The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals meet on April 24, 2025, at Nationals Park for the final game of a three-game interleague series, with both teams aiming to reset early-season narratives and generate much-needed momentum. The Orioles enter the finale with a 9-12 record, having shown glimpses of offensive potential but plagued by inconsistent pitching performances and untimely lapses in run production. The Nationals, only slightly ahead at 9-13, have encountered similar inconsistencies of their own, making this matchup a compelling clash between two rebuilding clubs hoping to trend upward before April closes. In Game 3, Baltimore will send left-hander Cade Povich to the mound, who has yet to find his footing this season, entering the contest with an 0-2 record and a 6.38 ERA. Opposite him is Washington’s MacKenzie Gore, who has been far more consistent and effective, posting a 2-2 record and 3.41 ERA while showing flashes of frontline potential with improved command and strikeout ability. While both lineups have produced isolated highlights, the underlying numbers show offenses that need to find rhythm—Baltimore averaging just 3.9 runs per game and Washington slightly lower at 3.6—leaving pitching and defense as likely keys to deciding the series finale. Both clubs will also be treating this matchup as an early litmus test for which team is more capable of stringing together wins and escaping the lower tier of their respective divisions. For Baltimore, the offense has centered around the efforts of Cedric Mullins, who’s slashing .290/.443 with solid on-base skills and defensive prowess in center field. The Orioles, however, have lacked consistency in the middle of the order, and players like Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman need to capitalize more often with runners in scoring position to lift the offense. Defensively, the team has shown range and youth-fueled energy but has occasionally been undone by mental errors and bullpen letdowns.

Povich, making one of the more important starts of his early MLB tenure, will need to demonstrate sharper command and limit walks—his biggest issue so far—if he wants to give the Orioles a fighting chance. On the road, Baltimore has posted an uneven record, and much of their outcome on Thursday may hinge on whether the offense can strike early and avoid falling behind against a Gore-led rotation that has kept opponents off-balance for much of the season. A win would not only avoid the embarrassment of a sweep against another under-.500 club, but give Baltimore a better platform heading into their next homestand. For the Nationals, Gore’s development has been one of the few bright spots in a season marked by transition, and a solid outing in front of the home crowd could symbolize another step forward in his evolution into a long-term rotation leader. Offensively, catcher Keibert Ruiz has quietly become one of the team’s most productive bats, entering the contest with a .329 average and .378 OBP, while other contributors like CJ Abrams and Joey Meneses have shown potential but lack consistency. Washington’s challenge has been generating enough traffic on the bases to give their better hitters a chance to do damage, often struggling in back-to-back innings to keep pressure on opposing pitchers. Defensively, the Nationals have been adequate but not elite, and situational execution—particularly in two-out scenarios—has made the difference in many of their tight contests. As both teams aim to avoid another series loss in what could become a season-defining April stretch, Game 3 offers a snapshot of which squad is closer to turning a corner and which remains mired in early-season growing pains. Regardless of outcome, the matchup sets the tone for how each club intends to handle adversity, competition, and the long road ahead in a demanding MLB season.