Washington Nationals Struggle to End Road Trip with Loss to Padres

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

The Washington Nationals lost 9-2 to the San Diego Padres, finishing their West Coast trip with a six-game losing streak and no wins. The defeat highlights ongoing struggles since the trade deadline, and the Nationals now return home aiming to regroup and improve in their final 14 games under manager Blake Butera’s leadership.

The Washington Nationals concluded their West Coast road trip with a 9-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, dropping their seventh consecutive game and finishing the six-game trip winless at 0-6. The defeat extended a difficult stretch for the Nationals, who have struggled since the MLB trade deadline on August 3, including setting a record for blown saves earlier in the month.

Washington built an early 2-0 lead in the third inning, highlighted by Keibert Ruiz’s 10th home run of the season and a sequence that loaded the bases with no outs against Padres starter Walker Buehler. However, the Padres’ bullpen, which ranks among the better staffs in the league with a 3.46 ERA, quickly erased that advantage.

The turning point came in the third when Fernando Tatís Jr. singled, followed by a walk to Manny Machado. A controversial checked swing call during Ty France’s at-bat allowed the Padres to continue their inning instead of ending it. France singled to bring in a run, and Jackson Merrill extended the rally with a deep fly that resulted in a triple after the Nationals’ outfielder Jacob Young collided with the wall attempting to make the catch.

Nationals starter Jackson Kent struggled, failing to complete four innings and exiting with the bases loaded in the fourth after committing an error on a play intended to prevent an advance. Manager Blake Butera, who prides himself on maintaining composure, was ejected in the third inning for arguing the checked swing call with first base umpire Emil Jimenez. This marked Butera’s second ejection of the season; the previous occurred on the day of the trade deadline, when the Nationals traded several key players.

Following Butera’s departure, bench coach Michael Johns took over as the Nationals’ downhill slide continued. The Padres added two runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Austin Hays and an error by Kent, pushing their lead further. Merrill contributed a two-run home run later in the game, and relief pitchers Luis Perales and Eddy Yean each allowed an additional run as San Diego put the game out of reach.

Despite the recent slump and mounting frustrations, Butera emphasized the team’s ongoing effort and energy, underscoring the importance of maintaining a focus on improvement during the final 14 games of the season. The Nationals are set to return home and begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Butera stressed the significance of treating each game as an opportunity for growth, warning against allowing the current difficulties to lead to further setbacks.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.