The Washington Nationals are one of the hottest teams in baseball this season as they are fresh off a six game win streak along with winning 12 of their past 14. However, Saturday was a struggle for the team as Stephen Strasburg managed to go just four inning. Gio Gonzalez picked things back up with six strong innings for the win which put the Nationals back on track. Now, they intend to keep the momentum alive as they face off against the Chicago Cubs.
The Nationals will put Tanner Roark on the mound for Memorial Day as he is 0-2 with a 2.66 ERA. He got into the starting lineup after Doug Fister fell to a strained flexor in his forearm. Roark is no stranger to being a starter. The pitcher impressed last year winning 15 games while posting a 2.85 ERA in 31 starts. The acquisition of Max Scherzer forced him from the starting lineup, but he is the perfect sub for injuries.
The Chicago Cubs will put Tsuyoshi Wada on the mound for his second start of the year. The pitcher looked strong in his debut by striking out nine and allowing just two runs. He is expected to stay put in the lineup as the Cubs are in need of all the pitching success they can get.
The Monday matchup between these two teams will feature two young stars on display. Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant are very familiar with each other as both are currently playing great baseball. Harper has been dominating over the past month. The outfielder is currently batting .491 with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs since May 6. Bryant just finished a 12-game hit streak while the third baseman has 16 RBIs in his last 15 games. The two players are natives of Las Vegas and have faced each other numerous times dating back to high school.
"The thing that stands out to me is just how good he was and how much better he was than the competition," Bryant said, via ESPN.com. "He's obviously younger than I am, but watching him play, I was amazed. I knew he'd be doing what he's doing at this level someday."
