WASHINGTON – Deep inside Nationals Park, the thumping dance music could be heard on the other side of the clubhouse walls, the Cubs whooping it up with another postgame celebration.
The Cubs sent a message with Sunday’s 6-3 victory over Washington, taking this four-game series from a trendy pick to win the World Series, a franchise using a similar blueprint to build a perennial contender.
“It just validates,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I’ve been saying all along: I know we can play with the big boys in this league. But you got to prove it.”
This road trip, which continues with another big test on Tuesday night in Detroit, has been a microcosm of the season, the Cubs going 1-for-3 against the dysfunctional Miami Marlins before going 3-for-4 against the no-longer-in-first-place Nationals.