Cubs vs. Nationals: Series Thread (Game 128-130)
The Nationals roll into the Windy City scrapping for a Wild Card spot. The Cubs have a dog fight going with St. Louis, who matched the Cubs with a win Thursday and trail by only half a game going into the series. (Add to that drama the excitement of players' weekend! Yipee!) See below for the daily match-ups.
Game 128, Friday, August 23, 1:20pmCDT
CHC: LHP Jon Lester (10-8, 4.23 ERA)
WSH: RHP Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 3.99 ERA)
Lester pitched around a series of traffic jams last start. He managed six scoreless innings despite four hits and five walks and two errors by Bryant. He lost to the Nats on May 18, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. (I was there! It was bad.) Dozier is 5-15 with a homerun off of him. Trea Turner is 4-8. Rendon is 3-7 with two doubles.
Sanchez has enjoyed a resurgence since leaving the Tigers. He posted a 2.83 ERA with Atlanta last year, a mark from which he has regressed a bit in 2019. His last start contributed to that regression; he allowed five earned runs on eight hits and four walks in four innings against the Brewers. Lucroy is 4-9 off of him with two homeruns.
Game 129, Saturday, August 24, 1:20pmCDT
CHC: LHP Jose Quintana (11-7, 3.91 ERA)
WSH: TBD
Quintana was excellent against the Pirates last time out. He struck out seven, allowed five hits, and shut out Pittsburgh over seven innings for the win. He has not faced the Nationals this season. Dozier is 11-52 off of him with four homeruns and 14 strikeouts. Kendricks is 5-10.
It's Joe Ross's turn in the Nats' rotation, but he's day-to-day with a leg injury. He's 3-1 in five starts this season, appearing out of the bullpen 18 times as well. Rizzo is 5-11 off of him and Bryan is 3-9. Castellanos is 1-2 with a homerun. Erick Fedde is likely to start if Ross is unavailable. Fedde won against the Brewers on August 18, allowing four earned runs in five innings. Active Cubs are 6-14 with a homerun off of him.
Game 130, Sunday, August 25, 1:20pmCDT
CHC: LHP Cole Hamels (7-4, 3.73 ERA)
WSH: RHP Stephen Strasburg (15-5, 3.56 ERA)
Hamels labored toward his win against the Giants, walking two and allowing two homeruns but limiting the damage to three in six innings of work. He earned a victory against the Nats on May 17, allowing two earned runs in five innings.
Strasburg shutout the Pirates for seven innings in a no decision last time out. He defeated Lester and the Cubs on May 18 striking out seven and allowing one earned run in eight innings. Heyward is 15-40 with a homerun and three walks off of him. Javy is 1-12 with five strikeouts.
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