as well.
Washington also underwent a coordinated midseason coaching change, as Jonatan Giráldez joined the club in June following the end of FC Barcelona’s season. He inherited a side that was already operating near the top of the NWSL table under interim Adrián González, and to his credit, he kept them whirring at a high level without missing a beat.
To reach the final after missing the playoffs altogether in 2022 and 2023 is no small feat, and Saturday’s test shows Washington will be a tough opponent in the final no matter who advances from the other game. Ultimately, their return to the championship largely has Kingsbury, Hershfelt and a packed Audi Field to thank.
Required reading
(Photo: Amber Searls / USA Today)
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