Washington @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 8, 2011 ) Washington 0, Chi. Cubs 0

THE STORY: After rain postponed Monday night's game, two of the National League's most championship-starved franchises will square off Tuesday evening when Washington opens a three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs. Because of the washout, the teams will make up the game Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Nationals are coming off an exciting 3-2 victory in Colorado on Sunday, while the Cubs had their season-long seven-game winning streak snapped by Cincinnati, which rallied in the eighth inning for an 8-7 win.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), Comcast Sports (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUPS: Nationals RH Chien-Ming Wang (0-2, 6.00 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Matt Garza (5-8, 3.78 ERA).

Wang has been shaky in two starts since making a valiant comeback from a 2009 shoulder injury, allowing 12 runs (six unearned) in nine innings. He upped his pitch count from 60 against the New York Mets on July 29 to 86 against Atlanta on Wednesday, but he didn't record a single strikeout against the Braves. Washington manager Davey Johnson seemed pleased with Wang's progress between outings, but it's likely that the righthander will remain on a tight leash for the time being.

Garza made a full recovery from a rough July 29 loss at St. Louis, giving up just four hits in seven-plus shutout innings at Pittsburgh on Wednesday – but he hasn't been nearly as overpowering in two career starts against the Nationals, escaping with a pair of no-decisions despite yielding 10 runs and 15 hits in just 7 2/3 innings. Garza's 10.57 ERA and 2.61 against Washington are easily his worst career figures against any team.

ABOUT THE NATIONALS (55-59): Before stumbling through its current 7-11 stretch, Washington had been looking very much like a team on the rise, hanging tough in a division that boasts the National League's two best teams. The pitching staff has been respectable all season long and the bullpen has been particularly tough, led by one of the game's best setup men in Tyler Clippard (2-0, 28 holds, 1.56 ERA). 1B Michael Morse has developed into a star, leading the Nationals with a .324 average, 19 homers and 67 RBIs.

ABOUT THE CUBS (49-66): Chicago has had a tough time running together more than a couple of wins at a time this year largely because of an inconsistent pitching staff that ranks at or near the bottom of the National League in nearly every category. Reliever Sean Marshall, who had been one of the Cubs' steadier hands out of the bullpen, took his fifth loss of the season on Sunday, giving up the tying and go-ahead runs in just one-third of an inning. The offense hasn't been a problem of late – Chicago has scored 52 runs in its last eight games.

FINAL PITCH: The Cubs have hurt themselves this year by not doing the little things – they lead the major leagues by a wide margin with 433 walks allowed, and their 94 errors are the most in the National League.