If Friday felt any different to Cade Cavalli, he wasn’t showing it. Hours after the Nationals announced a four-year contract extension that will keep the right-hander in Washington through at least 2030, Cavalli sat at his locker inside the visiting clubhouse at Busch Stadium dressed like he always does on start days. A bright red Nationals beanie covered his head. A dark hoodie and gray sweatpants made it look as though he were preparing for a chilly October afternoon rather than a sweltering day in St. Louis. Black earbuds were in. His glove was in his lap. Cavalli tossed a baseball into the air and caught it. Again. And again. He stopped occasionally to pound his fist into the pocket of his glove, then set it aside and flipped through the thick binder marked with his No. 24. At another point, Cavalli draped a white Gatorade towel over his head and sat motionless at his locker. The routine was so sacred that manager Blake Butera didn’t dare interrupt it. Even on the day the Nationals made their biggest commitment to a pitcher in years, Butera limited his interaction with Cavalli to a congratulatory fist bump. “I usually don’t talk to him when he pitches,” Butera said. “The last thing I want to do is change anything to his routine that he’s had so much success with.” A few hours later, Cavalli showed why. The 28-year-old tossed five scoreless innings in the Nationals’ series opening 9-1 win against the Cardinals, scattering four hits without issuing a walk and striking out six. With Washington’s offense staking him to a 9-0 lead, Cavalli’s night ended after only 73 pitches.
