Reds at Cubs
The Cincinnati Reds have played a big role in cooling off the Chicago Cubs the last few weeks and look to continue that success when they visit Wrigley Field for the second of a three-game series between National League Central rivals. Eugenio Suarez belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the cellar-dwelling Reds a 6-5 victory on Friday for their third triumph in four games against the first-place Cubs this year.
Cincinnati’s Yasiel Puig also launched a two-run homer Friday and knocked in three runs in his first game since Sunday due to a shoulder injury while teammate Joey Votto broke out of 3-for-19 slump with a pair of hits and two runs scored. Tyler Mahle looks to earn his second straight victory when he takes the mound for the Reds on Saturday and Chicago counters with fellow right-hander Yu Darvish, who hopes to string quality starts together for the first time this season. The Cubs had won 22 of 26 contests, including the first of a three-game series at Cincinnati last week, but are just 4-6 in the last 10 outings after coughing up a four-run lead and then taking a 5-4 edge in the eighth only to lose their second straight. Chicago's Kris Bryant homered Friday and is 7-for-13 in his last three contests while teammate Anthony Rizzo smacked his fourth longball during a six-game hitting streak, in which he is 12-for-25 with nine RBIs.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), ABC 7 (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tyler Mahle (1-5, 3.51 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.06)
Mahle comes in off his first victory of the season last Saturday when he limited the Los Angeles Dodgers to four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings with five strikeouts. The 24-year-old California native has received just 18 runs of support in his nine starts while giving up one or zero runs in five of those outings. Javier Baez is 4-for-8 with a homer and a triple versus Mahle, who was 2-1 with a 2.41 ERA in three starts against the Cubs last season.
Darvish has pitched better in his last three starts while allowing six runs over 15 1/3 innings combined with 25 strikeouts, after posting a 5.79 ERA in his first seven outings. The 32-year-old Japan native has struggled with control most of the season (36 walks, 48 innings), but did not issue a free pass and struck out 11 against the Reds on May 15 in a no-decision. Derek Dietrich is 3-for-6 with a homer against Darvish, who yielded two runs across 5 1/3 innings at Cincinnati last week.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati entered Friday with the second-fewest errors in the NL (21) and is fourth in the majors in team ERA (3.53).
2. Chicago LF Kyle Schwarber is 5-for-12 with two homers, three RBIs and five runs scored the past three contests.
3. The Reds recalled RHP Matt Bowman on Friday and retired all four batters he faced in his season debut.