Nationals at Cubs
Two of the National League’s top starting pitchers over the first month of the season square off Saturday when Washington’s Gio Gonzalez goes up against Chicago’s Jason Hammel. The Cubs have claimed the first two contests of the four-game set against the visiting Nationals.
At 22-6, the Cubs are off to the best start by an NL team since the Los Angeles Dodgers had the same record to begin the 1977 season. They’ve won five straight and nine of 10, allowing two or fewer runs in seven of those games. Red-hot Ben Zobrist homered twice for the Cubs in Friday’s 8-6 win and has four homers and 14 RBIs in his last five games. Daniel Murphy has been equally hot for the Nationals, collecting four hits in two of the past three games.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS1, MASN (Washington), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 1.15 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.24)
Gonzalez has posted quality starts in all five of his outings and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs yet this season. The 30-year-old was dominant last time out at Kansas City, allowing four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. Gonzalez is 3-2 with a 2.47 ERA in seven starts against the Cubs.
Hammel failed to record a quality start for the first time this season in his last outing, giving up two runs and five hits over five innings in a win at Pittsburgh. The 33-year-old also surrendered his first home run of the season. He hopes to continue his dominance over the Nationals, as he is 9-0 with a 3.01 ERA in 11 meetings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Zobrist has scored a run in seven straight games and has three or more RBIs in three straight, the longest streak of his career.
2. Murphy is 15-for-29 with four doubles and two homers over his past seven games.
3. Cubs OF Jason Heyward snapped an 0-for-20 skid with a double Friday.