Cubs Aim to Dominate Nationals in High-Scoring Showdown

The Chicago Cubs are set to face the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on Friday, September 5, with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on Apple TV+. The Cubs enter the matchup with an 80-60 record, holding a four-game advantage in the NL wild card race, while the Nationals sit at 56-83 and occupy last place in the NL East. will provide fans with up-to-date scores and highlights. Javier Assad will start for the Cubs, carrying a 4.05 ERA in his fifth appearance of the 2025 season. The Cubs have won three of his four starts so far, with Assad allowing three or fewer runs in each of his last three outings. The Nationals will counter with Jake Irvin, who has struggled with a 5.42 ERA. Irvin is coming off a difficult August, allowing eight home runs in six starts and posting an 8.78 ERA. Washington has a 13-15 record in Irvin’s starts this year. Offensively, Chicago has been led by first baseman Michael Busch, who has excelled against right-handed pitching in 2025. Busch is hitting .273 versus righties, with 24 of his 26 home runs coming against them. He is considered a strong candidate to homer in this matchup, given Irvin’s tendency to allow long balls—31 home runs surrendered in 28 appearances. The Nationals’ bullpen has also been vulnerable, ranking last in MLB with a 5.35 ERA and 70 home runs allowed this season. The Cubs’ offense has experienced some bad luck since August, ranking 28th in wOBA (.291) and averaging just 3.69 runs per game, despite a top-five barrel rate. With gusty winds expected at Wrigley Field, analysts like Neil Parker predict that Chicago’s bats could break out against Irvin and the Nationals. Parker’s forecast suggests a comfortable Cubs win, with the run line favoring Chicago at -1.5, and the total set at 10.5 runs. The Nationals, despite being frequent underdogs, have struggled on the run line at 67-72 this season. For Washington, rookie has been a recent bright spot, collecting 14 hits, six runs, and six RBI over his last stretch while posting a .275 average and .843 OPS. However, as a team, the Nationals have a 20th-ranked wOBA against righties and have hit the over in 26 of their last 44 road games. With the Cubs boasting a 17-game advantage over .500 at home and Assad pitching well, most projections—including those from —favor Chicago to cover the spread. If the wind plays a factor as expected, Friday’s contest is shaping up to be a high-scoring affair, with the Cubs in position to capitalize on a struggling Nationals pitching staff.