The Washington Nationals return to Nationals Park on Tuesday, July 7 to host the Houston Astros in a 6:45 PM ET first pitch. Washington sends right-hander Andrew Alvarez to the hill opposite Houston's Tatsuya Imai in what figures to be an intriguing pitching matchup between two arms still carving out their places in the 2026 big-league landscape. With the calendar firmly in the heart of summer, every game carries real divisional and wild-card weight — and the Nationals have a chance to make a statement against one of the American League's perennial powers on their home turf.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Andrew Alvarez vs. Tatsuya Imai
Andrew Alvarez gets the ball for the Nationals. The left-hander has been part of Washington's pitching mix as the organization continues to build its rotation for the long haul. How Alvarez commands the strike zone and navigates Houston's lineup will be the central story of the evening. The Astros have historically punished pitchers who fall behind in counts, so first-pitch strikes and limiting free passes will be critical for Alvarez early.
On the visitor's side, Tatsuya Imai takes the mound for Houston. Imai represents the kind of pitching depth the Astros have consistently developed, and Washington's lineup will need to be disciplined and patient to get into the bullpen early. How the Nationals approach Imai — particularly in the middle innings — will go a long way toward determining whether this is a night to remember at Nationals Park.
Keys to Watch for the Washington Nationals
- Alvarez's command: Keeping the Houston offense off the bases is priority one. Walks turn into big innings quickly against a club with the Astros' track record of manufacturing runs.
- Nationals' lineup production: Washington needs to put pressure on Imai early. A slow offensive start against a fresh starter makes a long night of it.
- Bullpen management: If Alvarez exits before the sixth, the game shifts to Washington's relief corps. Depth and matchup decisions out of the pen could decide this one.
- Baserunning and small ball: Against a quality pitching staff, the Nationals can't afford to give away outs on the bases or leave runners stranded in scoring position.
Where and How to Watch
Tuesday's game is available locally on Nationals.TV for Washington viewers. Astros fans can tune in on Space City Home Network. Radio coverage for Nationals fans is available on WJFK 106.7 The Fan, while Houston's radio home is KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2. Spanish-language listeners can catch the broadcast on KLTN-TUDN 102.9 FM.
Prediction
This is a winnable game for Washington at home, and Nationals Park tends to bring out the best in this roster in front of the home crowd. Alvarez will need a quality start — something in the range of five-plus innings with two or fewer earned runs — to keep the bullpen from being overextended. If the Nationals offense can get to Imai in the middle innings and manufacture at least one crooked number, Washington has the edge. Expect a close, low-scoring affair that comes down to which bullpen blinks first. Nationals 4, Astros 3.
