Javier Assad pitched six innings and Nico Hoerner had two hits and scored twice as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Saturday to notch their fifth straight win.
Chicago has won eight of nine as it contends for a National League wild-card spot.
Assad (7-4) allowed three runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out four. Porter Hodge pitched the ninth for his third save despite allowing two baserunners.
Andres Chaparro homered for Washington and Jose Tena had three hits.
Nats rookie starter DJ Herz (2-7), drafted by the Cubs in 2019, was making his first start against them. He allowed four runs on three hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings and struck out five.
Tena singled with one out in the second, advanced on a groundout and scored on Joey Gallo’s single.
Chaparro led off the fourth and homered to left to make it 2-0.
But Chicago took the lead with a four-run fifth.
Isaac Paredes and Hoerner singled around a Michael Busch walk to load the bases with no outs. After Paredes scored on a sacrifice fly, Christian Bethancourt singled to center. Michael Busch scored and Hoerner went to third and Bethancourt to second when Jacob Young couldn’t field it cleanly. Hoerner scored on a ground out to make it 3-2 and Herz was lifted. Dansby Swanson’s double produced the fourth and final run.
Young doubled leading off the bottom half, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to pull Washington within 4-3.
In the seventh, Hoerner singled and stole second. When Bethancourt hit a dribbler, catcher Drew Millas grabbed it and tagged him out. Millas had Hoerner caught off second, but his throw went into center field and Hoerner came around to score Chicago’s fifth run.
With a runner on first and two outs in the eighth, CJ Abrams hit a pop fly down the left field line. Cody Bellinger tried to make a sliding catch but missed and the ball hit near the line, possibly touching Bellinger, and was called foul. The call was upheld after a crew chief’s review.
–Field Level Media
