2:20 pm
August 23

Nationals @ Cubs

Who will WIN this matchup?

Washington Nationals (70-57)

@ Chicago Cubs (69-58)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Sanchez (WSH): 7-6; 3.99 ERA

Lester (CHC) 10-8; 4.23 ERA

 

Last 10 Games Played:

Washington Nationals: 8-2

Chicago Cubs: 6-4

 

Current odds:

Washington Nationals: (+115)

Chicago Cubs: (-125)

 

• There’s no place like the friendly confines of Wrigley Field for the first-place Chicago Cubs, who host the Washington Nationals in a three-game series beginning Friday afternoon that involves National League playoff contenders. Chicago faces the NL wild-card leader after completing a three-game sweep of San Francisco 1-0 on Thursday for its fifth straight victory and 44th in 63 home contests this season. “It’s sustainable,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters. “The guys are getting that little vibe going on.” Chicago (69-58) leads the NL Central by one-half game over St. Louis and is a season-high 11 games over .500 for the fourth time.

• Washington (70-57) is 1 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis and three clear of the New York Mets in the wild card race after Thursday’s 7-1 victory over Pittsburgh gave the Nationals nine wins and 98 runs in their last 11 contests. Washington’s Anibal Sanchez hasn’t lost since May 10 – a span of 15 starts – but struggled in his last outing as he takes the ball Friday opposite Jon Lester, who snapped a five-turn winless streak (0-2) in his last outing.

• Sanchez allowed five runs, eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts in four innings of Washington’s 15-14 loss in 14 innings to Milwaukee on Saturday. The 35-year-old Venezuelan is 7-0 with a 3.35 ERA since losing at Dodger Stadium on May 10. Chicago’s Nicholas Castellanos went deep June 28 against Sanchez, who is 4-2 with a 3.40 ERA in eight starts – 3-0, 1.53 in his last five turns – versus the Cubs.

• Lester allowed four hits and five walks in six innings of a 2-0 victory at Pittsburgh on Saturday. The 35-year-old Washington native, whose 1.42 WHIP would be his highest since 2007, posted a 7.00 ERA in his previous five starts. The Nationals’ Anthony Rendon is 3-for-7 with two doubles against Lester, who is 2-3 with a 4.82 ERA in eight turns versus Washington after yielding five runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 5-2 loss at Nationals Park on May 18.

• Washington SS Trea Turner (.296) has reached base safely in a career-high 29 straight games after going 2-for-5 on Thursday and has recorded two hits in seven of his last 10 contests.

• Castellanos went 0-for-3 on Thursday, lowering his average to .378 in 20 games since joining Chicago at the trade deadline.

• The Cubs took two of three at Nationals Park in May with Cubs 3B Kris Bryant belting three home runs in the series opener.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Washington Nationals