The Nationals and Cubs will complete this 3-game series tonight under the lights at Wrigley Field, and the Nats get another featured game on ESPN’s Sunday Night Game of the Week. While getting the big game is an honor, it is also a game that changes sleep patterns as they usually finish up near midnight in the East. Luckily on this getaway day, the flight to St. Louis is a short one about an hour in the air, and the Nationals will probably still get to their hotel by Busch Stadium between 2AM – 3AM (EDT).
Hopefully today Anthony Rendon is feeling great after a hit-by-pitch via a Cubs pitch. That happened to Trea Turner in June of last year in a game against the Cubs when Pedro Strop fractured Trea’s wrist on an inside tracer. The Nationals recently had a misdiagnosis on Brian Goodwin‘s wrist which is why fans remain skeptical yet hopeful that this is just a contusion as the team annouced. The Nationals were clear that “initial” x-rays were negative but with swelling — the initial x-rays don’t always show fractures. With all the wrist injuries, when will teams require their players to wear wrist armor?
When Rendon was plunked on the wrist in the 1st inning of Friday’s game, he remained in the game and had three additional at-bats going 0-3. Yesterday, Mark Reynolds replaced Rendon in the line-up as he was a late scratch.
The Nationals have Max Scherzer on the mound tonight with a rested bullpen except for Wander Suero. The Cubs have used up much of their bullpen but they carry 9 relief pitchers. For the Cubs, they have lefty Cole Hamels on the mound. Most of the veteran Nationals are very familiar with Hamels from his years in the NL East with the Phillies.
Expect a line-up that looks a lot like yesterday’s and we will see if Michael A. Taylor has earned a start as he has hit Hamels in the past well compared to most of his teammates.
Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs
Stadium: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
1st Pitch: 8:05 pm EDT
TV: ESPN ONLY
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app
Line-ups subject to change without notice:
- Trea Turner SS
- Juan Soto LF
- Bryce Harper RF
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Daniel Murphy 2B
- Mark Reynolds 3B
- Michael Taylor CF
- Matt Wieters C
- Max Scherzer RHP
