PRIZE FIGHT

Top contenders for the NL Cy Young Award square off when Aaron Nola (14-3, 2.24 ERA) and the Phillies face Max Scherzer (16-5, 2.11) and the Nationals in their series finale. Nola is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts this season against Washington, which has won consecutive games against Philadelphia since trading away Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams. The second-place Phillies are three games behind Atlanta in the NL East, while the Nationals are 7½ games back.

PAIR OF ACES

In another marquee matchup on the mound, it's Jacob deGrom (8-7, 1.71 ERA) and the Mets hosting Madison Bumgarner (4-5, 3.05) and the Giants for a Citi Field matinee. Also a leading candidate for the NL Cy Young, deGrom is coming off his third career complete game and first this season last Saturday in a 3-1 win at Philadelphia. Bumgarner is 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA in five starts at Citi Field. He last faced New York in the 2016 NL wild-card game, pitching a four-hit shutout that sent San Francisco to the NLDS.

E-WING SWINGIN'

Boston tries to slow down Edwin Encarnacion and the Indians as the major league-leading Red Sox seek a split of their four-game series between AL division leaders. Encarnacion cleared the Green Monster twice Wednesday night after being sidelined since Aug. 12 with a bruised right wrist, though Boston still beat Cleveland 10-4 to end a three-game skid. Encarnacion has 27 homers and is trying to reach 30 for the seventh straight season, stretching the longest active streak in the majors. Red Sox left-hander David Price (13-6, 3.69) is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA since the All-Star break.

IMMEDIATE DIVIDENDS

Cole Hamels is 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA in four starts for the NL Central-leading Cubs since they acquired him from Texas in a July 27 trade. Hamels pitches the opener of a four-game series at Wrigley Field against last-place Cincinnati. One day after obtaining Daniel Murphy from Washington to boost their sagging lineup, the Cubs finally broke loose Wednesday night in an 8-2 victory at Detroit. Chicago, which homered three times, had scored exactly one run in each of its previous five games. Murphy singled home a run in his first game with the Cubs.

TOO HOT CORNER

Wil Myers' move to third base got messy Wednesday. The Padres' infielder was scratched from a game against Colorado with a cut on his nose after taking a grounder to the face while practicing at his new position. Myers was fielding grounders at third during batting practice when a ball went over his glove and struck him. He left the field holding a towel over his face with a trainer near his side. Myers was scheduled to make his eighth start at the hot corner as San Diego experiments with sliding the veteran outfielder and first baseman across the diamond.

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