Gore outpitches Boyd as Nationals blank Cubs 2-0 to even series

WASHINGTON (AP) — MacKenzie Gore pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and Amed Rosario homered to break a scoreless tie in the seventh as the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Nasim Nuñez added an RBI double in the eighth to chase Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who carried a perfect game into the sixth before walking Nuñez with one out and then giving up a two-out single to rookie Robert Hassell III.

Rosario's third homer — an opposite-field shot into the Washington bullpen in right — came on the first pitch thrown by Boyd (5-3) in the seventh.

Gore (3-5) has tossed 13 consecutive scoreless innings. He struck out seven, walked one and threw 94 pitches as the Nationals evened the three-game series.

The left-hander retired 21 of the final 23 batters he faced in a game that took only 2 hours, 11 minutes.

Brad Lord worked a clean eighth and Kyle Finnegan earned his 17th save after letting two runners on in the ninth.

Boyd permitted two runs over 7 1/3 innings while striking out seven, walking one and yielding four hits on 95 pitches.

Chicago loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning when Gore gave up singles to his first three batters. But he struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson before Nico Hoerner fouled out.

Gore has lowered his ERA in each of his last three starts, from 3.67 to 2.87 during that stretch.

The Cubs hadn’t announced a starter yet for Thursday’s series finale and could potentially use an opener, as they did when Drew Pomeranz threw the first inning of a 2-0 win over Cincinnati last Saturday.

Washington will send out right-hander Jake Irvin (5-1, 3.93 ERA) for his 13th start of the season.

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Washington Nationals' Robert Hassell III follows through on his swing after hitting a single against Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Amed Rosario, left, is greeted by Nathaniel Lowe (33) after hitting a solo home run against Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong tosses his helmet after striking out against Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore during the third inning of a baseball game in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. flu infections showed signs of a slight decline last week, but health officials say it is not clear that this severe flu season has peaked.

New government data posted Friday — for flu activity through last week — showed declines in medical office visits due to flu-like illness and in the number of states reporting high flu activity.

However, some measures show this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter, one of the harshest in recent history. And experts believe there is more suffering ahead.

“This is going to be a long, hard flu season,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, in a statement Friday.

One type of flu virus, called A H3N2, historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. So far this season, that is the type most frequently reported. Even more concerning, more than 91% of the H3N2 infections analyzed were a new version — known as the subclade K variant — that differs from the strain in this year’s flu shots.

The last flu season saw the highest overall flu hospitalization rate since the H1N1 flu pandemic 15 years ago. And child flu deaths reached 289, the worst recorded for any U.S. flu season this century — including that H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic of 2009-2010.

So far this season, there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses and 180,000 hospitalizations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. It also estimates there have been 7,400 deaths, including the deaths of at least 17 children.

Last week, 44 states reported high flu activity, down slightly from the week before. However, flu deaths and hospitalizations rose.

Determining exactly how flu season is going can be particularly tricky around the holidays. Schools are closed, and many people are traveling. Some people may be less likely to see a doctor, deciding to just suffer at home. Others may be more likely to go.

Also, some seasons see a surge in cases, then a decline, and then a second surge.

For years, federal health officials joined doctors' groups in recommending that everyone 6 months and older get an annual influenza vaccine. The shots may not prevent all symptoms but can prevent many infections from becoming severe, experts say.

But federal health officials on Monday announced they will no longer recommend flu vaccinations for U.S. children, saying it is a decision parents and patients should make in consultation with their doctors.

“I can’t begin to express how concerned we are about the future health of the children in this country, who already have been unnecessarily dying from the flu — a vaccine preventable disease,” said Michele Slafkosky, executive director of an advocacy organization called Families Fighting Flu.

“Now, with added confusion for parents and health care providers about childhood vaccines, I fear that flu seasons to come could be even more deadly for our youngest and most vulnerable," she said in a statement.

Flu is just one of a group of viruses that tend to strike more often in the winter. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, also have been rising in recent weeks — though were not diagnosed nearly as often as flu infections, according to other federal data.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FILE - Pharmacy manager Aylen Amestoy administers a patient with a seasonal flu vaccine at a CVS Pharmacy in Miami, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)