Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals – Series Preview (August 11-13): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (69-50) took care of business against the Royals this weekend, winning two out of three for their eighth consecutive road series victory. After their first off day in over two weeks, they finish up the trip in DC with three against the Nationals starting Tuesday night.
The Nats (59-61) won the season-opening series against the Cubs at Wrigley in March and have been hovering just below .500 for most of the year, which is a marked improvement from 2025. They sold off a couple of important pieces at the trade deadline, highlighted by sending Luis Garcia Jr. and his 24 homers with an .824 OPS to the Yankees.
In a development nobody saw coming before the season began, the Nats have the best offense in baseball with the highest team OPS (.767) and home run total (171). The lineup took a big hit when star outfielder James Wood went down with an oblique injury, but shortstop CJ Abrams is healthy and having a breakout year with 28 homers and a .904 OPS.
It’s pretty much the polar opposite when it comes to a pitching staff that features the fourth-worst team ERA in MLB (4.71). The one bright spot in the starting rotation is Cade Cavalli, who has a 3.57 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 128.2 innings.
The Nationals’ bullpen has been a particular sore spot with a 4.84 ERA and several spectacular meltdowns in 2026. Clayton Beeter is currently the closer, with Orlando Ribalta and Brad Lord holding down setup roles.
Washington is on a bit of a roll after sweeping the Reds over the weekend, although they are significantly better on the road than they are at Nats Park. The Cubs should be able to score against the shaky pitching staff, but they have to keep one of the most explosive offenses around in check if they want a ninth consecutive road series win.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Tuesday, August 11 at 5:45pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, August 12 at 5:45pm CT on Marquee.
- Thursday, August 13 at 3:05pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/11 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 3.60 | 8-9 | 4.38 | 4.31 |
| Jake Irvin | 29 | R | 5.37 | 2-5 | 4.73 | 2.38 | |
| 8/12 | David Peterson | 30 | L | 5.35 | 6-7 | 4.08 | 2.05 |
| Miles Mikolas | 37 | R | 5.89 | 3-9 | 5.72 | 2.43 | |
| 8/13 | Kevin Gausman | 35 | R | 4.29 | 6-10 | 3.53 | 3.54 |
| Cade Cavalli | 27 | R | 3.57 | 9-5 | 3.60 | 3.62 |
What to Watch For
- Gausman had an outstanding debut, throwing seven innings against the Royals on Friday.
- Ian Happ broke out of his huge slump with five hits, including two homers, in his last two games.
- Dansby Swanson has just two hits in his last five games.
