Opposite dugout: Cubs continuing roll toward another NL Central crown

Manager: Joe Maddon (4th season)

Record: 82-57

Last 10 games: 6-4

Who to watch: 2B Javier Báez (.297 with 30 HR, 100 RBIs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (24 HR, 90 RBIs), 3B Kris Bryant (.277, 11 HR), LF Kyle Schwarber (24 HR, 57 RBIs), LHP Jon Lester (15-5, 3.53 ERA), LHP Cole Hamels (4-0, 1.00), RHP Pedro Strop (11 saves, 2.45 ERA)

Season series vs. Nationals: 2-1

Pitching probables:

Sept. 6: RHP Kyle Hendricks (11-10) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (7-7), 7:05 p.m., MASN
Sept. 7: LHP Jon Lester (15-5) vs. RHP Joe Ross (0-0), 7:05 p.m., MASN
Sept. 8: LHP Cole Hamels (4-0) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (16-6), 7:05 p.m., MASN
Sept. 9: LHP Mike Montgomery (4-5) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (1-3), 1:35 p.m., MASN, TBS

Inside the Cubs:

The Cubs are rolling along, in possession of the National League's best record and in line for their third straight NL Central crown. On May 31, the Cubs were 29-23 and 4 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the division, but a 53-34 record since has changed their fortunes. Chicago boasts a legitimate MVP candidate in second baseman Javier Báez, and though the rotation that will face the Nationals doesn't exactly instill a lot of fear, it's getting the job done for manager Joe Maddon's crew. This is the final stop on a four-city, 11-day, 11-game road swing, the Cubs' longest this season, and ends a stretch in which they play 17 of 24 games away from Wrigley Field.

Báez is having a career year, batting .297 with 30 homers and 100 RBIs, both team-leading stats. He's just the fifth Cub in history to record a 30-homer, 100-RBI campaign. There was a time that the Cubs had to rely on first baseman Anthony Rizzo (24 homers, 90 RBIs) and third baseman Kris Bryant (11 homers, 44 RBIs) for their offense, but Báez has assumed the mantle of the team's best offensive player. Left fielder Kyle Schwarber's .237 batting average isn't imposing, but he's pounded 24 homers. This series marks second baseman Daniel Murphy's return to D.C. after the Nationals dealt him to Chicago on Aug. 21. He's hitting .316 with four homers and seven RBIs since the trade.

Righty Kyle Hendricks draws the starting assignment for the series opener tonight, and he's 5-1 with a 3.02 ERA in his last seven starts. He's not allowed a homer in his last five outings after yielding 12 in his previous 16 starts. Hendricks has gone at least six innings in six of his last seven starts and is 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in six career starts against Washington. Left-hander Jon Lester is on the fringe of the Cy Young Award conversation with a 15-5 record and 3.53 ERA and has won three consecutive decisions. He's been money on the road, going 10-2 with a 2.82 ERA in 14 starts this season. In seven career starts versus the Nationals, he's 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA, and 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two outings on South Capitol Street. Since the July 27 trade that brought him from the Rangers, southpaw Cole Hamels has gone 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in seven starts. Five times in that span, he's worked at least six innings. In 36 career starts against the Nationals, he's 16-9 with a 2.63 ERA, with a 5-5 record and 2.57 ERA at Nationals Park. Hamels will work Saturday night's game. The next afternoon, lefty Mike Montgomery will pitch the finale of the four-game series. As a starter, the swingman is 4-4 with a 3.43 ERA. This will be his first career start against Washington.

With closer Brandon Morrow on the disabled list with right biceps inflammation, right-hander Pedro Strop has been working the ninth inning for the Cubs. He's saved 11 games in 13 tries since mid-July.