Washington Nationals vs Chi. Cubs Picks and Predictions August 31st 2024

At 4:05 PM ET, the Cubs and Nationals face off in an NL matchup. This one is being played at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, and the Cubs are favored on the money line (-129). The money line odds for the Nationals are sitting at +109, and the over/under line is currently at 9 runs.

Chicago comes in with a record of 69-66 and are 2nd in the NL Central, while the Nationals are 4th in the NL East with a record of 61-74. Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs, and the Nationals are going with DJ Herz.

Chicago is sending right-hander Javier Assad to the mound today as he faces the Nationals on the road. Assad has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 6-4 with a 3.15 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .240 this season, and Assad has a WHIP of 1.34. In his 24 starts, he has turned in five quality starts and is averaging 7.65 strikeouts per nine innings. Assad’s last outing came on August 25th, where he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in seven innings of work. Before that, he had gone 1-0 with two no-decisions in his previous three outings.

So far this season, the Cubs are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .239, which is 14th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .315 is 11th in the MLB.

Over the past five games, Ian Happ has been on fire for the Cubs, going 11/22. For the season, he is the team’s leader in RBIs (75) and has 23 homers, which is 13th in the league. Happ is on a five-game hitting streak. Nico Hoerner is also on a good stretch, as he has hits in six straight games.

Washington is sending left-hander DJ Herz to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 14 starts this year and has a record of 2-6 with a 3.84 ERA. Herz most recently faced the Braves, where he finished with a no-decision, going five innings and not giving up a run. Before that outing, he had taken the loss in three straight starts. Herz has given up at least one homer in four straight outings. So far, he has made 14 appearances and two of them have been quality starts. Herz’s ERA at home is 4.06 compared to 4.95 on the road.

Washington’s offense comes into today’s game averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They are also just 23rd in home runs and have a collective slugging percentage of .378. However, the Nationals do have the league’s 11th best batting average. Luis Garcia Jr. is hitting .292 for the season and leads the team with 63 RBIs. CJ Abrams has 18 homers this season, but is hitting just .243.

Both Jacob Young and Dylan Crews have been swinging the bat well for the Nationals, with Young going 7/17 in his last five games and Crews going 5/16 with two homers in his last four games. Crews also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak.

Streaking Cubs Continue Playoff Push Against Nationals in Crucial Series

The Chicago Cubs are on a roll as they charge toward the postseason, aiming for their fifth straight win when they take on the Washington Nationals on Saturday. After a nail-biting 7-6 victory on Friday, the Cubs are eager to keep their momentum alive in the heated race for the final National League wild-card spot.

Pitching Matchup: Assad vs. Herz

The Cubs will send right-hander Javier Assad (6-4, 3.15 ERA) to the mound, while the Nationals will counter with rookie left-hander DJ Herz (2-6, 3.84 ERA). This will be Herz’s first time facing his former team after being traded to Washington at the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for infielder Jeimer Candelario.

Herz, a promising 23-year-old from North Carolina, has been impressive throughout August, boasting a 2.22 ERA in five starts. In his last outing, he pitched five scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves, allowing just one hit despite a shaky start where he loaded the bases.

Assad, on the other hand, is coming off his longest start of the season, where he went seven innings against the Miami Marlins, allowing three runs on six hits. Despite giving up two home runs in the first inning, Assad settled down and kept the Cubs in the game.

Assad has faced the Nationals once before, pitching five scoreless innings in relief in May 2023.

Cubs’ Offense Firing on All Cylinders

On Friday, Cody Bellinger’s two-run homer highlighted a seven-run second inning, setting the tone for the Cubs’ victory. This was the second time this week that the Cubs have scored at least seven runs in an inning, following an eight-run outburst against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

Chicago’s offense has been on fire, scoring 80 runs in their past eight games—their highest total in an eight-game span since 1935, according to MLB.com. Michael Busch and Ian Happ each contributed two hits, while Pete Crow-Armstrong added a two-run double to help secure Friday’s win.

However, the victory didn’t come easily. The Cubs entered the ninth inning with a 7-3 lead, but the Nationals mounted a late rally, forcing Cubs reliever Keegan Thompson to strike out Dylan Crews with the tying and winning runs on base to end the game.

Crews, who made his major league debut on Monday, has already hit two homers in four games for the Nationals.

Nationals’ Struggles and Herz’s Challenge

Washington’s Friday starter, Jake Irvin, struggled, allowing seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. This performance was a stark contrast to the Nationals’ previous nine games, where their starters had combined for a 1.94 ERA while striking out more than one batter per inning.

For the Nationals, Saturday’s game presents a significant challenge as they look to bounce back and prevent the Cubs from extending their winning streak. Herz will need to be sharp against a Cubs lineup that has been relentless at the plate.

Match Outlook

As the Cubs continue their playoff push, they’ll rely on Javier Assad to deliver another strong performance and keep their potent offense rolling. Meanwhile, the Nationals will look to rookie DJ Herz to stifle his former team and give Washington a chance to even the series. With both teams having plenty at stake, Saturday’s game promises to be another intense and competitive matchup.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as we have this as the 8th highest-scoring game of today’s slate. As for a straight-up pick, we are leaning towards the Cubs to come out on top. Chicago’s offense is projected to have the 4th lowest team strikeout total, and Javier Assad is 12th among today’s starters in projected strikeouts.