With the Washington Nationals’ pitching rotation in disarray, their three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs hasn’t exactly resembled the playoff preview it was expected to be. Nonetheless, both teams hope to get a leg up on their potential National League Division Series opponent when they play the rubber match of the set Sunday afternoon.
The Cubs snapped a three-game skid with a 7-4 win Saturday, improving to 15-6 since the All-Star break and preserving their half-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central. Chicago has a strong chance to take the series with ace left-hander Jon Lester starting opposite rookie right-hander Erick Fedde, who will make his second career start. The Nationals have a commanding 13-game lead over Miami in the NL East, but they’re just 7-8 over their last 15 games. Washington All-Star Bryce Harper is 4-for-9 in the series with a homer.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, TBS, MASN (Washington), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Erick Fedde (0-1, 15.75 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (8-6, 3.96)
Fedde was roughed up in his major-league debut Sunday against Colorado, allowing seven runs and 10 hits over four innings. The 24-year-old was 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 27 games (11 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A before being called up. Fedde was a first-round draft pick out of UNLV in 2014.
Lester was lights-out in his first three starts following the All-Star break, but he wasted a great opportunity to win a fourth straight start last time out. The 33-year-old was staked to a big lead Tuesday against Arizona but couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, as he allowed three runs in four-plus frames with nine strikeouts. Lester is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts against the Nationals, including a no-decision this season in which he allowed one run and three hits over six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs C Willson Contreras boasts three homers and nine RBIs in his past three games and has reached base in a career-high 19 consecutive starts.
2. Washington C Matt Wieters is 16-for-49 with three doubles, a triple, and eight RBIs against Lester.
3. Chicago RHP Wade Davis converted his 23rd consecutive save opportunity Saturday, a single-season club record and three shy of the overall franchise mark of 26 set by Ryan Dempster spanning the 2005 and 2006 seasons.