by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Jul 30, 2021
Game time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, MASN
Season-to-date
Cubs: 50-54 (4th place, National League Central)
Nationals: 47-55 (4th place, National League East)
Odds at USA Sportsbooks
N/A
Recent Form
Cubs: 4-6 in their last 10
Nationals: 4-6 in their last 10
Recent lineups
Cubs:
Rafael Ortega (L) CF
Willson Contreras (R) C
Ian Happ (S) LF
Patrick Wisdom (R) 1B
David Bote (R) 2B
Jason Heyward (L) RF
Matt Duffy (R) 3B
Sergio Alcantara (S) SS
Kyle Hendricks (R) P
Nationals:
Andrew Stevenson (L) CF
Alcides Escobar (R) SS
Juan Soto (L) RF
Josh Bell (S) 1B
Luis Garcia (L) 2B
Tres Barrera (R) C
Gerardo Parra (L) LF
Carter Kieboom (R) 3B
Joe Ross (R) P
Cubs - Nationals Preview
It’s the Firesale Series in Washington D.C. Buckle up now, because you won’t see these teams in the playoffs.
The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals have gutted every star player under the sun from their roster and must now continue baseball to the dismay of us all. The teams began their three-game set on Friday with Washington defeating Chicago 4-3.
This matchup Saturday night should wear off the shock a bit as the three-game weekend series continues.
The rebuild for the 2016 and 2019 World Series champions is underway with no star power to attest for it. The Nationals became best friends with the Los Angeles Dodgers in giving them Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in the same trade. The gift kept on giving with Kyle Schwarber going to the Boston Red Sox.
“Without Max and Trea, we never would have brought the World Series trophy back to the nation’s capital and had that joyous parade down Constitution Avenue,” Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner said. “The Nationals organization is forever grateful for their excellence on the field and exemplary leadership in the clubhouse, and we wish them both nothing but the best in the next chapter of their careers.”
Washington now looks to build around young phenom Juan Soto. The 22-year-old is having another great year with 18 home runs while batting .302. Victor Robles is too part of that youth movement.
With Scherzer gone, as well as Jon Lester to the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington’s pitching staff takes a hit going forward. The top starting pitcher might be Patrick Corbin or Erick Fedde and that’s not ideal. Good thing if you’re a team in the NL East; you’re not completely out of it. But to anyone’s chagrin, the Nationals pick a great time to say ‘no thanks.’
The Nationals play three at home against Chicago before a four-game series Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Not by any means is this organization going to give in,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez. “We're going to rebuild -- and build to win. And I hate using that word ‘rebuild.’ I mean, we're going to compete every day.”
It’s crazy to think just two years ago Washington celebrated a championship in Houston and now it’s come to this. But imagine what’s going on at Wrigley Field, knowing the brass in Chicago hasn’t capitalized since ending the drought of all droughts in 2016.
We’re talking an entire tear-down in Chicago. You thought it was gut-wrenching to see Anthony Rizzo get shipped to the New York Yankees on Thursday night? Try seeing Javy Baez go to the New York Mets, and then sending Kris Bryant to the leading San Francisco Giants. The era that brought the Cubs back to life is gone.
Just another example of how the MLB world goes upside down in a hurry.
A total of 54 homers is leaving the Chicago offense. Wilson Contreras becomes the top power hitter with 17 dingers this season. It’s already a middle-third battle offensively with the pitching rotations taking hits in the trade market, as well as on the field. The team comparison is nearly identical here, and not in a good way.
A total of 54 homers is leaving the Chicago offense. Wilson Contreras becomes the top power hitter with 17 dingers this season. It’s already a middle-third battle offensively with the pitching rotations taking hits in the trade market, as well as on the field. The team comparison is nearly identical here, and not in a good way.
Kyle Hendricks is expected to start for the Cubs. Good news, he’s 12-4. Bad news: ERA is approaching 4.00. The Nationals are planning to go with Joe Ross on the mound at time of publishing.
Trends
Statistics favor Hendricks pitching well against the Nationals. The Cubs’ ace is 4-2 against the Nationals with an ERA of 3.10 and a WHIP of 1.207. If the Cubs need a solid 6 IP, maybe a lengthy batch of shutout innings and maybe only 1 ER too, Saturday seems like a good day to ease that tension.
The Nationals are like the unknown guy on your bowling team on Wednesday night; he should give you a 200 on a good night, but ends up bowling a 115. Washington is 9-8 against the run line, but 6-11 straight up when he starts. Sounds like he’s better suited for the seniors on Tuesday night.
Prediction
Unfortunately for the Nationals, it’s too late to ask the Dodgers back Scherzer. This MLB pick is at your own accord, so take it with your own discretion and hesitation, hence why it’s a free preview. Sometimes, MLB Baseball runs into these games that just make no sense, and for that reason, the Nationals win the game and the over cashes. Nationals 6, Cubs 5.
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
