Pre-game, the son of the Cubs owner, Todd Ricketts, ran his mouth about the Nationals which seemed to inspire these Nationals as they scored 8 runs and knocked out the Cubs’ starter John Lackey at the 5 1/3 mark running up his ERA to 5.24. For the winners, Stephen Strasburg went a strong 7 innings giving up just 2 earned runs and striking out 13 batters.
“We’re going to see these guys [the Nats] in the playoffs, and you’ll see them crumble,” Todd Ricketts of the Chicago Cubs ownership group bragged to President Trump at their White House visit.
The Nationals batters put up 6-runs by the 3rd inning to put a nice margin on the Cubs. The Cubs lost their reigning MVP, Kris Bryant, to an apparent ankle injury, and the Cubs only managed 6 hits in the game while falling to a .500 record with this loss.
The Nationals only managed one stolen base tonight by Trea Turner, and Turner’s baserunning mentor, Davey Lopes, was not with the team as he was taking care of a family matter. Assistant batting coach Jacque Jones took over for Lopes to coach 1st base.
The Nationals have now at the very least clinched a split in this series and will go after the series win with Joe Ross facing left-handed Jon Lester.
Anthony Rendon was tonight’s offensive star going 3-for-4 with a HBP, and Rendon was just a triple short of a cycle as he got the home run, double and single tonight raising his batting average to .299.
