Series Preview: Nationals v. Cubs, June 26 – June 28, 2014

montreal expos logoThe Cubs welcome the Washington Nationals to Wrigley Field for four games in three days. Thanks to the Pride Parade on Sunday, and the attendant neighborhood insanity that would result if there was also a Cubs game going on at the same time, the Cubs agreed to a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.

We’re Going Streaking

The Cubs are no longer the best team in the National League over a stretch of however many games you want to grab. They’ve dropped a couple series in a row now, and have lost 8 of 14.

The Nationals are once again underperforming expectations (their roster has been stacked for two years now), but it’s a relative kind of underperformance. They’re still first in the NL East, so that’s nice, but just five games over .500 – they wouldn’t hold a Wild Card spot if they weren’t in first in the East. They’ve won 6 of 9.

Game Times and Broadcasts

  • Thursday, June 26 at 7:05 CT on CSN.
  • Friday, June 27 at 3:05 CT on WGN.
  • Saturday, June 28 at 12:05 CT on WGN.
  • Saturday, June 28 at 6:15 CT on FOX.
  • Expected Starters and Lineups

    These lineups are likely to be pretty close to what actually gets fielded, but you’ll want to check each day’s Pre-Gamin’ post for the actual lineup.

    Cubs

    Starters: Travis Wood (4.55 ERA, 4.09 FIP; 2.15 K/BB), Jason Hammel (2.99 ERA, 3.07 FIP; 4.55 K/BB), Dallas Beeler (Debut), Jeff Samardzija (2.53 ERA, 2.90 FIP; 3.13 K/BB)

    Lineup (been shuffling a lot lately):

    1. Junior Lake/Chris Coghlan/Justin Ruggiano, LF
    2. Ruggiano and Lake go here, too – or Ryan Sweeney
    3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
    4. Starlin Castro, SS
    5. Luis Valbuena, 3B
    6. Nate Schierholtz, RF
    7. Welington Castillo, C
    8. Darwin Barney, 2B
    9. Pitcher

    Nationals

    Starters: Doug Fister (2.65 ERA, 4.12 FIP; 6.00 K/BB), Tanner Roark (2.79 ERA, 3.40 FIP; 3.13 K/BB), Gio Gonzalez (4.38 ERA, 3.49 FIP; 2.37 K/BB), Jordan Zimmermann (2.95 ERA, 2.78 FIP; 4.78 K/BB)

    Lineup:

    1. Denard Span, CF
    2. Anthony Rendon, 3B
    3. Jayson Werth’s Beard, RF
    4. Adam LaRoche, 1B
    5. Ryan Zimmerman, LF
    6. Ian Desmond, SS
    7. Danny Espinosa, 2B
    8. Jose Lobaton, C
    9. Pitcher

    Hot or Not and Whom to Watch

    Dallas Beeler will be the dude to watch in the opening game on Saturday, as he’ll be making his big league debut.

    No, no, no. I don’t want to believe it. Luis Valbuena is probably feeling the expected BABIP regression right now – in his last 25 plate appearances, he’s got just two hits. But 19 of the other 23 at bats have been balls in play that haven’t fallen in (no walks).

    Offensively, you’ve really got to stretch to find anyone who’s hot right now, and isn’t named Rizzo or Castro.

    The Cubs probably won’t face Bryce Harper in this one, as he’s still rehabbing his surgically-repaired thumb.

    Adam LaRoche is right up there with Anthony Rizzo and Paul Goldschmidt as the best offensive first basemen in the NL this year – he’s hitting .306/.421/.483 with a crazy 16.9% walk rate.

    The only other solidly positive offensive contributor the Nationals have right now is Anthony Rendon, who’s hitting .273/.335/.474.

    If you think the Cubs’ bullpen is good (and it is), the Nationals’ bullpen is just stupidly, ridiculously good, with six guys featuring FIPs below 3.

    written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

    So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

    Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 24, 2024: Kevin Alcántara Cannot Miss Right Now

    Name a player hotter than Kevin Alcántara right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. (He's already raking again today. Literally as I type this.) More on Alcántara's big day and the Smokies home run parade last night in today's Cubs Farm...

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

    In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

    My God, Jordan Wicks … Save Some Awesomeness for the Rest of us!

    Cubs rookie starter Jordan Wicks has been impressing us all season long with his apparent offseason transformation (which led to more velocity on his heater and movement on his slider). But last night against the Astros? That was a whole...

    Latest News

    How to Watch Phillies vs. Reds: Live Stream or on TV

    The Philadelphia Phillies (15-9), with Zack Wheeler on the hill, visit the Cincinnati Reds (13-10) who will start Nick Martinez, at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday in the rubber match of the series.See how to watch the Philadelphia-Cincinnati matchup below.When...

    Brewers vs. Pirates: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Milwaukee Brewers (14-8), with Freddy Peralta on the hill, visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-11) who will hand the ball to Mitch Keller, at 12:35 PM ET on Thursday.Find out how to watch the Milwaukee-Pittsburgh matchup below.When is Brewers vs....

    Dodgers vs. Nationals: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) visit C.J. Abrams and the Washington Nationals (10-12) on Thursday, with first pitch at 4:05 PM ET.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for TV and streaming options for the...

    Magic vs. Cavaliers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Cleveland Cavaliers are slight 1.5-point underdogs for Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Thursday, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET on NBA. The Cavaliers have a 2-0...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    Wurth 400 Odds from NASCAR Dover Motor Speedway: Betting Bubba Wallace at the Monster Mile

    The Monster Mile roars to life this Sunday and the 2024 Wurth 400 odds have been revealed! Dover Motor Speedway welcomes NASCAR for its annual racing weekend and unlike last week’s Geico 500 from Talladega Superspeedway, the race favorites are...

    2024 Zurich Classic Tee Times, TV Channel, Live Stream

    The fleur-de-lis flags are flying, and the beignets are hot! The 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans tees off this Thursday, bringing back the PGA Tour's electrifying two-man team format. TPC Louisiana is set to be buzzing with a unique...

    Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese Officially Introduced, And She Sounds Motivated

    The new face of the Chicago Sky franchise officially arrived on Wednesday. Angel Reese met with media members at the Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield. The former LSU standout and NCAA National Champion is only nine days removed from hearing...

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Thunder – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    At 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the New Orleans Pelicans versus the Oklahoma City Thunder -- with Jonas Valančiūnas needing to connect only once from beyond the...

    more cubs news