Cubs at Reds
Javier Baez looks to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and lead the Chicago Cubs to another series victory when they visit the Cincinnati Reds for the second contest of a three-game set Wednesday night. Baez has two hits in three consecutive games after Tuesday’s 3-1 victory and is a sizzling 19-for-50 during his streak while the Cubs can move to 10-0-1 in 11 series with a win in either of the final two contests.
Anthony Rizzo (back tightness) missed his second consecutive game Tuesday, but the versatile Kris Bryant filled in at first base for him and registered three hits after going 3-for-4 with a homer in the position Sunday for Chicago, which has won 13 of its last 15. Yu Darvish will try to fix his control issues on the mound when he takes the ball for the National League Central-leading Cubs on Wednesday and the last-place Reds counter with fellow right-hander Sonny Gray, who is still seeking his first victory with his new team. Cincinnati managed three hits along with one walk in the series opener as its major league-worst batting average dropped to .214, and the Reds have dropped two in a row after winning three straight games. Joey Votto gave Cincinnati it’s lone run Tuesday with his fourth homer of the season, but the former NL MVP is mired in a 3-for-25 slump to see his batting average dip to .207.
TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.40 ERA) vs. Reds RH Sonny Gray (0-4, 4.15)
Darvish allowed one run on one hit last time out, but issued six walks and struck out seven to see his pitch count rise to 97 in four innings. The 32-year-old native of Japan has walked 33 and served up eight homers across 36 2/3 innings overall this season while limiting opponents to a .227 batting average. Derek Dietrich is 2-for-4 with a homer versus Darvish, who tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Reds in a victory last year.
Gray posted a pair of quality starts in his first four outings of 2019, but has not completed more than 5 1/3 frames in his last four trips to the mound. The 29-year-old Vanderbilt product walked a season-high five and yielded four runs (three earned) on six hits over 4 1/3 innings at Oakland last Wednesday. Gray is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in four home starts this season and lost his only previous appearance against the Cubs, allowing two runs over five innings in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Reds’ bullpen recorded four scoreless innings Tuesday and leads the National League with a 3.27 ERA.
2. Chicago is 52-25 against Cincinnati since the beginning of the 2015 season - the best record by a team against a division foe during that span.
3. Votto’s next game will be his 1,615th with the Reds, passing Brandon Phillips for sixth on the franchise’s all-time list.