Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals

Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals (2026-08-13). Kevin Gausman vs Cade Cavalli at Nationals Park.

Starters — Gausman enters with a 4.29 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 134.1 innings. He is striking out 8.78 per nine with 2.48 walks per nine and 1.07 home runs allowed per nine. Over his last three starts, he has worked 18.2 innings with 6 earned runs, 14 strikeouts, and 3 walks, including outings of 7 innings and 2 earned runs, 5.2 innings and 1 earned run, and 6 innings and 3 earned runs. His trend is listed down, but the recent game log shows steady control and useful length. Cavalli has a 3.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 128.2 innings. He is posting 9.86 strikeouts per nine, 2.73 walks per nine, and 1.05 home runs per nine. In his last three starts, he has thrown 18 innings with 7 earned runs, 14 strikeouts, and 5 walks. Those starts were 6 innings and 3 earned runs, 6 innings and 2 earned runs, and 6 innings and 2 earned runs. His trend is up, and the consistency across those three outings supports that.

Teams — Chicago brings a .761 OPS and 634 runs scored, with a team batting average of .250. The Cubs pitching staff has a 4.08 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, and they are 8-2 over their last 10 games. Washington owns a slightly better .769 OPS and 655 runs scored, with a .252 team average. The Nationals pitching staff has a 4.76 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, and they are 4-6 in their last 10. From a betting matchup standpoint, Washington has the small edge in season-long offensive production, while Chicago shows the stronger recent form and the better overall team run prevention profile.