Nationals shorthanded heading into series with Cubs

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CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't a huge fan of looking ahead and prefers instead to dwell on the day-to-day as much as possible.

But, as the Cubs head into a three-game weekend series against the Washington Nationals that many suggest could provide a preview of playoff games to come, the possibilities aren't lost on Maddon.

And they likely intrigue him.

The Nationals will, however, make their visit to Wrigley Field shorthanded in much the same way the Cubs did at the end of June when the teams split a four-game series.

Washington, which has lost two straight games, will begin the series Friday by pitching Tanner Roark (8-7), who won two of his July starts but allowed four runs over five innings in his last start. Roark is 3-2 with a 4.31 ERA in six career games, five starts, against the Cubs.

Chicago will counter with Kyle Hendricks, who said earlier this week that he is making gradual progress after missing more than a month on the disabled list. Hendricks is 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA in four starts against Washington over his career.

Beyond Friday, the Nationals have yet to announce who will pitch in the final two games of the series.

After Max Scherzer pulled himself out of his last start with neck spasms, he seems unlikely to be available this weekend. Manager Dusty Baker told reporters on Wednesday that Stephen Strasburg, who missed his last start while on the disabled list with right elbow nerve impingement, "probably" won't be available this weekend.

Meanwhile, Gio Gonzalez, who allowed only one hit over eight innings in his last outing, may be headed for the paternity list, according to the Washington Post. Gonzalez's wife is expected to give birth any day, which would take Gonzalez away from the team for one to three days.

Despite that, the Cubs' Maddon said the first-place Nationals, who hold a 12-game lead over the second-place Miami Marlins, can't be taken lightly.

"I know what they look like on the field," Maddon said. "They're formidable. They have a really good offense. (They're good at) catching the ball. But the biggest thing with them is their starting pitching.

"But I saw (in June) that we can play with them -- it's just a matter of pitching with them."

The Nationals are coming off a 7-0 loss to the Marlins on Wednesday -- they were shut out by Vance Wormley, who allowed two hits over seven innings. The loss was Washington's fourth in its last five games.

"It wasn't a very good night for us," Baker told reporters after Wednesday's loss, according to MLB.com. "It wasn't a very good night offensively. It wasn't a very good night pitching-wise."

Baker admitted his team is struggling heading into this weekend's much-anticipated series.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have lost two straight after a 10-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. They had gotten back on track after a forgettable first half when Maddon's team struggled to find consistency.

Although the Nationals will come in shorthanded, especially when it comes to pitching, Maddon knows the series may serve as a benchmark for the defending World Series champions heading into the season's stretch run.

Rather than looking too far ahead, Maddon will stick to his day-to-day attention span.

"We've been playing a lot better, we've been pitching a lot better," Maddon said. "We're getting closer at a lot of different levels. The thing is we just keep pressing forward, one game at a time."