Cubs Face Big Test Against Nationals at Wrigley – Series Preview: May 5-8, 2016
The Cubs, fresh off their series sweep of the Pirates, won’t have much time to celebrate as they now must turn their attention to the Washington Nationals. The Cubs and Nationals are the top two teams in the National League with twenty and nineteen wins, respectively.
Game times and broadcast info
- Thursday, May 5 at 7:05 PM CDT on CSN
- Friday, May 6 at 1:20 AM CDT on CSN, MLBN (out of market only)
- Saturday, May 7 at 3:05 PM CDT on CSN, FS1
- Sunday, May 8 at 1:20 PM CDT on WGN, MLBN (out of market only)
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Team | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L |
| 5/5 | Cubs | Kyle Hendricks | 26 | R | 3.52 | 1-2 |
| Nationals | Joe Ross | 22 | R | 0.79 | 3-0 | |
| 5/6 | Cubs | John Lackey | 37 | R | 4.32 | 3-1 |
| Nationals | Max Scherzer | 31 | R | 3.55 | 3-1 | |
| 5/7 | Cubs | Jason Hammel | 33 | R | 1.24 | 4-0 |
| Nationals | Gio Gonzalez | 30 | L | 1.15 | 2-1 | |
| 5/8 | Cubs | Jake Arrieta | 30 | R | 0.84 | 6-0 |
| Nationals | Tanner Roark | 29 | R | 2.35 | 2-2 |
What to watch for
- The Cubs and Nationals have the top two records in the National League. This series is an early test for both teams so expect to see some strategic management decisions that will be more along the lines of what you might see later in the year and deeper into a pennant race. This one is going to be good.
- The Cubs have a few injuries going into this series. Notable is Jason Heyward’s wrist injury. It was thought that Jason may return on Wednesday against the Pirates but that didn’t happen. When interviewed, Joe Maddon mentioned that Jason could have played defensively but he didn’t want to put a bat in his hands quite yet. Of course, the Cubs have been rolling without him so it’s possible he sits another game or two before we see him back in the lineup against the Nationals.
- Bryce Harper, who started the season on fire, comes into Wrigley in a slump. He’s only 2-for-26 over his seven games with no RBIs and one run scored. Keep on an eye him in this series to see if the Cubs’ pitchers can keep him contained.