Cade Cavalli Dominates Cubs with 10 K’s in Nationals’ 7-0 Shutout Victory

Cade Cavalli took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out 10 batters to lead the Washington Nationals to a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Cade Cavalli (10-5) dominated the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning to lead the Washington Nationals to a 7-0 victory at Nationals Park. The right-hander, who turns 28 on Friday, established new career highs with 8.0 innings pitched and 103 pitches thrown. He racked up 10 strikeouts and allowed only one hit, preventing a three-game sweep by Chicago. The Nationals' offense backed the performance with seven runs, including a three-run home run by Abimelec Ortiz in the fifth inning.

Cavalli retired the first 15 batters he faced in order before issuing a leadoff walk to Dansby Swanson in the sixth. That baserunner was erased immediately when Michael Conforto grounded into a double play. The no-hit bid remained intact until there were two outs in the seventh inning, when Michael Busch hit an opposite-field bloop single to left. Following the hit, the home crowd provided a standing ovation for Cavalli, who was attempting to record the franchise's first no-hitter since Max Scherzer achieved the feat twice during the 2015 season.

Ortiz and Crews Provide Early Offense

Washington’s lineup struggled early against Kevin Gausman (6-11), who did not allow a baserunner through the first three innings. Abimelec Ortiz broke the drought with a one-out single in the fourth. Two pitches later, Dylan Crews drove in the game's first run with an RBI double to left-center field. The lead expanded in the fifth inning after the first two Nationals hitters reached base. Andrew Pinckney drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Following a single by CJ Abrams, Ortiz launched a three-run home run to right-center, extending the advantage to 5-0. Daylen Lile capped the scoring in the fifth with an RBI single, which forced Gausman out of the game. Gausman finished his afternoon allowing six runs on five hits across 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out seven batters in what was his second start for the Cubs since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline.

Cavalli Finishes Strong Before Beeter Closes

Cavalli returned for the eighth inning and issued his second walk of the game to Swanson with two outs. He escaped the frame by striking out Conforto looking to end his outing. Over 11 games this season, Ortiz has now hit four home runs. During the Nationals’ six-game homestand, Ortiz posted a .389 batting average, going 7-for-18 with three home runs and seven RBI.

Clayton Beeter entered the game in the ninth inning to preserve the shutout. He retired the Cubs in order to complete a perfect final frame. The Cubs finished the contest with just one hit and two walks, both by Swanson. The victory halted Chicago’s momentum after they had won the first two games of the series. Washington utilized a total of 103 pitches from their starter to secure the 7-0 result, leaving the Cubs with a 0-for-27 mark against all other batters besides Busch and Swanson.