Shane Smith give up one hit in six innings as White Sox rout Nationals,
8-0
[September 29, 2025] By
PATRICK STEVENS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shane Smith took a perfect game into
the sixth inning, Brooks Baldwin homered and drove in three, and the
Chicago White Sox limited the Washington Nationals to one hit in a 8-0
rout on Sunday in the season finale for both last-place teams.
Miguel Vargas and Dominic Fletcher also homered for the White Sox, who
concluded their first season under Will Venable at 60-102. It was a
19-game improvement after the franchise went 41-121 in 2024 to set the
modern record for single-season losses. |
Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor doffs his batting helmet to the
crowd during the second inning after it was announced Sunday will be his
final MLB baseball game, against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, Sept.
28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) |
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Washington closed at 66-96, a decline of five games after going
71-91 the last two seasons.
The Nationals finished last in the NL East for the fifth time in
six years. Interim manager Miguel Cairo was 29-43 after taking
over for Dave Martinez, who was fired July 6 with Washington at
37-53.
Smith (7-8) retired the first 16 batters he faced before Brady
House singled. The right-hander struck out eight in six innings.
Vargas hit a two-run homer off Washington starter Brad Lord
(5-10) in the first inning. Baldwin hit a solo shot and Fletcher
had a two-run homer in the fourth.
Lord allowed five runs in four innings.
Baldwin added a two-run double off Shinnosuke Ogasawara in the
fifth.
Former National Michael A. Taylor, who announced his retirement
before the game, received applause before each plate appearance
and had an RBI groundout in the eighth in his final at-bat.
Key moment
Before the first pitch, the Nationals emptied the dugout and
bullpen and doffed their caps toward broadcaster Bob Carpenter,
who is retiring after 20 years as the team’s television
play-by-play voice.
Key stat
Washington OF James Wood struck out three times to finish with
221 for the season, the third most in a season behind Mark
Reynolds (223 in 2009) and Adam Dunn (222 in 2012).
Washington’s season attendance of 1,916,768 was a 1% decrease
from last year’s total.
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