Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals

Chicago Cubs -133

Games Total: 9.5

Game Play Predictions

Chicago Cubs

  • The Cubs face Joe Ross Friday. Ross is making his first start in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery 14 months ago.

  • Ross is 17-13 with a 3.95 ERA in 48 games with the Nationals.

  • Daniel Murphy will return to Washington for the first time since he was traded to the Cubs two weeks ago. Murphy is batting .316/.358/.480 at Nationals Park in his career.

  • The Cubs aren’t getting any offensive production from their catchers, as Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini are a combined 2-for-27 over the last seven days.

  • Javier Báez is tied for the National League lead with 100 RBI. Anthony Rizzo is sixth with 91 RBI.

  • In true Javier Báez fashion, the MVP candidate is 10-for-32 with 13 strikeouts over the last month.

  • Rizzo has been hot as well, going 10-for-25 with four walks and two strikeouts over the last seven days.

  • Baez and Kyle Schwarber have been strikeout machines again this season, with strikeout rates of 27.0 and 25.2, respectively.

  • Baez is second to only Salvador Pérez in swings at pitches outside the strike zone at 47.6 percent. Baez leads all of baseball with a 59.6 percent swing rate.

Washington Nationals

  • Jon Lester is making his first start in Washington since the 2017 NLDS.

  • Lester hasn’t lost since August 11 when he allowed eight earned runs in 3.2 innings against the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

  • The Nationals have been just average against lefties this season, with a .311 wOBA and 23.0 percent strikeout rate.

  • Washington is fourth in MLB with a 9.7 percent walk rate against lefties this season.

  • Lester has been allowing a lot of fly balls this season, and it has largely hurt him. His 36.6 percent groundball rate is his lowest since 2007, and his 1.31 HR/9 is his highest since 2007.

  • Lester’s 8.4 percent walk rate is his highest since 2011, and his 19.0 percent strikeout rate is his lowest since 2012.

  • Juan Soto is 10-for-25 with seven walks and nine strikeouts over the last seven days.

  • Adam Eaton is 10-for-33 over the last week while Trea Turner is 11-for-30 over that span.

  • Matt Wieters will miss his seventh consecutive game Friday. Spencer Kieboom and Pedro Severino  are a combined 4-for-18 over the last seven days.

  • Mark Reynolds is 5-for-12 over the last seven days and he is batting .322/.382/.475 against lefties this season.

  • Reynolds has struggled in his career against Lester, however, batting .209 with 11 strikeouts in 43 at-bats.

  • Bryce Harper is 3-for-10 with six strikeouts against Lester while Ryan Zimmerman is 4-for-18 with five strikeouts.