Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds – Series Preview (July 29–31): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs’ (51-56) painfully quiet offense finally woke up against the Royals this weekend, scoring 16 runs in the final two contests to win the series. That followed a seven-game stretch out of the All-Star break that featured nine total runs and three shutouts.
Chicago also made a major trade Sunday, sending Christopher Morel and two additional players to Tampa for third baseman Isaac Paredes. It’s very possible it won’t be the last deal with the trade deadline looming Tuesday afternoon. Amid that roster uncertainty, the Cubs head to Cincinnati for a three-game set starting Monday.
The Reds (50-55) have gone 3-5 out of the break and have almost an identical record to the North Siders. Their .693 team OPS is just 19th best in baseball and the offense has been disappointing this season. Elly De La Cruz has been their most productive hitter with 18 home runs, 55 steals, and an .842 OPS.
Recent call-up Rece Hinds has been electric for Cincinnati with five home runs and a 1.218 OPS in just 10 games. Catcher Tyler Stephenson seems to save his best work for the Cubs and certainly has been a thorn in their side this season.
It’s quite ironic the Reds’ lineup has been struggling because what has usually been their Achilles heel, the pitching staff, has been quite good in 2024. The team ERA of 3.83 is 11th in MLB. Hunter Greene, who Chicago will miss this series, is the ace of the staff with a 2.97 ERA and some impressive strikeout numbers, but Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo have also been very effective.
Cincinnati really shines with a bullpen that has the third-lowest ERA in baseball (3.43). Buck Farmer and Sam Moll are particular standouts this season, though closer Alexis Díaz has a pretty high 4.34 ERA.
The Cubs have struggled against the Reds this season in spite of being pretty evenly matched. The North Siders definitely have a chance in this series if they can keep producing runs, but that is a very big if with this squad.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, July 29 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, July 30 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, July 31 at 6:10pm CT on MLB Network (out of market only) and Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 7/29 | Jameson Taillon | 32 | R | 2.96 | 7-5 | 3.77 | 3.71 |
| Carson Spiers | 26 | R | 3.83 | 3-2 | 3.49 | 4.56 | |
| 7/30 | Justin Steele | 29 | L | 3.08 | 2-4 | 3.18 | 3.96 |
| Frankie Montas | 31 | R | 5.01 | 4–8 | 4.90 | 1.90 | |
| 7/31 | Kyle Hendricks | 34 | R | 6.95 | 2-9 | 5.35 | 2.33 |
| Nick Lodolo | 26 | L | 3.45 | 8-3 | 3.83 | 3.62 |
What to Watch For
- Taillon is scheduled to start Monday but that could change if trade rumors turn into something of substance.
- Patrick Wisdom has home runs in consecutive games and it would really be nice if he got on a home run tear.
- Seiya Suzuki has six hits in his last four games including two homers.
- The Reds are 5-2 against the Cubs this season.