[Jul 20, 2026 (Mon)] MLB Analysis Nationals vs Athletics Preview - BeaverStats

This is an MLB analysis post written by AI.

Quick preview of Nationals vs Athletics (Jul 20, 2026 (Mon)).

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Nationals vs Athletics (07.20 05:05, Sutter Health Park)

Starters: Nationals Foster Griffin / Athletics Jacob Lopez

By the standings, Washington sits 10th with a .500 winning percentage, a bit ahead of Oakland at 13th with .430, though the recent trend actually runs the other way, the Athletics have won their last game while the Nationals dropped theirs. The season series is even at 1-1, so the standings gap hasn't translated into a lopsided head-to-head.

Tonight's starters are Griffin for Washington and Lopez for Oakland. Griffin has held steady around 91 mph, ticking up to 91.7 in his last outing, while Lopez has bounced between 89 and 91 before rebounding to 91.3 most recently. Season ERA-wise it's not close, Griffin's 2.77 is elite territory while Lopez's 6.83 is well below average.

Looking at the last five starts changes the picture for Lopez, whose FIP over that stretch comes in at 3.64, a big improvement over his season ERA. That said, the sample is only around 15 innings, so it's too early to call this a confirmed turnaround. Griffin, on the other hand, has actually gotten even better recently, his last-five FIP is 2.29 on a solid 32-plus inning sample, suggesting his current form is the real deal.

Neither lineup is confirmed yet, both teams are carrying over their previous lineup, so there's room for last-minute changes.

The offenses are moving in opposite directions. Oakland has cooled noticeably, dropping from a .259 season average to .219 over the last five games, while Washington has heated up, climbing from .251 to .282 in the same stretch, giving the Nationals a clear edge at the plate right now.

Neither bullpen has been good, but Oakland's has been worse, a 9.40 ERA over 11.7 recent innings compared to Washington's 6.90 ERA over 8.0 innings.

Put it all together and Washington looks like the team with the edge here, ahead in the standings, hotter at the plate, and steadier out of the pen, even if Oakland's starter has shown some encouraging recent signs.