Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals look to close out a three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs with a win at home later tonight. Strasburg hasn’t lost this season but will be facing a formidable cast of Cubs hitters. Will Strasburg be able to take care of the Cubs? Or will Chicago give him his first loss of the season? Read on for a breakdown of this game. Also check out our preview of Dodgers vs. D’backs.
Jayson Heyward is slowly getting back to form. After hitting .224 and .217 in April and May, respectively, the outfielder has been batting .295 thus far this June. He’s bat has even beet hotter over his last seven games in which he’s gone 8-for-24 (.333) with two doubles and a homer.
Those who think he’ll cool down soon might be correct but that may not happen later tonight even against Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals. For one, Heyward boasts of a terrific .412 batting average on 14-for-34 hitting with a home run and four RBI in his career opposite the Washington fireballer.
Heyward’s late exploits are a welcome development for Chicago’s offense that already ranks third in the majors both in runs (336) and on base percentage (.347), and to tonight’s starter Jason Hammel.
Hammel, who keeps a 7-2 and a 2.36 ERA, is coming off a so-so performance, allowing three runs on eight hits across 5.2 innings of a 5-1 loss to Atlanta on June 10. Hammel, however, has a perfect 9-0 record with a 3.16 ERA in 12 career starts versus Washington. That includes his start in the Cubs’ 8-5 win over the Nats on May 7, when he threw for five innings, yielding three runs on four hits and issuing four walks for a no-decision.
The Cubs are 4-2 in Hammel’s last six road starts.
Betting on the Washington Nationals
Stephen Strasburg continues to live in the stratosphere. The hard-throwing righty earned his tenth-straight victory to start the season on June 10, when he allowed four runs on five hits while striking out 10 hitters in seven innings of action of a 9-6 win over Philadelphia.
With the victory, Strasburg improved to 10-0 but slightly caused his ERA to rise to 3.03. Strasburg can sometimes afford to have one of those comparatively bad performances and still come up with a win due largely to the Nationals’ offense—one that gives him 7.53 runs support per nine innings pitched. That’s the third most in the majors for a qualified starter thus far on the season.
Washington is 9-0 in Strasburg’s last nine home starts dating back to 2015.
Washington’s offense has been raking it in this June. The Nationals have 70 runs in 11 games thus far this month while batting a league-best .297 during that span.
Jayson Werth is 10-for-21 (.476) with a homer and eight RBI over his last six games.
