Nationals Dominate Cardinals 9-1 as Series Continues Saturday
The Washington Nationals cruised to a 9-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night, powered by a balanced offensive attack and solid pitching. The Nationals improved to 72-82 on the season, while the Cardinals fell to 75-79. Washington jumped out to an early lead with a three-run first inning and never looked back, adding two runs in the second, four in the third, and one more in the sixth. The Cardinals managed just one run in the eighth inning. Kyle Leahy earned the win for the Nationals, improving his record to 10-5. The teams will continue their series on Saturday.
In injury news, the Nationals have placed reliever Orlando Ribalta on the 15-day injured list due to right forearm inflammation. Additionally, catcher Drew Millas has been transferred to the 60-day injured list with a left index finger fracture, and left-hander DJ Herz remains on the 60-day IL as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. These moves further deplete Washington’s pitching depth as the season winds down.
The game’s scoring summary shows the Nationals’ dominance: they scored in four different innings, tallying nine runs on seven hits with no errors. The Cardinals, meanwhile, had seven hits but committed three errors, leading to their lopsided defeat. Brady House’s first-inning groundout was just one of many early opportunities the Nationals capitalized on. With the win, Washington looks to build momentum as the series continues on Saturday.
Off the field, a separate news story involving media access at the White House has drawn attention. Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were denied access on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump said he was barring them due to reporting he deemed “fake news.” MS NOW responded, stating it “intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.” This development, while unrelated to the Nationals-Cardinals series, highlights ongoing tensions between the media and the administration.
Shimanta Das 
