Cubs Play Strong Against Nationals Despite Lineup Changes

You also have an interesting one in Washington with the Cubs, right? The Cubs playing some of their best baseball. Imanaga on the mound, Irvin going for Washington. Really wanted to play the over in this spot, but with no Woods now, we already know Abrams is gone. Can we trust that Washington offense to score enough? I definitely think the Cubs are going to get their fair share of runs in this one. Yeah, I'm very mixed on this because the Nationals at such a big price, when they've been so good at home and the offense has been there, it looks enticing. We're dealing with a nine, but to your point, James, Wood is no longer the lineup for the Nationals. Imanaga has been good. I will say I like Imanaga under five and a half strikeouts. It's about minus 127 or so. He's been solid for the most part, but he's really not piling up the strikeouts. And despite the fact what people think with the Nationals, their strikeout rate month over month has actually declined at home versus lefties. So they may not have a ton of power, but they're not swinging and missing right now. So I think the Cubs come away with the win. I don't like their money line price, but I like fading Imanaga to pile up the strikeouts. I think the Nats are going to be a little bit scrappy. If they get more than four runs, I think this game does fly over because if they're getting four, the Cubs should be doing their part against Jake Irvin and the Nats bullpen, which is terrible. Just not good in any way, shape, or form. Cubs team total. You just talked me into it, Tom. There it is. We're done. Cubs team total. Let's get it. Although, you know, they're only about 15th over the last couple of weeks, Major League Baseball against right-handed pitching. So to your point, just how many more big bats can you trade away, everyone? Now your two big names are hurt. So kind of hard right now to get behind Washington. And I do like the Cubs. Listen, the Cubs got to keep winning games. Why? Well, the Brewers got to keep winning games too here because everybody in the National League feels like they are a good winning streak away from maybe having the best record in all of Major League Baseball and home field advantage here. Have you given the central to the Brewers? Or do you think there's still a shot that the Cubs can overtake them? I think they have six games versus each other remaining, if I remember correctly. I think it's six. So I can't give it to the Brewers just yet. The Brewers have been playing good ball as of late, but the Cubs are a rollercoaster of a team. And if they're hot and they roll into that series and they can take four out of those remaining six games, they can pick up another game here or there. You know, we're looking at a two-game lead for the Brewers. And we're, what is this? I don't want to say 60 days. A little bit less than that. 45, 50-ish days left in the regular season. I can't give it to them just yet based on how hot the Cubs can get. They made good acquisitions at the deadline. They bolstered the pitching staff, which they needed to. They got rid of Jameson Tyone, which is addition by subtraction because he's terrible. I think the Cubs are still alive for it. It's only five games. It's not that much. We saw a 15-10 game lead disappear last year by the Guardians, or overcome by the Guardians, disappear by the Tigers.