The Washington Nationals (11-18) face a tough test against Marcus Stroman at Nationals Park on Wednesday when the impressive right-hander takes the mound for the Chicago Cubs (15-14). The Nationals leveled the series 1-1 after winning 4-1 on Tuesday.
Hunter Harvey got the win with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, and Kyle Finnegan picked up his sixth save with a scoreless ninth.CJ Abrams went 3 for 3 with two runs and one RBI in the win. Patrick Wisdom was 1 for 4 with a solo home run for the Cubs.
ON THE MOUND
Stroman (2-2, 2.29 ERA) is set to take the mound for Chicago. The righty allowed two runs over 6.1 innings in his last start, a 3-2 road defeat against the Marlins on Friday. He gave up six hits while striking out three and walking two in the no-decision.
Stroman is making his first appearance against the Nationals this season. Over two starts against the Nationals in 2022, Stroman was 0-0 with a 3.72 ERA over 9.2 innings. He had 10 strikeouts and three walks.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Chicago has averaged only 3.4 runs a game, down from their season average of 5.2, while performing worse across the board (.267/.340/.448).
Washington is averaging only 3.2 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 3.8 for the season. The Nats have a .626 OPS against righties in 2023, third lowest in the league. With a .761 OPS over 69 at-bats, Keibert Ruiz has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Chicago is 7-6 away from home in 2023, scoring 5.6 runs per game while allowing 3.1 runs. Washington has gone 4-12 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 2.9 runs per game while surrendering 5.6. The teams have split their last 10 meetings head-to-head at Nationals Park, though Chicago has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 4.2-4.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Cubs are third in the NL Central, four games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Nationals are fifth in the NL East, eight games behind the Braves.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Chicago Cubs (-200)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
