​The Nationals earned another series win by defeating the Astros 8-2 in the final game of the three-game set on Wednesday. In his last nine starts with Foster Griffin on the mound, Washington had gone 8-1, and he continued that strong form in his 19th start of the season, helping lay the groundwork for a decisive win.
Griffin wasted no time, spinning a clean 1-2-3 first inning that set the tone for the front end of the game. Jorbit Vivas added to the offense’s rhythm in the second, pulling a one-out double, but the Nationals’ momentum stalled briefly as they added two quick outs. For a stretch, the bats were quiet, and three players were stranded on base through the early innings, threatening to let the Astros seize the moment.
Yet Washington flipped the script with renewed aggression at the plate. After a walk, Wood swiped his 15th base of the season, and Luis García Jr. followed by earning a free pass, placing runners on the bases with no outs. Curtis Mead, stepping in behind the plate, initially looked to drive a run, and even though his line drive to center wasn’t a hit, it was enough to move Wood into scoring position on the ensuing play.
With Mead at the plate and runners on the corners, the Nationals avoided repeating their earlier pattern of squandered opportunities. García then added another layer of pressure by stealing his fourth bag of the season as Abrams took one for the team, drawing a sacrifice fly to left that brought Wood home for the first run and the lead. The Astros’ defense was momentarily backed into a corner as Lile cashed in with a second hit of the afternoon, driving García home with a double that stretched Washington’s advantage to 2-0.
Griffin continued to pitch with precision, minimizing the workload on Washington’s defense and keeping the Astros at bay. The Nationals’ lead grew in the later innings as they extended their rally with timely hitting and aggressive baserunning.
With two outs and runners on first and second, García delivered a crucial blow that widened the gap. He crushed a 76 mph curveball, sending it 417 feet to right-center for a three-run homer, one of several bursts that helped push the Nationals ahead. The blast marked García’s 20th home run of the season, symbolizing his contribution to a potent Nationals offense that had been heating up at the right moments.
The Nationals boasted the day’s most important trend: they have the MLB’s longest active streak of games with at least one homer, reaching 11 consecutive games with a round-tripper on Wednesday. The Astros, meanwhile, continued to search for ways to cut into Washington’s advantage but found little success against Griffin’s steady pitching and the relentless Nationals bats.
In the end, Washington’s 8-2 triumph underscored a well-rounded performance: Griffin’s quality start on the mound, productive and opportunistic hitting throughout the lineup, and a strategic blend of speed, patience, and power that kept the pressure on Houston from start to finish. The win solidified the Nationals’ foothold in the series and reinforced their tendency to strike early and capitalize on opportunities to push ahead, a formula that continued to pay dividends as the season progressed.