The streaking Chicago Cubs will look for their fifth straight win when they visit the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
Chasing the final National League wild-card spot, the Cubs held off a late Washington rally for a 7-6 win on Friday.
The Cubs will send out right-hander Javier Assad (6-4, 3.15 ERA) to oppose rookie left-hander DJ Herz (2-6, 3.84) in the middle game of the series.
Herz will be starting against his former organization for the first time. He was selected by the Cubs in the eighth round of the 2019 draft and dealt to the Nationals for infielder Jeimer Candelario at the trade deadline in 2023. He was called up to Washington and made his major league debut in June.
The 23-year-old North Carolina native is 1-2 with a 2.22 ERA in five August starts. Last time out, he pitched five scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves and allowed just one hit during a no-decision on Sunday. He survived loading the bases on a hit by pitch and two walks in the first inning and allowed just two baserunners over the next four innings.
"When I attack the zone and I get ahead early, everything else will play out how it's supposed to play out," Herz said. "That's something I can control, getting ahead. And when I'm ahead, it's good."
Assad turned in his longest start of the season on Sunday. He went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits in a loss to the Miami Marlins. Assad settled in after giving up two first-inning home runs.
"He does have this great ability to make pitches, and it's impressive, and he doesn't let the moment frustrate him necessarily and that's important," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
Assad made his only career appearance against Washington in relief in May 2023. He allowed two hits and no runs in five innings.
On Friday, Cody Bellinger's two-run homer capped a seven-run second inning and the Cubs held on for the win. It was the second time the Cubs put up at least seven runs in an inning this week, after an eight-run frame against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.
Chicago entered the ninth leading the Nationals 7-3 on Friday but ultimately needed Keegan Thompson to strike out Dylan Crews with the potential tying and winning runs on base to end the game.
"Just get a good pitch to hit and pass it on to the next guy," Crews said of his approach. "We had some good momentum going through that last inning. So the guy made some good pitches. You got to tip your hat to him."
Michael Busch and Ian Happ each had two hits and Pete Crow-Armstrong smacked a two-run double for the Cubs, who have won seven of eight.
The Cubs have scored 80 runs in their past eight games, their highest total in an eight-game span since they scored 84 runs in eight games in September 1935, according to MLB.com.
"I think on our good stretches we're just getting more hits, and then it's just more guys doing it," Counsell said.
Crews, who made his major league debut on Monday, hit his second homer in four games for the Nationals.
Washington's Friday starter, Jake Irvin, allowed seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. Nationals starters had combined to post a 1.94 ERA while striking out more than one batter per inning over the previous nine games.
