Cincinnati @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2011 ) Cincinnati 4, Chi. Cubs 2

THE STORY: The Cincinnati Reds watched a two-run lead disappear in the ninth inning but showed their resiliency by posting a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 13 innings Tuesday. The win was Cincinnati's third in nine games as it improved to 3-2 on its nine-game road trip. Chicago failed in its attempt for its first three-game home winning streak since July 22-24. The National League Central rivals square off in the rubber game of their three-game series at Chicago on Wednesday as the Reds send the major-league leader in ERA, Johnny Cueto, to the mound.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), WCIU (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Johnny Cueto (9-5, 2.29 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Ryan Dempster (10-11, 4.75).

Cueto has lost only once in seven starts and is 2-0 in his last five. The 25-year-old escaped with a no-decision at St. Louis on Friday after allowing five runs over five innings. Cueto, who is 4-6 in 12 career outings against the Cubs, will be making his third start of the season at Wrigley Field. He tossed six scoreless innings for a win in his season debut on May 8 before surrendering five runs over 3 2/3 innings in a loss on Aug. 6. Dempster dropped his third straight start Friday as he yielded three runs in 6 1/3 innings against Pittsburgh. The veteran has allowed three runs or less in seven of his last eight outings but is only 3-4 over that span. Dempster posted his second win in three meetings with Cincinnati this season Aug. 5, when he yielded two runs in six innings.

ABOUT THE CUBS (61-81): Alfonso Soriano is 10-for-27 (.370) against Cueto with three home runs and Marlon Byrd is hitting .500 (5-for-10) against the righthander. But Starlin Castro has had hardly any success, registering only one hit in 11 at-bats. Chicago called up infielder D.J. LeMahieu, outfielder Lou Montanez and lefthander John Gaub from Triple A Iowa prior to Tuesday's game. The 26-year-old Gaub has yet to make his major league debut.

ABOUT THE REDS (70-72): If Tuesday was Mike Leake's final start of the year because of an innings limit, he made it a memorable one. Leake was one out away from a one-hit shutout before allowing Chicago to tie the game. The 23-year-old went a career-high nine innings, raising his season total to 159 2/3 innings. Drew Stubbs is three stolen bases away from becoming the first Red to notch 40 in a season since Deion Sanders collected 56 in 1997. Francisco Cordero notched his 321st career save, tying him with Jose Mesa for 13th on the all-time list and first among pitchers from the Dominican Republic.

FINAL PITCH: Chicago's Bryan LaHair continued to make the most of his opportunity Tuesday as he belted a game-tying, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning. LaHair, who had not appeared in the major leagues since 2008 with Seattle, is 4-for-9 with a homer, double and three RBIs in three games since being summoned from Triple A Iowa on Friday.