No team has a better record since April 28 than the Nationals, who are 19-5 since then. Washington has won 13 of its last 16, including seven of its past eight games.




The Nationals played three hours earlier then the Cubs on Sunday. Chicago is at a schedule disadvantage even being home. The Cubs have been on the West Coast for a week. This is their first home game since then - and it's made more disadvantageous by an early start time.




Tanner Roark was brilliant last season winning 15 games while compiling a 2.85 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He's allowed only one run in his last eight innings but has been used in the bullpen up to this point because the Nationals have the best starting rotation in baseball. Now he's back starting with Doug Fister sidelined.




The Nationals have won 10 of Roark's past 14 starts. Roark is good enough to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter on a lesser team.




Cubs starter Tsuyoshi Wada is a bottom-of-the-rotation type starter. This is his second start of the season. He had been out with a left groin strain. He couldn't reach the fifth inning in his first start, which was this past Wednesday at pitcher-friendly San Diego.




Wada has to contend with a hot hitting Nationals team that is averaging six runs during their last 16 games. During this span, Bryce Harper is batting .491 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs.