The Washington Nationals host the Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park on Wednesday, August 26, with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 PM ET. Matt Waldron gets the ball for Washington against Colorado's Tanner Gordon in a regular season matchup that gives the Nationals a chance to build on their home record in front of the D.C. faithful. With a young lineup loaded with prospects and developing talent, every game down the stretch is a data point for a franchise still shaping its future.

Starting Pitchers: Matt Waldron vs. Tanner Gordon

Waldron draws the start for the Nationals, taking the mound in a home setting where Washington needs its starters to eat innings and keep the offense in position to work. Waldron's knuckleball-heavy approach gives hitters a different look and can generate early-count contact that works in his favor when he's locating. The challenge is limiting big innings — command lapses can unravel an outing quickly.

Gordon gets the call for Colorado. He'll be working against a Nationals lineup that has plenty of right-handed bats, so the matchups will be worth tracking from the first inning. Neither pitcher's current season stats were available at publication, so the focus shifts to lineup construction and in-game execution.

Washington Nationals Starting Lineup

• CJ Abrams — SS
• Abimelec Ortiz — 1B
• Dylan Crews — RF
• Daylen Lile — LF
• Andrés Chaparro — 3B
• José Tena — DH
• Harry Ford — C
• Jorbit Vivas — 2B
• Jacob Young — CF

Colorado Rockies Starting Lineup

• Jake McCarthy — LF
• Cole Carrigg — CF
• Hunter Goodman — C
• TJ Rumfield — 1B
• Willi Castro — 3B
• Mickey Moniak — RF
• Connor Norby — 2B
• Troy Johnston — DH
• Ezequiel Tovar — SS

Keys to Watch for the Nationals

Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile in the Heart of the Order

The three-four combination of Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile is the most compelling piece of this lineup to watch. Both are young outfielders the organization is counting on to develop into core pieces, and back-to-back at-bats from that duo against a starter like Gordon will tell you something real about where their games are. Get Abrams and Ortiz on base ahead of them, and Washington has genuine run-scoring upside in the middle innings.

CJ Abrams Setting the Table

Abrams leadoff is the engine. His ability to get on base and create chaos on the basepaths sets the tone for the entire lineup. If Abrams is working counts and finding gaps early, Nationals Park gets loud fast.

Harry Ford Behind the Plate

Ford's framing and game-calling are central to how Waldron operates. The battery connection between a pitch-to-contact starter and a developing catcher is one of the more interesting subplots in this lineup card.

Prediction

This is a winnable game at home. Colorado brings a lineup without an obvious middle-of-the-order anchor that stands out, and Nationals Park should be a comfortable setting for Waldron to work his craft. The Nationals lineup has enough depth — particularly in the two through four spots — to generate three to four runs if Gordon doesn't have his best command. Washington takes this one, 5–3.

Catch the game on Nationals.TV or tune in on WJFK 106.7 The Fan for local radio coverage.