Stephen Strasburg will be Nationals’ Game 1 starter on Friday

The defending World Champion Cubs will continue their quest to defend their crown, as they look to steal game 1 from Washington. Central (5:30 p.m. Eastern).

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Also in Chicago’s bullpen, in a mild surprise, is left-hander Justin Wilson, who had a 5.09 ERA in 17 2/3 innings with the Cubs after arriving from the Detroit Tigers in a trade. Strasburg might be finally reaching his potential. Instead of power, he gets by on precision, guile and smarts.

This Nationals’ lineup comes as a bit of a shock, as Dusty Baker has chosen to move Bryce Harper into the 2nd spot in the lineup. Despite his very good play during the second half of the season, the 2015 Cy Young victor has been battling a hamstring issue the past month and was deemed not ready to start in any of the opening Chicago Cubs playoff games. Edwards, Jr. pitched a ideal eighth with two strikeouts, and Davis pitched a flawless ninth for his fifth postseason save. In other words, just because Strasburg’s best wasn’t good enough in Game 1, that doesn’t mean the Nats’ best isn’t yet to come. Unlike Strasburg, Hendricks has never been an All-Star.

Kyle Hendricks will start Game 1 for the Cubs after getting not from Maddon on Wednesday.

But this was Hendricks’ time to shine.

Baker has said, “A lot depends on how he looks and feels”. Doolittle has a 2.81 ERA, 24 saves, and 62 strikeouts in 51.1 innings pitched this season. Without Max Scherzer at the top of his game, though, the advantage shifts to the Chicago Cubs, who then become highly likely to defeat the Washington Nationals, winning their 2017 National League Division Series.

“Luckily we caught a break there”, Hendricks said of the error by Rendon. Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg (well, one of their aces) was dominant early, going hitless through five innings while giving up just one walk. Bryant alertly took second on the throw toward the plate. Anthony Rizzo followed moments later with another run-scoring single. He mixed in changeups, sinkers and even his four-seam fastball.

Pity the poor Nationals. In fact, he’s been damn near unhittable during that stretch, allowing three earned runs-all in one start-over his last seven appearances.

“You’re aware of it”, Hendricks said about Strasburg. No worries. These new Cubs know how to handle October, and they aren’t about to let one dominating right-hander spoil their evening.

“The talent and the way he throws the ball, and the way he knows how to pitch and the way he competes has always been one of the best”, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said Tuesday. The Nationals seemingly haven’t played a meaningful game since June, after they raced out ahead in the NL East. Even team president Theo Epstein said he did not envision this.

“That’s kind of the evolution of the game and the evolution of him”, Lester said. Washington was beat by the St. Louis Cardinals at home in Game 5 in 2012, on the road by the San Francisco Giants in 2014 in a four-game series, and at home in Game 5 past year by the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Max Scherzer dealing with a hamstring injury, it is nearly certain that Stephen Strasburg will start Game 1 for the Nats. Scherzer has been dealing with a sore right hamstring.

Strasburg was making his second postseason start and first since 2014.