Houston Astros at Washington Nationals

With a swing of the bat, CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. both set career highs in the Nationals’ lopsided 8-2 win over the Astros on Wednesday. They are the latest in a series of Nats players reaching career milestones before the All-Star break. “It's awesome stuff,” said manager Blake Butera following the series win. “It's just a testament again to the way they prepare, the way they go about their business, the job our coaches do. They put a lot of time, work and effort into getting ready to go for these games, and being dialed into the game plan and what they're expecting to see is a large part of that. And when they get the pitches they're looking for, they're doing damage. Couldn't be happier for CJ and Luis for those career highs.” Abrams drove in his 66th and 67th runs of the season, surpassing his previous career high of 65 RBIs, set in 2024. Abrams plated James Wood on a sacrifice fly in the third inning, then in the fifth he belted a solo shot, tying his career high of 20 home runs, also set in ‘24. “It’s great. It shows the work pays off," Abrams said. "The discipline at the plate is my biggest thing. \[I’m\