The Chicago Cubs (14-13) take one of the most productive offenses in MLB on the road to face the Washington Nationals (10-17) at Nationals Park on Monday to open a four-game series. The Cubs are in the midst of a seven-game road trip.
They were just swept in three games against the Marlins, dropping the finale 4-3 on Sunday at loanDepot park. Edwin Rios was 1 for 1 with a double and one run.
The Nationals are in the midst of a seven-game homestand. They lost two of three against the Pirates in their last series, taking the finale 7-2 on Sunday at Nationals Park.
Joey Meneses went 4 for 5 with one run and one RBI. Jeimer Candelario added a double and two RBIs. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. In 2022, the Cubs won four of the six games between the teams, including two out of three in their most recent meeting at Nationals Park in August.
ON THE MOUND
Drew Smyly (2-1, 3.21 ERA) is set to take the mound for Chicago. The lefty allowed two runs over five innings in his last start, a 5-3 road defeat against the Padres on Wednesday.
He scattered four hits while striking out four and walking one in the no-decision. Smyly made one start against the Nationals in 2022, a 3-2 road victory on August 17.
He surrendered two runs on four hits over 5.1 innings, striking out four. For Washington, left-hander MacKenzie Gore (3-1, 3.00 ERA) gets the start. Gore made one start against the Cubs in 2022, throwing five innings for the Padres in a 6-0 home defeat on May 9.
He gave up seven hits while striking out six in the loss. In his last start on Wednesday, Gore got the win on the road against the Mets. He threw six innings and gave up one run on four hits, striking out 10 and walking two in the 4-1 victory. The LHP is tied for fifth in the NL in wins.
AT THE PLATE
The Chicago offense is averaging 5.4 runs per game for the season, fourth best in MLB, with a slash line of .276/.348/.448. Four Cubs hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Patrick Wisdom (.986). The shortstop is slashing .250/.327/.659 with 10 home runs, 20 RBIs, and 20 runs over 25 games.
Over the last five games, however, Chicago has averaged only 3.8 runs a game partially due to poor on-base performance (.324). Against left-handed pitchers like Gore this season, the Cubs have an .834 OPS, third highest in MLB. Yan Gomes is the team’s best hitter against left-handers with a 1.134 OPS in 27 at-bats.
Washington is slashing .246/.315/.344 for the season and averaging 3.9 runs per game, fourth lowest in the league. Keibert Ruiz leads the team with a .729 OPS.
The first baseman has two home runs, eight RBIs, and six runs scored with a slash line of .271/.340/.388. The Nats have a .765 OPS against left-handers in 2023. With a 1.113 OPS over 21 at-bats, Victor Robles has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Chicago is on a three-game losing streak in road games, bringing their record to 6-5 in 2023. The Cubs have scored 6.1 runs per game away from home, while allowing 3.2 runs.
Washington has gone 3-11 at Nationals Park this season, averaging 3.0 runs per game while surrendering 5.9. In the last 10 meetings at Nationals Park, Chicago is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 5.4-4.4.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cubs are third in the NL Central, five games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, eight games behind the Braves.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Chicago Cubs (-140)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
