Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals – Series Preview (September 5-7): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (80-60) took two of three from the Braves at Wrigley this week for a second consecutive series win. Chicago solidified their playoff position and remained in shouting distance of the Brewers at the top of the division. Next on the schedule is a weekend set with the scuffling Nationals beginning Friday afternoon.
Washington (56-83) has been bad from the start of the season and things have not been helped by injuries and a sell-off at the trade deadline. The offense is the strongest aspect of the squad, with a .694 team OPS that is fourth-worst in baseball. James Wood is far and away the best hitter on the roster, boasting 27 homers and an .829 OPS.
No other Nats hitter has an OPS above .800, and power is lacking with just 130 total home runs on the season. Shortstop CJ Abrams is having a pretty good year with 17 dingers and a .775 OPS. Veteran Josh Bell is also a threat to hit a longball even if his overall numbers are not good.
Washington’s pitching staff has been a complete mess all season long with a 5.28 team ERA that is only better than the Rockies. The starting rotation took another hit when ace MacKenzie Gore was shut down with a shoulder injury. Several young starters are getting a chance to pitch in September with playoff hopes long gone.
Trades have decimated a bullpen that was already awful, making it the worst in baseball. Closer Kyle Finnegan was one of the players shipped out, and Jose Ferrer has taken over for him in the limited save opportunities they have had.
The Cubs have a good chance here to continue winning games to improve their playoff position. Washington is a weak opponent, but they aren’t a complete non-threat after just sweeping the Marlins. The North Siders still have room to improve on their recent performance, so maybe they can start to do that in this series.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, September 5 at 1:20pm CT on Apple TV+.
- Saturday, September 6 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, September 7 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 9/5 | Javier Assad | 28 | R | 4.05 | 1-1 | 4.64 | 2.00 |
| Jake Irvin | 28 | R | 5.42 | 8–10 | 5.56 | 1.92 | |
| 9/6 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.94 | 12-7 | 3.39 | 3.84 |
| Brad Lord | 25 | R | 4.34 | 4-8 | 3.98 | 2.43 | |
| 9/7 | Colin Rea | 35 | R | 4.30 | 10-6 | 4.69 | 2.28 |
| Andrew Alvarez | 26 | L | 0.00 | 1-0 | 2.24 | 2.00 |
What to Watch For
- Kyle Tucker‘s status for the series is unclear after he left Tuesday’s game with left calf tightness.
- Assad has made two quality starts in a row.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong got two consecutive games off for what manager Craig Counsell called a mental and physical reset.
