Chicago @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2024 ) Washington 0, Chi. Cubs 5
The streaking Chicago Cubs open a nine-game road trip with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals starting on Tuesday night.
Sitting atop the National League Central, the Cubs have won 12 of their past 15 games, including two of three from the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.
Michael Busch hit a home run and drove in three runs, while Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner each had three hits as the Cubs turned an early five-run lead into a 7-3 victory Sunday.
"Just a bunch of different guys," manager Craig Counsell said of his offense. "Different guys every day. That's how you're consistent offensively."
Chicago got a scare on Sunday when outfielder Kyle Tucker jammed his right ring finger stealing second base and eventually left the game. X-rays were negative.
"I feel all right," Tucker said. "The hand's a little jammed, or a little swollen, but obviously we got our off day (Monday), so hopefully it feels a little bit better once we get to Washington."
Counsell said Tucker is day to day.
Batting second in the lineup, Tucker is hitting .284 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles, four triples, 44 runs scored and 39 RBIs. He has more walks (40) than strikeouts (32) and has 16 stolen bases.
The Nationals are on the upswing as well. They took two of three on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend to complete a 4-2 road trip.
"It was very important," Nationals second baseman Luis García, Jr. told reporters through an interpreter. "It just shows that we're a team that can compete and that has a lot of talent."
Washington has won 10 of 14 since May 16 to move ahead of the Atlanta Braves and into third place in the NL East.
Chicago rookie right-hander Cade Horton (2-0, 3.98 ERA) is set to oppose Washington right-hander Trevor Williams (3-5, 5.69) in the opener.
Horton, Chicago's first-round pick in the 2022 draft, began 2025 in Triple-A after a shoulder injury last season. He will be making his fifth appearance and fourth major league start.
In his last outing, the 23-year-old went six innings in a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies, allowing two runs on four hits. Through four games, he has struck out 16 batters in 20 1/3 innings. walked four and allowed four home runs.
After struggling through most of May, Williams will be coming into Tuesday off his best start of the season. On Wednesday, he went six shutout innings while allowing three hits in a win against the Seattle Mariners. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.
Williams is 4-8 with a 4.55 ERA in 18 appearances (14 starts) versus the Cubs.
After winning four straight and scoring nine or more runs in each game, the Nationals were stymied by the Diamondbacks in a 3-1 loss on Sunday.
That type of game has been the outlier for Washington's improved offense led by James Wood and the recent arrival of Robert Hassell III . Wood is on pace for 44 home runs while Hassell had a .333 batting average over his first career major league road trip.
Hassell is batting .268 over his first 10 career games with a home run and six RBIs.
"We're swinging at better pitches," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "We're getting the ball up. And we are really focused on using the whole field, staying in the middle of the field. When we can do that, you can see we hit the ball pretty good."
--Field Level Media