WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD
The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals will close out this three-game weekend series with a rubber match on Sunday afternoon…Following the game, the Nationals will travel to Chicago where they will take on the Cubs in a three-game series starting Monday.
- Washington and St. Louis split yesterday’s doubleheader, with the Nationals winning the suspended game, 7-5 and the Cardinals winning the nigthcap, 9-6.
- The Nationals won four of their last five series heading into the All-Star Break…The other three series victories came against the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies with the Nationals claiming victory in the last game via rubber match.
STREAKIN’ WITH SIX
The Nationals have recorded at least six hits in 54 consecutive games since May 13 vs. New York (NL)…It is the longest streak in franchise (MON/WSH) history and is the longest streak (in a single season) since the 1999 Seattle Mariners (54)…The next longest streak is 69 games by the 1987 Boston Red Sox.
LEADING MAN
CJ Abrams is hitting .361 with a .410 on-base percentage (4 BB, 2 HBP), a .542 slugging percentage (5 2B, 3B, 2 HR) and is 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts over his last 20 games.
- Abrams has reached base safely in 11 of 23 plate appearances (.500 OBP) since being placed in the leadoff spot on July 7.
- Of note this road trip, Abrams is 20-for-52 (.385) with four doubles, two homers, four RBI, three walks, five stolen bases and 14 runs scored in 15 games against the NL Central this season.
- He has stolen 13 consecutive bases without being caught…Abrams was last caught stealing on May 3 vs. Chicago.
SINCE HIS RE…CALL
Alex Call was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on June 16 and was recalled by the Nationals on July 5…In seven games since returning, he is hitting .304 (7-for-23) with a .407 on-base percentage (3 BB, HBP) and a .696 slugging percentage (3 HR)…He’s hit safely in six of the seven games during this stretch.
WE’RE OVER IT…KIND OF
Lane Thomas made a compelling case to be named to his first AllStar game…See box to the right.
- He ranks in the entire National League in hits (4th, 109), average (5th, .300), doubles (6th, 24) and runs (10th, 61).
- He has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 and 25 of his last 28 games, going .345/.376/.569 with 11 doubles, five home runs, 20 RBI, five walks, two stolen bases and 19 runs scored during the 28-game stretch.
BULLPENING
Some notes on Ricky Bones’ relievers as of late:
- Kyle Finnegan has four holds and has pitched to a 1.23 ERA (2 ER/14.2 IP) with a .167 opponents average (8-for-48) in his last 12 appearances.
- Hunter Harvey is 6-for-6 in save opportunities and has allowed just five hits (.152 opp. AVG) in 9.2 innings over his last 10 outings….He has 10 strikeouts against just one walk over this span.
- Mason Thompson has seven holds and a 1.88 ERA (3 ER/14.1 IP) over his last 15 games.
- Hitters are 8-for-63 (.127) against Jordan Weems over his last 13 outings…The .105 average since June 10 is the lowest by any Major League pitcher with at least 18.0 innings.
STARTING PITCHER – #40 JOSIAH GRAY
Right-hander was acquired by the Nationals from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2021 Trade Deadline…Was Los Angeles’ No. 2 prospect entering 2021 and its Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019…Was originally selected by Cincinnati in the second round (No. 72 overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York…Was acquired by the Dodgers on his 21st birthday, Dec. 21, 2018…Is the Player Ambassador to the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy…Named to his first All-Star team in 2023.
LAST START
Allowed three earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and four walks in 5.0 innings on July 5 against Cincinnati…He took the loss in Washington’s 9-2 defeat.
LAST TIME ON THE MOUND
More importantly, the last time Gray toed the rubber was as a member of the National League All-Star team…He tossed a scoreless third inning in his first All-Star Game on Tuesday…He got Josh Jung out on a fly ball, struck out Jonah Heim and induced a ground ball by Marcus Semien.
vs. ST. LOUIS
Faced the Cardinals once this season on June 19…He allowed six earned runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out six in 5.0 innings and took the loss…Gray is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA (14 ER/13.1 IP) in three career appearances against St. Louis.
ROAD GRAY
Gray ranks second in Major League Baseball with a 2.39 ERA on the road this season…He’s allowed three earned runs or less in 10 of his 11 road starts.
RANKS
Gray ranks 15th in the National League with a 3.41 ERA…He paces the Nationals staff in opponents’ batting average (.253), opponents’ slugging percentage (.415), opponents’ OPS (.755) and home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (1.26).
KEEPING THE BALL IN THE YARD
Gray has allowed 1.26 home runs per 9.0 innings (14 HR/100.1 IP)…He allowed back-to-back home runs to lead off the game on April 1 vs. Atlanta (Acuña Jr./Olson) and beginning with the next batter, has allowed just eight additional home runs in the next 95.1 innings entering play tonight…This improvement comes after he led Major League Baseball with 38 home runs and 2.30 home runs per 9.0 innings last season.
CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. Nationals
The Cubs and Nationals play seven games spanning two series this season … the teams faced off May 1-4 at Washington, with the Nationals taking three of the four games … Chicago has won the last two season series against the Nationals, going 4-3 in 2021 and 4-2 in 2022.
WE’RE GOING NATIONAL: The Chicago Cubs today play the first of three games against the Washington Nationals … the Cubs yesterday dropped a rubber match against Boston, 11-5, dropping their third-straight series at Wrigley Field (June 30-July 2 vs. CLE, 1-2; June 27-29 vs. PHI, 0-3) … Justin Steele, in his 50th career start, suffered his first loss since May 26 and allowed six runs for just the second time this season … Mike Tauchman reached base five times, going 2-for-2 with three walks, for the first time this season … Nico Hoerner hit his team-leading fourth triple.
Prior to dropping their last three Wrigley Field series, the Cubs had won threeconsecutive Wrigley Field series (May 29-31 vs. TB, 2-1; June 13-15 vs. PIT, 3-0; June 16-18 vs. BAL, 2-1).
This is the fourth of a 10-game homestand vs. Boston (1-2), Washington (three games) and St. Louis (four games beginning Thursday).
Chicago finished the “first half” with a 42-47 record … the team was 35-57 in the “first half” of 2022.
The Cubs are 5-5 in their last 10 games and 6-11 in their last 17 contests since June 25 following a stretch in which it went 11-2 in 13 games from June 9-24.
The Cubs are the only N.L. Central Division club with a positive run differential (+21) … Pittsburgh is at -54, St. Louis -28, Cincinnati -14 and Milwaukee -8.
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR … OUTFIELDER: Ian Happ tallied his eighth outfield assist of the season yesterday against the Red Sox, tying his career high from last season … his 16 outfield assists since the start of 2022 rank tied for the N.L. lead and tied for sixth-most in the majors in that span.
Happ’s latest assist came in the team’s 92nd game … he is the first Cub since Kyle Schwarber in 2018 to record eight outfield assists by team game no. 92 and just the third since 2000 (also Alfonso Soriano in 2007).
He is one of seven players in the majors and one of three in the N.L. with at least eight outfield assists this season … Alex Verdugo of Boston and Adolis García of Texas are tied for the league lead with 10 outfield assists, and Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the N.L. with nine.
HIGH FIVE: Mike Tauchman yesterday reached base five times, going 2-for-2 with three walks, for the first time in his career … his previous high was four times (1-1, 3 BB) Aug. 10, 2019 … Tauchman’s feat was the sixth such instance for the Cubs this season (also Seiya Suzuki, twice; Ian Happ, twice; and Cody Bellinger) .. Chicago’s six batters to have reached base at least five times in a game are third-most in the majors behind the Mets (8) and the Astros (7).
Tauchman is also the sixth Cub to tally three walks in a game this season, joining Ian Happ (2), Trey Mancini, Miles Mastrobuoni, Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson (2).
BELLI AT BAT: Cody Bellinger in 24 games since being reinstated from the injured list on June 15 (left knee contusion) has batted .353 (30-for-85) with 19 runs, four doubles, five home runs, 15 RBI and an ,970 OPS … he has a 7.4% walk rate and 14.9% strikeout rate in this span.
Bellinger enjoyed a career-high 13-game hitting streak from June 24-July 7, a stretch in which he hit .479 (23-for-48) with three doubles, two homers, seven RBI and a 1.167 OPS.
Bellinger owns a .424 average (28-for-66) since June 24, the best mark in the majors in that span … his .458 OBP rank fourth and his 1.155 OPS is sixth in the majors during the stretch … Bellinger has five blasts in his last seven games, including three July 15-16.
THE MOREL OF THE STORY: Including a 3-for-4 game Friday vs. Boston, Christopher Morel has hit .302 (13-for-43) with three doubles, a homer, six RBI and seven runs scored in his last 11 games since July 2.
Since he was recalled by Chicago May 9, Morel is seventh in the N.L. with a .563 slugging mark, tied for seventh with 40 RBI and tied for ninth with 15 home runs.
PESKY AT THE PLATE: Cubs batters are averaging 4.06 pitches per plate appearance, the highest rate in the majors ahead of Milwaukee (4.02) and San Diego (3.98) … Ian Happ’s 4.34 pitches per plate appearance rank fourth in the majors among qualified hitters … Seiya Suzuki’s 4.26 mark ranks 10th.
Nico Hoerner’s 12.3% swing-and-miss rate is the third-lowest in the majors among qualified hitters behind only the Marlins’ Luis Arraez (7.9%) and Cleveland’s Steven Kwan (11.3%).
MUSINGS ON THE ROTATION: Cubs starting pitchers posted a 3.86 ERA (60 ER/140.0 IP) in 25 June contests, allowing 1.29 home runs per 9.0 IP while walking 42 and striking out 102 … in 12 July games, the starting rotation has posted a 5.48 ERA (40 ER/65.2 IP) with 1.78 homers allowed per 9.0 IP, 18 walks and 60 strikeouts.
On the season, Cubs starting pitchers have put up a 4.11 ERA (225 ER/493.0 IP) in 92 games … that’s the fifth-best ERA among N.L. starting rotations.
Chicago has 41 quality starts, second-most in the N.L. (San Diego, 43) and tied for sixth in baseball.
WHAT A RELIEF!: The Cubs bullpen has a 2.89 ERA (30 ER/93.1 IP) in the team’s last 27 games since June 13, the fourth-best mark in the majors.
Julian Merryweather since April 17 has pitched to a 2.18 ERA (8 ER/33.0 IP) with two wins and allowed 27 hits and 19 walks with 48 strikeouts in 34 appearances.
Starting Pitcher – #11 LHP Drew Smyly (7-6, 4.31)
Last Time Out
Drew suffered his sixth loss of the season July 8 at the Yankees, tossing 4.0 innings while allowing four runs, his third-highest total of the season … has made three-straight starts of 4.0 or fewer innings pitched, which ties his career-high (last, July 24 – Aug. 4, 2021 with Atlanta) … allowed four walks, his second-highest total of 2023 (5, May 28 vs. Cincinnati) … recorded his 1000th career strikeout (Kiner-Falefa called in 2nd).
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
7/8 @NYY L, 3-6 4.0 6 4 4 4 3 85-45 1-4
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 3-2 5.36 8 8 40.1 39 24 24 11 39
Road 4-4 3.52 10 10 53.2 55 25 21 23 40
AVG vs. LHB: .312 (24-for-77) / AVG vs. RHB: .244 (70-for-287)
Drew is scheduled to make his 19th start of the season today, his ninth at Wrigley Field … has a 7.66 ERA (19 ER/22.1 IP) in his last five outings after starting the season with a 3.27 ERA (26 ER/71.2 IP) in his first 13 starts … opposing batters are hitting .221 (42-for-190) with 58 strikeouts against his curveball.
Recorded his 1000th career strikeout in the second inning (Kiner-Falefa looking) July 8 at New York (A.L.).
Completed his 1000th career inning in the first inning May 28 vs. Cincinnati.
Allowed two-or-fewer runs in nine-straight starts from April 10-May 27, posting a 2.13 ERA (12 ER/50.2 IP) during the run, the fourth-lowest ERA in the majors
(min. 9 GS).
April 21 vs. Los Angeles (N.L.) retired the first 21 batters of the game, becoming the first Cub to take a perfect game bid into the eighth inning since José Guzmán (April 6, 1993 vs. Atlanta) … was the first Cub to record a start of 7.0-plus innings with one hit, no runs, no walks and at least 10 strikeouts since Kerry Hood’s 20-strikeout game (May 6, 1998 vs. Houston). © Went 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA (11 ER/16.1 IP) with a 13:2 SO:BB ratio during Cactus League play.
