Nationals 2 - 3 Cubs
Final
  for this game

Nats aim to stay hot for Zimmermann

May 26, 2015 - 1:57 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Nationals try to win a sixth straight start by Jordan Zimmermann on Tuesday night when they resume a three-game set with the hosting Chicago Cubs.

Washington has won each of the right-hander's past five outings, with Zimmermann 3-0 over that span with a 2.45 earned run average. He won his second start in a row on Wednesday, holding the New York Yankees to a pair of runs over seven innings of a 3-2 victory. That moved the hurler to 4-2 on the year with a 3.52 ERA as he has not lost since April 18.

Zimmermann, who turned 29 last Saturday, is just 1-4 lifetime versus the Cubs with a 4.81 ERA in seven meetings. He has lost all three of his career starts at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs will hand the ball tonight to Kyle Hendricks, who is coming off his first career complete game, a 3-0 blanking of the San Diego Padres last Thursday.

After not lasting longer than six innings in a start this season, the right- handed Hendricks went the distance versus the Padres and held them to five hits and struck out seven without a walking a batter. It was his first win of the season as he moved to 1-1 with a 4.14 ERA.

"When you pitch like that, you'll win a lot of baseball games," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "(Hendricks) was in command of himself, in command of the game. It was really fun to watch."

Hendricks threw 71 of his 108 pitches for strikes and has fanned seven batters in back-to-back outings. He will face the Nationals for the first time.

Washington got solo homers from Denard Span and Wilson Ramos to win Monday's close opener 2-1.

Tanner Roark, making his first start of 2015, recorded the win with his lone blemish coming on Kris Bryant's solo shot in the first inning. Roark went five innings and scattered three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

"I had to go out there and try to do my job whether it's in the bullpen or starting," Roark said after helping lead Washington to an eighth victory in nine games.

Drew Storen came on in the ninth and polished off four scoreless innings from the Nationals bullpen for his 15th save of the season.

Matched up against fellow young star Bryce Harper of Washington, Bryant went 2-for-3 as the Cubs lost their third contest in four games.

Justin Grimm absorbed the loss out of the bullpen for Chicago, with starter Tsuyoshi Wada going 5 1/3 innings and striking out six.

"Both sides pitched really, really well today," Maddon said

This is the second of seven meetings between these two teams over the next two weeks.






Related News