Clubs trade early offense on hot Thursday (Nats lose 5-4)

The Cubs used a pair of two-out base hits to get to Nationals starter Joe Ross in the first.

Ross struck out the first two batters in the game in Jon Jay and Ian Happ.

But then Anthony Rizzo doubled. On the very next pitch, Willson Contreras singled to left field to score Rizzo. Ryan Raburn made a nice throw to Daniel Murphy to nail Contreras at second base to end the inning. The Cubs led 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, Trea Turner walked and stole second. It was his sixth stolen base of the series and 34th on the season. With one out, Bryce Harper was walked. Turner simultaneously tried to steal third but slid past the bag and was tagged out by Jeimer Candelario.

Ryan Zimmerman followed with an RBI double. The double was the 360th of his career, matching the Expos' Tim Wallach on the all-time Nats/Expos list. Murphy grounded out to end the frame.

After one in D.C., the Nats and Cubs are tied 1-1.

Update: Both starters have acquitted themselves well in the next three innings. Ross put down the Cubs side in order three times in a row. Lester accummulated four of his five strikeouts in the same time frame.

After four innings, the game is still even between the Nats and the Cubs at 1-1.

Update II: Dusty Baker was ejected in the bottom of the sixth after disputing a called third strike from Lester to Raburn. Raburn said he foul tipped the third strike. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild disagreed. Baker argued with Fairchild, then somehow first base umpire David Rackley and Baker started to argue. Baker was ejected by Rackley. The Nats appear to have some bad blood piled up from Rackley's work in game one when Gio Gonzalez had the start. Gonzalez gave up four walks in the game.

In the top of the seventh, Candelario his his first major league home run, a solo shot, and the Cubs led 2-1. Ross finished 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks (one intentional) and seven strikeouts. He fired 92 pitches, 62 for strikes.

After 6 1/2 innings, the Cubs lead 2-1.

Update III: Facing Carl Edwards Jr. in the seventh, Murphy was walked. Anthony Rendon then unleashed a two-run shot, his 16th homer of the season, on a 3-2 count. The Nats lead 3-2. Later, Michael A. Taylor was walked and pinch-hitter Adam Lind singled. After Turner was hit by a pitch to load the bases, pinch-hitter Brian Goodwin lined a single up the middle to score Taylor.

The Nats extended their lead to 4-2.

Update IV: Blake Treinen started the ninth by striking out Addison Russell. But he hit Candelario with a pitch in the next at-bat. Candelario went down in extreme pain, with the pitch appearing to have hit him on the knee. After a delay to recover, he stayed in the game.

Pinch-hitter Victor Caratini grounded out on a fielder's choice to second base. Caratini went to second base on defensive indifference. Javier Báez singled to right field. Caratini went to third base. The Cubs had men on the corners with two men out.

Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella singled to left field over Stephen Drew's outstretched glove to score Caratini. Drew had come on as a defensive substitute for Turner, who may have injured his wrist on the hit-by-pitch in the seventh. The Nats' lead was down to 4-3.

Jay doubled to deep right-center field to score two runs and the Cubs took the lead 5-4. Jay took third base on the throw home. Happ grounded out to shortstop to end the inning, but the damage was done.

The Nats were unable to score against Wade Davis in the ninth.

It's the Nats' sixth loss of the season when leading after eight innings.

Final: Cubs 5, Nats 4.