Jason Hammel pitched eight very strong innings and got enough offensive support as the Chicago Cubs (29-25) defeated the Washington Nationals (30-26) 4-2 Saturday afternoon to tie the season series at three games apiece.
Hammel (W: 5-2, 2.76 ERA) allowed two earned runs on five scattered hits in his eight innings of work to pick up the win. He batted in the top of the ninth with a 4-1 lead and came out to try get his third career complete game. However, a lead-off home run from Bryce Harper (19) knocked him out. Hammel walked two, struck out seven, and allowed to solo home runs.
Cubs closer Hector Rondon, who has struggled of late, walked the only man he faced before Pedro Strop (S: 2) got a force out and two strikeouts to leave a man stranded and save it for Hammel. Strop's success, coupled with Rondon's recent struggles, brings up the discussion of Strop's taking over as the closer for the time being.
Making his Major League debut, Nationals starter Joe Ross (L: 0-1, 5.40) cruised through the first three innings, but the Cubs got to him in the fourth and fifth. Kris Bryant singled home Dexter Fowler in the fourth to tie the game at 1. In the fifth, Fowler and Anthony Rizzo each drove home runs to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. The Cubs added an insurance run in the ninth on Jonathan Herrera's RBI single.
Ross allowed three earned runs on six hits in his five innings of work. He walked no one and struck out four, including the first man he faced in the Majors, Fowler, to lead off the game.
Washington got on the board first when Wilson Ramos took Hammel deep for a solo home run (4) in the bottom of the second.
The Cubs have won two of three in this week's four-game set so far, and the two teams will play the rubber game of the season series Sunday at 4:05 p.m. EDT. Kyle Hendricks (1-2, 3.99) will take on Jordan Zimmermann (5-1, 2.88).