The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds will continue their three-game series at Wrigley Field with game two on Tuesday night. The Reds came into Chicago and won the series opener by a score of 6-3 and have been a thorn in the side of the Cubs all season long. Chicago had won three straight games to begin the second half but needs to rebound in a hurry in game two of the series.
The Cubs saw their lead in the NL Central division fall to just two games after the loss on Monday night. Chicago comes into this game with a record of 50-44 and are a stellar 32-17 at Wrigley Field this season. The Reds are hanging around in the division race, despite being tied for fourth place. Cincinnati comes into this game with a record of 43-48, but are just 5.5 games out of first place. The Chicago Cubs are -128 over the Cincinnati Reds in game two of the series.
Mills to Make Season Debut
The Cubs are dealing with some injuries to their starting rotation at this point in the season and will have someone making their season debut in this game. Right-hander Alec Mills will be recalled from Triple-A Iowa to start on Tuesday night, and the Cubs need a good outing. Mills has made just 10 Major League appearances in his career and has an earned run average of 5.48. Dealing with a red-hot Reds lineup might not be much fun for the young righty.
The Cubs can hit the long ball with the best of them, but they have struggled to hit with men in scoring position. Chicago has six different players with at least 15 home runs this season, as Javier Baez leads the way with 22 bombs. The Cubs will be without All-Star catcher Willson Contreras as he is headed to the IL with a strained heel.
Reds Offense Coming Alive
The Cincinnati Reds are averaging more than 10 runs per game in their last three contests, and their offense showed up in the series opener. Cincinnati scored six runs and blasted a trio of home runs to steal the first game from Chicago. Eugenio Suarez and Yasiel Puig each have hit 22 home runs this season, and the Reds have an extremely deep lineup. First baseman Joey Votto has lost some of his power but is still leading the team with a 3.53 on-base percentage.
Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will take the ball on Tuesday night, after just beating the Cubs a few weeks ago. DeSclafani went six innings in that start and allowed just five hits while giving up zero runs. The 29-year-old is 5-4 with a 4.26 earned run average this season and should give the Reds a quality start in this game.
Cubs Get Revenge on Rival Reds
The Chicago Cubs blew a late lead in game one of the series, and they need to rebound on Tuesday night. The Cubs have struggled to beat the Reds all season long, but that needs to change. Look for the Cubs offense to break out in this game. Bet the Chicago Cubs -128 over the Cincinnati Reds.
