Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Box Score on Aug 23, 2019

Anibal Sanchez held the Chicago Cubs to one hit in 8 1/3 innings, and Adam Eaton and Juan Soto homered to lead the Washington Nationals to a 9-3 win over the Cubs on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The sizzling Nationals have won 10 of 12 and kept their hold on the top wild-card spot in the National League. Chicago's five-game winning streak came to an end, though the Cubs entered Friday atop the NL Central by a half-game over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sanchez (8-6) struck out six and allowed a single earned run in his longest outing of the season, and also logged his second career two-hit game. He hasn't taken a loss since May 10.

The Cubs didn't score until the ninth, their rally extended by a throwing error with one out.

The Nationals broke open the game in the fifth inning, already ahead 4-0. They chased Cubs starter Jon Lester (10-9) with a pair of one-out singles.

Pedro Strop relieved and got an out, then struggled with his control. He hit Kurt Suzuki with a pitch, uncorked a wild pitch to allow Anthony Rendon to score, walked the bases loaded again and surrendered a Victor Robles two-run double, giving the Nationals a 7-0 lead.

Lester lasted 4 1/3 innings and was charged with six runs on nine hits, the second time this month he's failed to make it through five innings.

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead on Eaton's two-out solo home run in the first inning, Eaton's 12th of the season. They made it 2-0 by manufacturing a run with Robles' single, stolen base, a sacrifice bunt from Sanchez and Trea Turner's sacrifice fly.

Washington added two more runs in the fourth on Suzuki's single, one of five singles and a walk in the inning. Sanchez laid down a bunt that died on the fair side of the third-base line to drive in Suzuki before the inning was over.

Soto's 29th home run of the season flew into the bleachers in left-center field in the seventh. He had three hits on the day.

Nationals ace Max Scherzer played catch before the game, a day after his four-inning start, as he works his way back from an upper back injury. He's in line to make his next start next week.

Both teams wore the monochromatic Player's Weekend uniforms with their preferred nicknames on the back, the first two big-league teams to do so since theirs was the first game of the weekend. Chicago wore all-white with white helmets and caps, while the Nationals wore all-black.

--Field Level Media