Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals: Final Score & Recap

The Washington Nationals handed the Chicago Cubs a shutout on August 13, 2026 at Nationals Park, winning 7-0 behind a dominant pitching performance and an offense that erupted through the middle innings. The DiamondIQ model entered the game giving Washington a 45% chance of winning, but that figure climbed steadily before reaching 100% by the final out. The Cubs managed just one hit on the night, leaving Kevin Gausman with little run support to absorb what proved to be a rough outing against a Nationals lineup that found its rhythm in the fourth and fifth innings.

The decisive sequence began in the bottom of the fourth, when Dylan Crews laced a double off Gausman that shifted Washington's win probability by plus 12.9%, the second-largest single-play swing of the game. The fifth inning sealed matters entirely. Andrés Chaparro extended the rally with a single worth plus 5.8% in win probability, and Abimelec Ortiz then delivered the knockout blow with a home run off Gausman that added 17.1% to Washington's win probability in a single swing. That fifth inning accounted for five of the Nationals' seven runs and effectively ended any competitive tension the game retained.

By the DiamondIQ model's accounting, Ortiz was the night's most impactful performer, finishing with a total WPA of plus 19.6% and a RE24 of plus 2.7, reflecting the outsized run-environment value of his home run. Crews was nearly as consequential at plus 14.2% WPA and plus 0.9 RE24, while Jorbit Vivas contributed plus 4.0% WPA and plus 0.8 RE24 in a supporting role. On the mound, Cade Cavalli authored the most valuable pitching performance of the night, posting a plus 26.3% WPA as he shut down the Cubs and preserved Washington's shutout through his innings of work.