Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals Set for Wild Card Matchup, Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki Await
Cubs, Nationals to Clash in Wild Card Game
The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals will face off in the National League Wild Card Game on Tuesday, October 7th. The game will take place at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., with the winner advancing to the NL Division Series to face the Atlanta Braves.
The Cubs clinched a Wild Card berth with a 93-69 record, finishing second in the NL Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers. The Nationals finished with a 90-72 record, winning the NL East by a single game over the New York Mets.
Bellinger, Suzuki to Miss Wild Card Game
The Cubs and Nationals will be without two key players for the Wild Card Game. Cody Bellinger, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade deadline deal, is out with a hamstring injury. Seiya Suzuki, who signed with the Cubs as a free agent from Japan, is also out with an oblique injury.
Pitching Matchup
The Cubs are expected to start right-hander Kyle Hendricks in the Wild Card Game. Hendricks went 14-7 with a 3.43 ERA in 32 starts this season. The Nationals are expected to start right-hander Josiah Gray in the Wild Card Game. Gray went 11-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 29 starts this season.
Outlook
The Cubs and Nationals are both evenly matched teams, and the Wild Card Game is likely to be a close one. The Cubs have a slight edge in terms of starting pitching, but the Nationals have a more potent offense. The outcome of the game could come down to which team can get key hits in key situations.
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