Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CHC	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
WSH	0	0	0	1	5	0	0	1	—	7	10	0

Cade Cavalli (9-5, 3.38 ERA) took the ball for the Nationals against Kevin Gausman (6-10, 4.53) at 4:05 PM ET, and both arms came in trending the right way. Gausman was fresh off arguably his best start since Chicago acquired him from Toronto, 7 innings and just 2 earned runs against Kansas City. Cavalli had racked up 8 strikeouts over 6 innings his last time out against Cincinnati.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Cubs(71-50)

WWWLW

0

-1.5+117-138o8.5-102

Nationals(59-63)

LLWWW

7

+1.5-120+136u8.5+104

Best BetCubs -134

Postgame

This one busted hard. The bull case leaned on a hot offense that had scored 20 runs in two nights, and that lineup managed exactly 1 hit against Cavalli. The bear case flagged Cavalli as a legitimate arm capable of shutting a lineup down — that's precisely what happened, just far more emphatically than expected, with a no-hit bid that lasted into the 7th.

Pregame

The Cubs are -146 on the moneyline and the market's leaned further that way as the series has gone on, Washington's price has drifted from +118 out to +136, which reads more like bettors backing off the Nationals than any sharp money jumping in on them. Chicago's taken the first two games of this set by a combined 20-12 and looks like the sturdier team on paper right now. Backing the Cubs to close it out is the play, even at a price that keeps climbing.

Washington's been piecing things together without James Wood, who isn't expected back the moment he's eligible off the injured list, and catcher Drew Millas has been out as well. The Cubs, meanwhile, have watched their bullpen thin by the week — Phil Maton was just diagnosed with a partial patellar tendon tear, joining Daniel Palencia, Gavin Hollowell and Hoby Milner in various stages of rehab. Neither issue figured to matter much against a Nationals offense that had scored a combined 12 runs across the first two games of the series.

Kevin Gausman

(6-11)·4.58 ERA

Aug 7 @ Royals

W

7.0IP

2ER

4K

1BB

96P

08/13 Lineup

Cade Cavalli

(11-5)·3.22 ERA

Aug 7 vs Reds

W

6.0IP

3ER

8K

2BB

100P

08/13 Lineup

That backdrop made the first two games of this set feel like a mismatch — Chicago won 8-6 and then 12-6, both track meets with the bullpens doing plenty of the damage. The finale looked built for more of the same before Cavalli made sure it wasn't.

Chicago Cubs

(71-50)

Aug 12W@ Nationals12-6

Aug 11W@ Nationals8-6

Aug 9W@ Royals10-2

Aug 8L@ Royals3-6

Aug 8W@ Royals6-4

Washington Nationals

(59-63)

Aug 12Lvs Cubs6-12

Aug 11Lvs Cubs6-8

Aug 9Wvs Reds7-1

Aug 8Wvs Reds8-2

Aug 7Wvs Reds5-3

Cavalli carried a no-hit bid into the 7th before Michael Busch's bloop single to left finally got the Cubs on the board in the hit column — 6 2/3 innings of nothing. Washington had already blown the game open by then, with Abimelec Ortiz's 3-run homer keying a 5-run 5th inning that turned a tight game into a laugher.

Chicago Cubs

(14)

• 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — The Cubs announced Monday that Shaw recently resumed light hitting while rehabbing his sprained left hand in Arizona, MLB.com reports.08/05
• 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Cabrera (hamstring) struck out seven and allowed no hits and one walk over five innings Tuesday in a rehab start with Double-A Knoxville.08/13
• 15-Day-ILPhil Maton (RP) — Maton has been diagnosed with a partial patellar tendon tear in his right knee, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/12
• 15-Day-ILDaniel Palencia (RP) — Palencia (elbow) is slated to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Triple-A Iowa, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/05
• 15-Day-ILGavin Hollowell (RP) — The Cubs placed Hollowell on the 15-day injured list Friday with right shoulder inflammation, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.07/31
• 15-Day-ILHoby Milner (RP) — Milner (abdomen) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning.07/30
• 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — Miller (elbow) began a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Iowa, striking out two batters while allowing one run on two hits and no walks.08/09
• 60-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell announced July 8 that Martin (elbow) has resumed a throwing program at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.08/06
• 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — Harvey (triceps/shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/05
• 60-Day-ILBen Brown (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Brown (neck) has begun to increase his activity and has taken part in workouts with plyometric balls, MLB.com reports.08/04
• 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Steele (elbow) will throw from flat ground and then toss 20 pitches off a mound Saturday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.07/31
• 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

Washington Nationals

(9)

• 10-Day-ILJames Wood (RF) — Manager Blake Butera said Tuesday that Wood (oblique) is not expected to be activated from the injured list when eligible later this week, Danielle Allentuck of The Washington Post reports.08/11
• 10-Day-ILDrew Millas (C) — Milias went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox.07/15
• 15-Day-ILConnelly Early (SP) — Early (elbow) will not be sent for an MRI after he felt some minor forearm tightness during a live batting practice session Tuesday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.08/07
• 60-Day-ILRichard Lovelady (RP) — Lovelady (triceps) threw a light bullpen session Friday, MLB.com reports.08/08
• 60-Day-ILJosiah Gray (SP) — Gray (elbow) completed a bullpen session at the Nationals' spring training facility in Florida on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.08/08
• 60-Day-ILDJ Herz (SP) — Herz (elbow) will resume his rehab assignment with Single-A Fredericksburg on Saturday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.08/06
• 60-Day-ILPJ Poulin (RP) — The Nationals transferred Poulin (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.08/02
• 60-Day-ILMitchell Parker (RP) — Parker underwent elbow ligament repair surgery with an internal brace Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.07/30
• 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk (RP) — Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure April 21 and is hopeful to return to game action at some point early in the 2027 season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.06/11

Chicago's offense had been the story of the series through two games, and at 71-50 this Cubs team is still comfortably positioned no matter how the finale went. But shutouts like this are a reminder that a lineup can look unstoppable for 48 hours and completely lifeless the next night against the right arm.

Nationals fans haven't had a ton to point to at 59-63, but a near no-hitter from a former top prospect against a first-place-caliber lineup is exactly the kind of individual performance that makes a lost season worth watching. It also snapped Chicago's momentum right before it left town.