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I’m running out of words to describe how dreadful the Nats’ starting rotation has been as of late. The latest entry into the saga of suck came from Mitchell Parker, who has unfortunately become a regular contributor. We know that Michael Soroka’s troubles usually begin around the sixth inning, but lately, for Parker, it’s been the third inning. In his last two starts combined, he’s allowed 13 runs in the third inning, and just three in the other 8.2 innings. It’s especially deflating when you take into account the Nats’ offense hasn’t exactly been good in shootouts this year, so innings like those from the opposing offenses really put the game out of reach early on.

The third inning began on a positive note for the visitors, CJ Abrams cashed in on a leadoff walk drawn by Riley Adams, scoring him on an RBI triple to center. This was a good sign for a lot of fans, especially those who were disturbed, and rightfully so, by the momentary lack of effort that Abrams showed in last night’s game in St. Louis.

The trend that’s developed this season of the Nats playing flat and uninspired baseball in rubber matches continued tonight, as they consistently had no answer for the St. Louis Cardinals on either side of the ball. An ugly performance all around by the visitors was indicative of what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from this ballclub in series-winning opportunities this season.

The home run hat and American flag suit are both back in the Nationals’ dugout, as was an energy and excitement level that we haven’t seen in weeks. The Nationals broke out of their offensive funk tonight, and it’s no coincidence that they seemed to genuinely be enjoying themselves for the first time in a while. Interim manager Miguel Cairo was rewarded for his efforts tonight with his first career win as a big league manager in the Nats’ 8-2 victory in St. Louis.

The Miguel Cairo-led era of Nationals baseball began tonight, in quite uneventful fashion. The Cardinals, while it wasn’t an overly impressive performance from their offense, put on a pitching clinic tonight thanks to Sonny Gray and a gaggle of relief arms. This one, while close throughout, never really felt like it was in doubt once St. Louis took the lead, a testament to the effectiveness of their pitching staff.

The Washington Nationals will play their first game under interim GM Mike DeBartolo and manager Miguel Cairo. Both of them met with the media before the game.