Then, in November 2017, the Washington Nationals hired Hale as their bench coach. On October 29, 2019, in Game 6 of the World Series, he became the acting manager for the Nationals after Dave Martinez was ejected in the 7th inning. Hale and the Nationals maintained their lead, garnering a 7-2 win to force a Game 7, thus paving the way to winning the franchise’s first World Championship, the following night.