WASHINGTON — The Cleveland Guardians staged a dramatic comeback to defeat the Washington Nationals 8-6 on May 7, 2025, at Nationals Park, improving their record to 22-15 and holding second place in the AL Central. The Nationals, now 17-21 and fourth in the NL East, led 3-0 until the sixth inning, when the Guardians erupted for eight runs to secure the victory. The game, attended by 19,896 fans, lasted 2 hours and 58 minutes under partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 72 degrees.
The Nationals built an early lead against Guardians starter Logan Allen. In the second inning, Jacob Young’s double drove in Alex Call, making it 1-0. In the third, Call’s single scored Amed Rosario, and Luis García Jr.’s sacrifice fly brought in Nathaniel Lowe, extending the lead to 3-0. The Guardians’ offense was quiet through five innings against Nationals starter Michael Soroka, who allowed five hits and struck out eight.
Cleveland’s bats came alive in the sixth, capitalizing on Washington’s pitching struggles. Carlos Santana’s three-run double tied the game at 3-3, scoring Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneemann, and José Ramírez. After Soroka exited, reliever Jorge López allowed a two-run single by Angel Martínez, scoring Santana and Gabriel Arias, giving Cleveland a 5-3 lead. A wild pitch by López scored Bo Naylor, and Brayan Rocchio’s groundout brought in Martínez, making it 7-3. José Ramírez’s single off Andrew Chafin scored Kwan, capping the eight-run inning at 8-3.
The Nationals fought back in the seventh against Guardians reliever Matt Festa. CJ Abrams’ single scored García, and Rosario’s two-run single brought in Dylan Crews and Abrams, narrowing the gap to 8-6. With runners on second and third, reliever Cade Smith induced a flyout from Call to end the threat. Cleveland’s bullpen, including Kolby Allard and Emmanuel Clase, held the lead, with Clase earning his eighth save by retiring the Nationals in the ninth.
Joey Cantillo earned the win for Cleveland, improving to 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA after pitching a scoreless fifth inning. Soroka took the loss, falling to 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA, after allowing four runs over five innings. Gabriel Arias led the Guardians, going 4-for-5 with a double, while Santana’s three RBIs and Ramírez’s RBI single were pivotal. For the Nationals, Abrams and Rosario each had three hits, with Rosario driving in two runs.
Both teams had ample opportunities, with the Guardians going 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position and the Nationals 4-for-19. Washington left 15 runners on base, including eight in scoring position, while Cleveland stranded seven. Defensively, the Guardians executed a pickoff in the first, with Allen catching Rosario at second, but José Ramírez’s error in the fifth allowed a Nationals rally. Washington’s Keibert Ruiz threw out Nolan Jones stealing in the fifth.
The Guardians’ bullpen was tested, using seven pitchers, including Cantillo, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, Festa, Smith, Allard, and Clase. Washington used four pitchers, with López and Chafin struggling in the sixth, allowing four earned runs combined. The game featured three wild pitches, two by Washington’s relievers, which contributed to Cleveland’s scoring.
This victory marked Cleveland’s second win in the three-game series, following a 5-3 loss on May 6. The Guardians have won four of their last five games, bolstered by consistent offense from Arias and Ramírez. The Nationals, despite strong performances from Abrams and James Wood, who went 3-for-6, have lost three of their last four, struggling to convert scoring opportunities.
