This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Chicago Cubs will look to keep their flickering postseason aspirations alive on Friday afternoon when they continue their four-game series against the visiting Washington Nationals.
The Cubs (78-75) snapped a modest two-game skid by posting a 7-6 victory over the Nationals (68-85) on Thursday in the series opener.
The top of Chicago’s lineup delivered on Thursday, with batters Nos. 1-4 combining to go 10-for-16 with seven runs and five RBIs.
“Top of the lineup did a heck of a job, for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson each had three hits, Cody Bellinger drove in three runs, and Seiya Suzuki highlighted his two-hit performance with his career-high 21st homer of the season.
“Seiya is having a really nice season,” Counsell said of Suzuki, who is riding a 10-game hitting streak. “Right now is as good as he’s been for sure. Doing a really nice job, taking good swings, really good at-bats. Just trying to get guys on base when he comes up.”
Still, Chicago is close to elimination from postseason contention. The Cubs reside seven games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League with nine games remaining.
Washington doesn’t have to worry about that given its place in the standings.
The Nationals, however, have surrendered 29 runs during their current four-game losing skid and yielded 33 runs en route to losing all four games thus far against Chicago
Washington, however, welcomed the power surge from Joey Gallo in the series opener. The slugger belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning on Thursday, marking the second time he has gone deep in the last four games.
Gallo stepped up in place of Jacob Young, who exited Thursday’s game with shoulder soreness after he was caught in his bid for a stolen base in the second inning.
Washington right-hander Trevor Williams (5-0, 2.22 ERA) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Friday’s game. He has been sidelined since May 30 due to a flexor strain in his elbow.
The expected return of Williams allows the Nationals to shift to a six-man rotation to finish the season.
“He says he feels good,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “He’ll get a chance to start, and we’ll get a chance to push these guys back a little bit.”
Williams, 32, returns to the Nationals after making a pair of rehab starts with Double-A Harrisburg. He allowed two runs on eight hits while striking out five batters in 7 1/3 innings.
Williams is 4-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 17 career appearances (13 starts) against the Cubs. Bellinger is 5-for-13 with two homers off Williams.
Chicago will send right-hander Jameson Taillon (10-8, 3.54) to the mound on Friday afternoon.
Taillon, 32, extended his unbeaten streak to four starts after picking up a no-decision in his last outing. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings against the Colorado Rockies in Denver on Saturday.
Taillon is 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in seven career appearances (all starts) versus the Nationals.
–Field Level Media
