Thursday night at T-Mobile Park didn’t just belong to the Washington Nationals—it belonged to MacKenzie Gore.
In just his 12th start of the season, the team’s hard-throwing left-hander became the first pitcher in all of Major League Baseball to record 100 strikeouts in 2025.
Over six dazzling innings in the Nationals’ 9-3 extra-innings win over the Seattle Mariners, the 26-year-old southpaw struck out eight without issuing a single walk. He allowed just four hits on 95 pitches, commanding the game from start to finish. His final strikeout of the night, a blazing fastball past Randy Arozarena with the bases loaded, marked his 101st of the season—and his 505th career strikeout.
“It means we’ve been doing a lot of good things up to this point,” Gore said, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. “Just understand there’s a lot of baseball left. But that’s a lot of strikeouts, and it means we’ve been throwing the ball well. We’ve just got to continue to stack good days and get ready for the next one.”
Only two other Nationals pitchers since 2005 have been the first in baseball to reach 100 strikeouts in a season: Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Now, a third joins that rare club—an exclamation point in franchise history.
Nationals Could Build Off Gore’s Performance
It was a bold message from a savvy veteran in full control—not just of his arsenal, but of the moment. That sixth-inning sequence—three straight strikeouts, no hesitation—felt like a statement of intent.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez, certainly saw something bigger brewing.
“We’ve known for years, [since] we got him, that his stuff was electric,” said manager Dave Martinez. “The biggest thing was getting the ball in the zone with all his pitches, and he’s done that.”
Statistically, the breakout is undeniable. With 101 strikeouts in just 12 starts, he leads the league—edging out veterans like Zack Wheeler and Tyler Glasnow. He’s also on pace for 274 strikeouts, which would rank among the top four single-season totals in Nationals history.
Nationals Come Through In Extras
While he didn’t earn the win, the bullpen allowed the Mariners to tie the game late, forcing extras. It took a seven-run 10th—fueled by rookie Daylen Lile’s first career RBI—for the Nats to seal it.
Still, the story of the night stayed on the mound.
With dominance like this—and based on Gore’s words, there’s plenty more in the tank for the season’s second half.
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