Cubs at Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are trying to prove they still belong in the conversation for a postseason spot in the National League, and a strong showing this weekend will prove their case. The Reds will try to push their latest winning streak to four straight and knock a game off their deficit in the National League Central when they host the first-place Chicago Cubs on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series.
Cincinnati was an afterthought in the NL race after falling to 46-55 with a loss to Colorado on July 26, but has since won eight of 11 to pull within seven games of the Cubs in the NL Central and within 4 1/2 games of the Philadelphia Phillies in the race for the second wild card entering play on Wednesday night. "I've played around here long enough where we haven't been any good," Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart told reporters after hitting a pair of home runs in an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. "We're good now. And we're going to make things interesting down the stretch." The Cubs are winners of five of six and pushed their lead in the NL Central to 3 1/2 games with a 10-1 drubbing of Oakland on Wednesday afternoon. Chicago will try to keep rolling behind left-hander Cole Hamels on Thursday, while the Reds counter with lefty Alex Wood.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Cole Hamels (6-3, 2.84 ERA) vs. Reds LH Alex Wood (1-0, 3.18)
Hamels sat out over a month with an oblique strain but returned on Saturday and breezed through five scoreless innings against Milwaukee while allowing four hits and striking out six. The California native allowed a total of five earned runs in 42 innings over his last seven outings, dating back to June 2. Hamels suffered the oblique injury in a start at Cincinnati on June 28 and lasted only one inning, marking his lone start against the Reds this season.
One of the reasons for optimism with the Reds are the improvements made to the pitching staff of late, including the return of Wood from a back injury that kept him out the first four months of the season. The 28-year-old is making his third start of 2019 on Thursday and is coming off a win at Atlanta on Friday in which he scattered two runs and four hits across 6 2/3 innings. Wood won his lone start against Chicago last season, surrendering two earned runs in seven frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez homered on Tuesday to reach 30 for the second straight season.
2. Chicago signed veteran C Jonathan Lucroy on Wednesday and he is expected to join the team on Thursday.
3. Cincinnati closer RHP Raisel Iglesias has not allowed a run or issued a walk in any of his last seven appearances, spanning 6 1/3 innings.