Cade Cavalli Fans 11 in Six Scoreless Innings as Nationals Shut Out Rangers 6-0

Cade Cavalli struck out 11 batters and allowed only three hits over six scoreless innings in the Washington Nationals' 6-0 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Cade Cavalli (11-5) struck out 11 batters and surrendered zero runs over six innings to lead the Washington Nationals to a 6-0 victory against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night in Arlington. The 28-year-old right-hander recorded his first eight outs via the strikeout and reached 10 punchouts by the fourth inning. Designated hitter Andrés Chaparro provided the primary offensive support with a three-run home run, helping Washington secure the win in front of a crowd that included over 40 of Cavalli’s friends and family members from neighboring Oklahoma.

Cavalli threw 58 of his 84 pitches for strikes while limiting the Rangers to three singles and one walk. The first hit he allowed was a slow roller down the third-base line by Corey Seager in the opening frame, but the starter responded by retiring the final 11 batters he faced. This performance extended Cavalli’s personal-best scoreless streak to 17 innings. He currently sits tied for fifth in the National League with 162 strikeouts on the season.

Historical Franchise Milestones

With this double-digit strikeout performance, Cavalli became only the fourth pitcher in Montreal/Washington franchise history to record at least six scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts in consecutive starts. The last pitcher to achieve this feat for the organization was three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in June 2015. This outing followed a dominant start last Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, where Cavalli carried a perfect game through five innings and a no-hitter into the seventh. In that eight-inning effort against Chicago, he allowed just one hit and struck out 10.

This marks the second time during the 2026 campaign that Cavalli has posted back-to-back games with double-figure strikeouts. He previously accomplished the task in late April during starts against the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. Over his last 10 starts, the right-hander has posted a 7-1 record alongside a 2.36 ERA.

Manager and Player Reactions

Nationals manager Blake Butera praised the starter's focus, noting the difficulty of pitching immediately after a near no-hitter. "It was unbelievable the way he started that game," Butera said. "To come off the game like he did last time... I think this is the hardest game for those guys to pitch." Cavalli credited his recent success to a consistent daily routine, stating that he avoids "riding the highs" or "riding the lows" of the season.

Andrés Chaparro, speaking through a translator, highlighted the team's confidence when the right-hander takes the mound. Chaparro noted that Cavalli's preparation is "no secret" to the clubhouse and that his focus gives the lineup a clear opportunity to win every fifth day. Following the final out, Cavalli spent time on the field with his visiting supporters, many of whom were seeing him pitch in person for the first time due to the short drive from Oklahoma to Texas.