WASHINGTON (AP) — Nico Hoerner had two hits and scored two runs, and the Chicago Cubs beat the sloppy Washington Nationals 5-3 on Saturday for their fifth straight win.
Javier Assad pitched six innings of three-run ball as Chicago won for the eighth time in nine games overall. The Cubs (70-66), who are trying to make up ground in the race for the last NL wild card, also improved to 18-8 in August.
José Tena went 3 for 3 for Washington, and Andrés Chaparro connected for his second career homer.
The Nationals put two runners on in the ninth, but Porter Hodge struck out Dylan Crews and James Wood for his third save.
Chicago went ahead to stay with four runs in the fifth inning against DJ Herz (2-7), a former Cubs prospect who was traded to the Nationals last year.
Isaac Paredes led off with a single to left for the team’s first hit of the game. Michael Busch walked and Hoerner singled to load the bases with none out.
Following a Pete Crow-Armstrong sacrifice fly, Christian Bethancourt singled and center fielder Jacob Young overran the ball. Busch scored on the play, and Ian Happ’s groundout drove in Hoerner for a 3-2 lead. Swanson added a two-out RBI double against Jacob Barnes.
Herz allowed three hits, struck out five and walked two. He is winless in his last five starts.
Assad (7-4) was charged with three runs and eight hits. He struck out four and walked two. He has pitched into the sixth inning in his last three starts.
WORTH NOTING
The Cubs added right-hander Shawn Armstrong to their active roster one day after they claimed him off waivers from St. Louis. Right-hander Daniel Palencia was optioned to Triple-A Iowa, and catcher Tomás Nido was released.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: Manager Dave Martinez said RHP Trevor Williams (right flexor strain) threw 43 pitches in a simulated game. Martinez wants Williams to get to 50-60 pitches in his next throwing session before deciding the next step.
UP NEXT
In the series finale, Cubs LHP Jordan Wicks (1-2, 4.18 ERA) opposes Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (7-8, 4.26 ERA).