The Chicago Cubs will try to stop the bleeding on Thursday night in their series finale against the Washington Nationals, but it won't be easy. The Cubs have dropped five straight games and eight of their last 10, but on Thursday they get a chance to avoid being swept for the first time since Aug. 6-8 against San Diego Padres.
They've still got a long way to go and aren't in playoff contention at this point, but avoiding the sweep is a great start to get it all back on track. They've actually got an easier stretch of schedule coming up after this point, but they'd really like to head into Pittsburgh not riding a six-game losing streak.
Justin Germano (2-5, 6.30 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago, while the Nats plan to counter with Jordan Zimmermann (9-8, 3.01 ERA). Germano is coming off a loss in his most recent outing, giving up five earned runs over five innings of pitching, while Zimmerman allowed a whopping eight runs over three-plus innings, but was given a no decision thanks to his run support.
Game time: 6:05 p.m. CT
Location: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
TV: CSN
For more on this series, check out Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue and Washington Nationals blog Federal Baseball. Follow Baseball Nation for all your up-to-date MLB news and analysis.
