Game Recap: Happ drives in four as Cubs top Nationals

Rafael Suanes - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 15 hours ago

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The best way to respond after being shut out the day before is by starting fast and putting things away early. Not only did the Chicago Cubs (39-23) do that on Thursday at Nationals Park, but the Cubs scored a pair of first-inning runs to jump in front of the Washington Nationals (29-33) before cruising to a 7-1 win to clinch another series.

Ian Happ played a massive role in that, with four RBIs, as the Cubs completed what was, in effect, a "Soft Schedule" by going an impressive 16-5. When you look back on the last three weeks, the goal was to come out of this stretch at 14-7, and anything better than that, you would take. To see them come out of this stretch at 16-5 is one thing, but when you look back on it, they easily could have gone 18-3 or 19-2, which goes to show how well they've been playing.

For the second time in a week, Drew Pomeranz got the start for the Cubs as Craig Counsell went back to an opener for Colin Rea. Like Ben Brown, who Pomeranz started for last weekend, Rea has struggled to get out of the first inning in recent starts, so going with an opener softens the lineup for him. This may not be the ideal way to handle things going forward, but the two times the Cubs have gone with an opener, it worked as Rea gave the Cubs 5 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Before Pomeranz could even throw a pitch, it was the Cubs jumping on Jake Irving in the first as a one-out double from Kyle Tucker helped set the offense up. Two batters later, and it was Pete Crow-Armstrong getting in on the fun as his two-run homer put the Cubs in front 2-0 and would prove to be the winning run. Chicago continued to add to their lead in the second, with Matt Shaw leading things off with a single before racing home on the Happ double to make this a 3-0 game.

That would be all the offense Rea and company would need, as he was able to survive the hard contact from the Nationals. The Cubs' defense was outstanding across the board. There weren't too many ideal scoring chances for the Nationals, but like the Cubs in the first inning on Wednesday, the Nationals let a golden opportunity get away in the third.

What started with a Robert Hassell one-out single to begin the third was followed by a CJ Abrams double as the Nationals were in business. However, with Happ gunning down Hassell trying to stretch that single into a double, it came back to bite the Nationals as Amed Rosario added a third hit, only to have Rea escape without any damage.

Over the next few innings, both teams did a great job of getting men on base, only to come away empty. That would change in the sixth as Jackson Ruthledge replaced Irving on the mound and immediately allowed a leadoff single to Reese McGuir,e as all nine starters had at least one hit for the Cubs. One batter later, and it was that man again as Happ unloaded for his fourth homer of the season, and just like that, this was a 5-0 game.

Still holding that lead in the seventh, it was the Nationals who started to show signs of life as a one-out double from Josh Bell was followed by a hit by a pitch, as the Nationals had two runners on with one out. That forced Counsell to go back to his bullpen as he called on Caleb Thielbar to stop the bleeding. Despite allowing a two-out single to Hassell to load the bases, it was Thielbar getting the last laugh as he struck out Abrams on a knee-buckling curveball to end the inning.

That is as close as the Nationals would get to climbing back in this one, as the Cubs tacked on a pair of runs in the ninth off a trio of singles as McGuire and Happ earned the RBIs to make this a 7-0 game. Looking to close things out in the ninth was Ryan Pressly, and after retiring the first two hitters, he faced McGuire, who was called for catcher interference as a base runner was on.

Daylen Lile managed to reach second on a defensive indifference a few pitches later, which proved costly as Luis Garcia followed that up with an RBI single to get the Nationals on the board. They wouldn't get any closer as Pressly got Hassell to ground out to end the game as the Cubs took another series 7-1. Chicago had 15 hits in the game, with three coming from Happ and Shaw. McGuire and Seiya Suzuki added two hits as everyone in the lineup scored a hit.

Next up for the Cubs is a trip to the Motor City as they will face off against the MLB-best Detroit Tigers. Ben Brown is set to make the start for the Cubs as he will face off against Tarik Skubal.