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Logically, it would make sense for the Nationals to trade Foster Griffin on an expiring contract and acquire talent for the future. But you can’t predict how many chances you’ll have to win in the future. My case to keep Griffin:

The Nationals should not trade Foster Griffin, even though it makes seneseCOLUMN | Rebuilding teams trade valuable players because that’s what they are supposed to do. It makes sense. In some ways, it feels inevitable.www.thebanner.com

FINAL: Diamondbacks 3, Nationals 2. Dylan Crews homered. Zack Littell pitched well. But the team went 0-4 with RISP and left seven on base.

Tom Cosgrove entered for Zack Littell and faced three batters. The results: single, walk and sacrifice fly. The Diamondbacks lead 3-2 and Orlando Ribalta will enter. Before that, Littell did everything the Nats could've asked. His splitter, in particular, was effective.

The Nationals are 0-4 w/RISP and have left seven runners left on base as we head to the top of the seventh. Had a prime opportunity to score with the bases loaded. 2-2.

Dylan Crews entered tonight’s game with a .900 OPS against lefties this season. Just launched a game-tying two-run homer that’ll help with that number. Tie game in the fourth.

Potomac native Chris Hacopian gets his first taste of Nationals Park as a professional:

Chris Hacopian gets his first taste of Nationals Park as a professionalThe Nationals, who want to establish their identity around drafting and development, are hoping the 21-year-old Hacopian will be the first of many picks they develop into quality big leaguers.www.thebanner.com

Warshan Hussin was 10, living in Iraq, when he watched his father get kidnapped and returned 24 hours later. His family emigrated to Syria, then Baltimore, where he joined a soccer program for refugees. On Hussin, who found home on the pitch:

He emigrated from Iraq and was saved by soccer. Now he’s giving back.Warshan Hussin dodged sniper fire as a child before being exiled from Iraq. He ended up in Baltimore, where a fledgling soccer program changed his life.www.thebanner.com

FINAL: Nationals 8, Astros 2. Luis García Jr. and CJ Abrams hit their 20th homers of the season. Abrams reached a new career-high in RBI. Foster Griffin pitched seven innings of one-run ball. The Nationals are 48-46.

Foster Griffin got a standing ovation from Nationals fans at all levels of the ballpark. He just walked off the mound after six innings of one-run baseball. Tied a season-high in strikeouts. 22 whiffs tonight. Exactly what the team needed.

CJ Abrams just tied his career high in homers with his 20th homer of the season. The Nationals are cruising, leading 6-1.

Luis García Jr. hit his first 20-homer season in the major leagues. His three-run homer in the fourth gives the Nationals a 5-0 lead. That's 15 homers in his last 30 games. A heater.

Foster Griffin's whiff percentage on the year is 24.8 percent, just below league average. Today, it's up to 48 percent (11/23). He's through four scoreless innings. Two hits and six strikeouts. Everything is working tonight, and it has for most of the year.

CJ Abrams' RBI sacrifice fly in the third is significant for two reasons. 1. It gives the Nationals a 1-0 lead. 2. That gives Abrams a career-high in RBI. The Nationals have made Spencer Arrighetti work so far. He's already up to 60 pitches through three.

Where a batter looks after a ball leaves his bat is frequently a signal of how well he hit it. When he looks at his dugout, he usually has no doubt where it’s headed. On James Wood, his grand slam and dugout stare in the Nats’ 12-11 victory on Monday:

James Wood’s monster grand slam lifts the Nationals over AstrosWashington scored 11 unanswered runs between the third and fifth innings, capped off by Wood’s homer.www.thebanner.com

FINAL: Nationals 12, Astros 11. The Nationals were down 6-1. They led 12-6. Then, they nearly let the lead slip away. James Wood's grand slam proved to be the difference.

The Astros have cut this deficit from 12-7 to 12-11 thanks to a four-run eighth from Cole Henry. The Astros have scored 10 of their 11 runs tonight with two outs.

So, Nasim Nuñez beat out an infield single to second base to extend the inning. That allowed James Wood to hit. And then Wood hit the second grand slam of his career, stared at the Nats dugout and then took his time rounding the bases. Washington has scored 11 unanswered.

Going to bump this story on Curtis Mead, who just hit a fifth-inning solo homer that gave the Nationals a 7-6 lead:

We are only in the third inning and these two teams have combined to score 12 runs. The Nationals first five baserunners reached in the bottom of the third. CJ Abrams was the last, hitting a three-run, game-tying homer. This offense just keeps scoring runs.

Some more two-out mistakes from Miles Mikolas. A two-out walk to Cam Smith followed by a two-out homer to Yanier Diaz. It's 6-1.