The Washington Nationals will look to bounce back in the win column and stay undefeated when they rematch the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday evening
Washington Nationals (3-0-1) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (2-1)
When: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6:05 PM
How to listen: 106.7 The Fan
The Washington Nationals will look to remain undefeated - and get back in the win column - when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday evening.
The Nationals beat the Cardinals, 6-2, in the first matchup as Washington opened with a split roster on day one.
Washington is coming off a 5-5 tie against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night after a four-run sixth inning broke the game open before the Nationals responded with consecutive two-run innings in the seventh and eighth to salvage the unbeaten streak.
The Cardinals have reeled off consecutive one run wins, first against Houston then Miami, after suffering the spring training opening loss to Washington. St. Louis scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth against the Marlins before a wild pitch sealed a 5-4 win on Monday night.
Tuesday will also mark an intriguing game for another reason with Cade Cavalli set to take the mound as he enters spring training healthy for the first time in three years.
Cavalli, a former first round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, made his MLB debut in August 2022 where he made one appearance before being shut down with right shoulder inflammation, finishing with seven runs allowed, six hits, two walks and six strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. Cavalli then sprained his ulnar collateral ligament on his pitching elbow in spring training the following year, ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery to end his 2023 season before continued injuries held him out for the 2024 season as he reached full health by the end of the minor league season.
After opening with Triple-A Rochester in 2025 where he posted a 4-7 record with a 5.35 ERA across 17 appearances, Cavalli will now look to prove himself as an ace candidate and with the Opening Day starter still unannounced following the MacKenzie Gore trade.
On the other side, Andre Pallante is expected to take the mound for the Cardinals as he prepares for his fifth season with the organization. Pallante suffered a disastrous 2025 season where he finished with a 6-15 overall record with a 5.31 ERA, 21 home runs allowed though tossing 111 strikeouts - all career-highs - across 31 games and 162.2 innings pitched. Similar to the Nationals, Tuesday will give Pallante a chance to showcase some consistency in what will likely be a limited performance in his first showing of spring training.