Joey Wiemer and Brady House proved to be the hero in the Washington Nationals' Opening Day win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field
The Washington Nationals opened the regular season just like they did spring training - with a win. The Nationals held off the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Opening Day in a 10-4 win to officially open the Blake Butera era.
Cade Cavalli tossed five strikeouts and allowed two earned runs and three hits in 3.2 innings as Brad Lord earned the win, tossing one strikeout and four hits allowed in 2.1 innings pitched.
Brady House and Joey Wiemer proved to be the heroes after accounting for five of the team's 11 hits while each hitting a home run in the win. James Wood finished 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in the win. Washington's ten runs marked the most on Opening Day in team history.
After entering spring training as a fringe roster candidate, it would be Wiemer to post the Nationals first home run of the 2026 season after belting a 398 solo home run into left field, giving Washington a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Cavalli would follow it up by striking out two of the three batters faced in the bottom of the the inning, but the Cubs would take control in the third quarter after a leadoff walk turned into a one out RBI single to tie the game before a two out single put Washington in the hole, 2-1. Keibert Ruiz would get the Nationals out of the jam after throwing out Bregman at third base to end the RBI single, ending the damage.
That proved crucial after the Nationals wasted no time tying the game again after Andres Chaparro opened the inning with a double before a single by Brady House put runners on the corners. Daylen Lile would convert after a single to right field tied it before a near double from CJ Abrams brought in both House and Lile, pushing Washington ahead 4-2. Abrams called out at second base with the call upheld after a challenge, but the Nationals would tack on another after Nasim Nunez's grounder to the shortstop brought in Wiemer for his second run of the day. After Keibert Ruiz singled to right, forcing Chicago's first pitching change, Jacob Young kept it going after belting a 380 foot opposite field two-run home run, pushing Washington ahead, 7-2.
Nasim Nunez would add the Nationals eighth run of the day on a wild pitch in the sixth inning before returning the favor on defense in the seventh. With two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, Nunez would get Brad Lord out of a jam after fielding the grounder up the middle to turn a double play to end the inning.
Brady House opened the regular season just like he opened spring training - with a home run game - with his first of the regular season coming in the top of the ninth thanks to a 367 foot home run over the right field wall, marking the game's final run in a 10-4 win.