Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs -133
Games Total: 9.5
Game Play Predictions
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs face Joe Ross Friday. Ross is making his first start in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery 14 months ago.
Ross is 17-13 with a 3.95 ERA in 48 games with the Nationals.
Daniel Murphy will return to Washington for the first time since he was traded to the Cubs two weeks ago. Murphy is batting .316/.358/.480 at Nationals Park in his career.
The Cubs aren’t getting any offensive production from their catchers, as Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini are a combined 2-for-27 over the last seven days.
Javier Báez is tied for the National League lead with 100 RBI. Anthony Rizzo is sixth with 91 RBI.
In true Javier Báez fashion, the MVP candidate is 10-for-32 with 13 strikeouts over the last month.
Rizzo has been hot as well, going 10-for-25 with four walks and two strikeouts over the last seven days.
Baez and Kyle Schwarber have been strikeout machines again this season, with strikeout rates of 27.0 and 25.2, respectively.
Baez is second to only Salvador Pérez in swings at pitches outside the strike zone at 47.6 percent. Baez leads all of baseball with a 59.6 percent swing rate.
Washington Nationals
Jon Lester is making his first start in Washington since the 2017 NLDS.
Lester hasn’t lost since August 11 when he allowed eight earned runs in 3.2 innings against the Nationals at Wrigley Field.
The Nationals have been just average against lefties this season, with a .311 wOBA and 23.0 percent strikeout rate.
Washington is fourth in MLB with a 9.7 percent walk rate against lefties this season.
Lester has been allowing a lot of fly balls this season, and it has largely hurt him. His 36.6 percent groundball rate is his lowest since 2007, and his 1.31 HR/9 is his highest since 2007.
Lester’s 8.4 percent walk rate is his highest since 2011, and his 19.0 percent strikeout rate is his lowest since 2012.
Juan Soto is 10-for-25 with seven walks and nine strikeouts over the last seven days.
Adam Eaton is 10-for-33 over the last week while Trea Turner is 11-for-30 over that span.
Matt Wieters will miss his seventh consecutive game Friday. Spencer Kieboom and Pedro Severino are a combined 4-for-18 over the last seven days.
Mark Reynolds is 5-for-12 over the last seven days and he is batting .322/.382/.475 against lefties this season.
Reynolds has struggled in his career against Lester, however, batting .209 with 11 strikeouts in 43 at-bats.
Bryce Harper is 3-for-10 with six strikeouts against Lester while Ryan Zimmerman is 4-for-18 with five strikeouts.