Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (5/18/21): Cubs 6, Nationals 3 – Offense Remains Hot on Rainy Night as Cubs Get Over .500 Again

Zach Davies (2-2, 5.60 ERA) took the mound against Patrick Corbin (2-3, 6.19 ERA) in game two of the series looking to build on his solid outing against Cleveland on May 12. Davies pitched 5.1 innings and surrendered only one run, making it the first time all season he’d recorded an out in the 6th in two straight games.

The Cubs were held scoreless until the 3rd when Willson Contreras plated two runs with a base knock through the right side of the infield. The Nationals broke through against Davies in the 5th, tying the game on RBI singles by Trae Turner and Ryan Zimmerman.

Kris Bryant gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, but it was short-lived as former Cub Starlin Castro tied the game with a solo shot to center in the 6th. That would mark the end of the night for Davies, who allowed three earned runs on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout.

David Bote put the home team ahead 5-3 with a two-run bomb in the Cubs’ half of the inning and Ian Happ provided some insurance with a solo shot to left-center in the 8th. Craig Kimbrel came in to close it out for his 8th save of the year as the Cubs won by a final of 6-3. (Box score)

When you make a mistake, there’s a consequence you must endure here within our Confines.@BinnysBev #CubTogether pic.twitter.com/sCd3O51OGI

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 19, 2021

Why the Cubs Won

A superb job by the bullpen and a great approach at the plate resulted in tonight’s victory.

Key Moment(s)

With one out and the go-ahead run for the Nationals on second in the 6th inning, Keegan Thompson escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts. This was a huge moment as Washington had chased Davies from the game and shifted the momentum in their favor after tying it at three. Thompson keeping the Nationals at bay in that situation set the stage for Bote’s heroics in the bottom of the frame.

Stats That Matter

• Davies kept the Cubs in it and has a 2.11 ERA (5 ER in 21.1 IP) in May
• Bryant reached base three times and is now fourth in the league with a 1.027 OPS
• Nico Hoerner went 3-for-4 with two runs and is batting .353 on the season

Bottom Line

Davies took a small step backwards tonight but the bullpen picked him up with four spotless innings. It was nice to see the Cubs manufacture early runs in the rain rather than relying on the longball.

On Deck

Jake Arrieta (4-4, 4.10 ERA) squares off against Max Scherzer (3-2, 2.10 ERA) in game three of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CT on Marquee, MLB Network, 670 The Score and WRTO for Spanish speakers.