The Washington Nationals opened June looking to carry a strong May into a series against the Miami Marlins, with a fourth straight series win within reach. Washington went 6-2-1 in its nine series last month and entered the day in second place in the National League East, a position that made every game feel heavier than a routine early-June date.
That is why Marlins vs Nationals drew attention beyond the usual division meeting. Miami came in at 26-34, had lost five straight and had just been swept by the New York Mets, yet the Marlins had also taken a three-game series from Washington in early May and knew they could still make this trip awkward. For the Nationals, the target was simple: start the month on a high note and keep pressure on the clubs ahead of them.
The series also put two of Miami's best arms into focus, even though no pitcher had been announced yet for part of the matchup. One of them was Sandy Alcantara, the right-hander with a 3-4 record and a 4.66 ERA who was trying to steady a season that had just taken a hit. He was coming off a May in which he gave up six runs or more in three of five appearances, including an eight-run outing against Toronto on May 26.
Alcantara's most recent outing before that rough stretch had been better. Against the Cleveland Guardians, he allowed one run in 6.0 innings and struck out seven, a reminder of the form Miami hoped to recover as it tried to stop the slide. Another Miami pitcher, 26, was also set for his first start in his sixth appearance in 2026, and the club's Game 3 matchup looked like Washington's weakest on paper.
That left a split picture for Miami. The record and the losing streak pointed one way, while the pitching notes pointed another, and the Marlins still had enough on the mound to make the series more than a formality. Washington, though, had the cleaner momentum and the better recent results, and it entered the month with a chance to turn a solid May into something more lasting in the division race.
The next step was the series itself, with Washington already planning to use a bullpen game in the finale. If the Nationals can keep the rhythm they found in May, this becomes more than a strong opening to June; it becomes another reason their place near the top of the National League East looks earned rather than temporary.
