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Cubs-Nationals Preview

Aug 25, 2010 - 3:44 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Chicago (52-74) at Washington (53-72), 7:05 p.m. EDT

It's been more than 15 years since a Chicago Cubs manager won his first three games.

Washington manager Jim Riggleman, the last to achieve that feat, hopes his club can prevent Mike Quade from doing the same as the visiting Cubs try to complete a sweep of the struggling Nationals on Wednesday night.

Alfonso Soriano and Tyler Colvin homered in Chicago's 5-4 win at Washington on Tuesday to improve to 2-0 under Quade, who took over when Lou Piniella unexpectedly retired Sunday.

"Those guys are 2-0," said Quade, the former third base coach who is considered a candidate for the Cubs managerial job next season. "It's great."

Looking for a season-high fifth straight road win, the Cubs (53-74) have won six in a row and 10 of 13 at Washington.

Riggleman, who started 4-0 as Cubs manager in 1995, hopes the Nationals (53-73) can turn things around after losing three in a row and 12 of 16.

Soriano, who played for the Nationals in 2006, is 13 for 37 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in his last nine games in Washington.

Colvin, who has six RBIs in four games, leads all rookies with 19 homers.

Chicago's Ryan Dempster (11-8, 3.56 ERA) looks to remain perfect in August when he takes the ball Wednesday.

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA in four starts this month. He allowed two runs and four hits over eight innings against Atlanta on Friday and stood to get the win before closer Carlos Marmol gave up three runs in the ninth.

Dempster is 6-1 with a 3.50 ERA in 13 starts against the Nationals franchise. He surrendered three runs and four hits in eight innings of a 3-2 loss April 28.

Ryan Zimmerman is 5 for 10 against Dempster but made the final out with the tying run on second Tuesday. The third baseman is 7 for 18 with four RBIs in his last six games against the Cubs after going 1 for 4 with an RBI.

Former Cub Jason Marquis (0-6, 11.39) looks to build on his best start of the season when he takes the ball in the finale.

In his sixth start of the season and third since undergoing elbow surgery May 14, Marquis gave up one run, four hits and four walks in five innings of a 1-0 loss at Philadelphia on Friday.

"I was getting tired of embarrassing myself out there," said Marquis, 0-9 with an 8.87 ERA in 11 starts since beating Cincinnati on Sept. 8. "It was a step in the right direction."

The right-hander, who pitched for the Cubs in 2007-2008, is 4-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 starts against his former club.

Chicago hopes to have Marlon Byrd back in the lineup after he sat out Tuesday with a bruised right hand suffered in the series opener. The All-Star is batting .306 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs.

"We were very concerned," Quade told the Cubs' official website. "If I'm going to be cautious with a guy, then so be it, and so we gave him the day."