For the first time since the heartbreak of the NLDS, the Washington Nationals will play against the Chicago Cubs, aiming to make up ground in the NL East.
The Washington Nationals will look to put last postseason’s demons behind them as they head to Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs. Things have hardly been plain sailing on the north side, but they still lead the NL Central.
Joining Blake Finney on the DoDCast to look ahead to the series is Climbing The Ivy podcast host and Cubbies Crib contributor, Alex Patt. You can check the episode out here.
- On this edition of the podcast, they discuss the following:
- The Nationals disappointing split with the Atlanta Braves
- The incident between Juan Soto and Greg Gibson on Wednesday
- What has changed for the Cubs since last year’s NLDS?
- Who should be watching out for in Chicago?
- Previewing and predicting each pitching matchup individually
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While the Cubs didn’t make many waves at the trade deadline, they did make a couple of smaller additions. The first is one that Nats fans will be very familiar with, in Brandon Kintzler. The Nats only received Single-A relief pitching prospect Jhon Romero for the reliable right-hander. A former fan favorite, hopefully, fans will get to see him for his new team.
The other addition the Cubs made, was Cole Hamels. Hamels had been a target of the Nats, but he ended up going to Chicago and has started well for the Cubbies. In two starts, he’s allowed just one run, 10 hits, and three walks in 11 innings while striking out 11. He’ll go up against Max Scherzer on Sunday night in what could be a pitcher’s duel.
One name you may not have heard of who’s currently on fire for the Cubs, is David Bote. The rookie was not on the prospect radar heading into the year but he has been extremely impressive with the big league club. So far this year, he’s hitting .338 with two homers, 14 RBI and three steals in just 68 ABs. He even has a pristine .956 OPS and will certainly be a threat at the plate.
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The pitching matchups do lineup fairly well for the Washington Nationals this series, so they have a nice chance to pull out a series win. But the Chicago Cubs will be no mugs, so it’s bound to be a fascinating series.