The odds of this seem pretty much impossible.
But it's true: On June 25 in 2023, 2024 and now 2025, Nationals left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore has been Washington's starting pitcher. All three of those games have taken place in San Diego against the Padres.
Making it even more ironic, Gore was once a top Padres prospect, and he came to Washington in the Juan Soto trade.
MORE: Revisiting the Nationals-Padres Juan Soto trade
The stat comes courtesy of the Washington Post's Spencer Nusbaum.
Weird scheduling quirk picked up by @NationalsComms: This is the third consecutive season in which MacKenzie Gore has faced the Padres… in San Diego… on June 25.
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) June 25, 2025
MORE: Mets' out-of-nowhere prospect on verge of incredible rise from Mexican League to MLB bullpen
Gore is in the midst of his best season yet.
The lanky lefty has a 3.19 ERA this season with a league-high 123 strikeouts in just 93 innings.
Last year on this date, Gore pitched five innings in San Diego and allowed five earned runs with only one strikeout.
Two years ago on this date, Gore allowed just a lone run in five innings, striking out nine.
The Nationals won the 2023 clash and lost in 2024.
So something has to give in this third time, essentially the weirdest rubber match in baseball history, the June 25 Gore in San Diego showdowns added up as a goofy series.
Baseball, in all its oddities, is the absolute best.
MORE MLB NEWS:
- Why Mariners superstar Cal Raleigh is called Big Dumper
- James Wood ties Bryce Harper, Juan Soto for home run record
- Chase Burns makes some MLB debut history for the Reds
- Javier Baez and Mike Trout are chasing the same All-Star spot
- Masahiro Tanaka update isn't a great one for Yankees great
- Mets legend attempting MLB comeback after a year away from baseball