Chicago @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2011 ) Cincinnati 3, Chi. Cubs 6
THE STORY: Neither the Cincinnati Reds nor the Chicago Cubs figured they would be playing meaningless baseball at this point in the season. Unfortunately that’s just the way things turned out. At least the Reds still hold a legitimate chance of ending the season with a winning record, though they would need a strong finish. The Cubs have no such hope, having passed 81 losses over the weekend. Chicago won two straight series and is coming off a big extra-inning win on an emotional night in New York on Sunday. The Cubs will be looking to carry that momentum to Cincinnati on Monday when they visit the Reds.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago), FSOH (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds LH Dontrelle Willis (0-5, 4.21 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Rodrigo Lopez (4-6, 4.82 ERA).
Willis is winless in 11 outings this season despite eight quality starts. The veteran lefthander seemed to be over his biggest control problems until recently, as he has issued five walks in each of his last three outings. Willis lost at Chicago last Monday, surrendering four runs and six hits in seven innings while walking five and striking out eight. He is 4-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 10 career starts against the Cubs.
Lopez is winless in his last four starts, allowing a total of 32 hits in 22 1/3 innings over that span. The veteran swingman has made 13 starts among his 23 appearances this season and is 4-5 with a 4.97 ERA in the role. He went 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Reds last Tuesday, surrendering two runs and eight hits.
ABOUT THE REDS (71-75): Cincinnati snapped a winless streak at Coors Field that stretched back over three years with a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday. The Reds failed to build on that triumph however, getting outslugged 12-7 on Saturday and dropping a 4-1 decision on Sunday. Cincinnati and Colorado combined for nine home runs in Saturday’s game, with the Reds bashing five. But as things have gone lately, Cincinnati had trouble carrying momentum from game to game. Edinson Volquez returned to the rotation for the first time since early July on Sunday and allowed only four hits in five innings but also walked four batters. Joey Votto drove in the Reds’ lone run with a solo homer - his 28th of the season - in the ninth inning. Cincinnati has only one series remaining against a winning team, giving it a chance to pull back over .500 over the next 16 games.
ABOUT THE CUBS (64-82): After three straight winning seasons from 2007-2009, Chicago has now put together back-to-back losing campaigns. The offseason promises to be eventful for the franchise with a new general manager still to be found and questions surrounding the bloated payroll. The Cubs took two of three from the Reds at home last week and then went into New York and grabbed another series win against the Mets, capped by a 10-6 triumph in 11 innings on Sunday night. Following pregame ceremonies commemorating the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, Chicago jumped out to an early lead only to have the Mets storm back and knot it 4-4 on an error in the eighth. But Carlos Pena, who finished a home run shy of the cycle, sparked a six-run rally in the 11th with an RBI single and the Cubs hung on.
FINAL PITCH: Pena’s three-hit night on Sunday was his first since going 3-for-3 against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 18. The slugger’s triple in the first inning gave him three on the season, his most since racing for four when he was with the Detroit Tigers in 2004.