CHICAGO _ The Cubs lost their second straight game at Wrigley Field for the first time since June 26, falling, 7-2, to the Nationals before a crowd of 40,658.
The loss left them one game behind the Cardinals in the National League Central, pending the result of their game Saturday against the Rockies in St. Louis.
Left-hander Jose Quintana (11-8) suffered his first loss in his last eight decisions, and the Cubs offense was missing in action for the third straight game.
The Nationals took the lead in the first inning on a pair of infield hits and an error by Anthony Rizzo, who committed two errors and later left the game with back tightness.
With Trea Turner on first, Adam Eaton reached on a bunt, and Rizzo's wild throw to second sent Turner to third. Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly made it 1-0.
The Nationals batted around in a four-run third inning, aided by mental error by Quintana, who was late covering first on Eaton's infield hit. After an RBI fielders-choice grounder by Juan Soto and a run-scoring single by Howie Kendrick, Yan Gomes drove home a pair with a two-out single.
Quintana lasted four innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits.
The Cubs scored runs in the third and fifth but blew several other opportunities. Ian Happ, pinch hitting for Quintana, was called out on strikes on a 3-2 fastball from Joe Ross with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth.
The pitch was out of the strike zone, according to MLB's Statcast graphic, but probably too close for Happ to take in that situation. Nevertheless, Happ was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Vic Carapazza.
After Jonathan Lucroy's pinch-RBI double made it 5-2 in the fifth and put runners on second and third with one out, reliever Wander Suero made Javier Baez go fishing on a 3-2 pitch out of the zone, and Kyle Schwarber popped out to third to end the threat.
With the Cubs down to one position player thanks to their three-man bench, reliever Kyle Ryan batted for himself in the sixth and walked with two outs. With runners on first and second and hot-hitting Nicholas Castellanos up, Ryan was thrown out at third trying to advance on a pitch that momentarily got away from Gomes.
The Cubs have a combined 12 hits and six runs over their last three games.
Cole Hamels will face Stephen Strasburg on Sunday as the Cubs try to avoid a sweep.
