Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds – Series Preview (July 10-12): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (52-41) took two of three from the Orioles in Baltimore and came very close to getting a sweep. They continue to play well as they approach the All-Star break, thanks to strong production from the lineup. The final series of the first half is against the Reds at Great American Ball Park starting Friday.
Cincinnati (42-50) came out of the gate strong in 2026 with a 20-11 record and held first place in the National League Central. Then the bottom absolutely dropped out as they went 22-39 to tumble into last place in the division.
The Reds’ offense has struggled with a .698 team OPS that is just 24th best in baseball. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz leads the team in WAR and an .826 OPS to go with 14 homers and 13 steals. First baseman Sal Stewart has the most home runs with 19, and outfielder JJ Bleday gave the Cubs fits when they played at Wrigley Field in May.
Cincy has not been much better when it comes to pitching with a staff ERA of 4.53, which ranks 22nd in MLB. Chase Burns has emerged as the best starter in the rotation, but Chicago will avoid him this weekend. Lefty Andrew Abbott has also been pretty good this season.
The bullpen has not been much of a strength for the Reds with a 4.64 ERA that ranks 24th in MLB. Tejay Antone, Graham Ashcraft, and lefty Sam Moll have been some of the more effective relievers so far this season, but the bar is low.
The Cubs swept Cincinnati in the aforementioned four-game set at the Friendly Confines in May. Three of the four were decided by a single run in walk-off fashion, so it wasn’t easy. Here’s hoping the Cubs can take this series and keep the momentum going into the All-Star break.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, July 10 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, July 11 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, July 12 at 12:40pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 7/10 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 4.28 | 5-7 | 4.67 | 3.85 |
| Hunter Greene | 26 | R | 21.60 | 0-1 | 6.42 | 1.75 | |
| 7/11 | Javier Assad | 28 | R | 4.15 | 6-1 | 5.11 | 2.20 |
| Nick Lodolo | 28 | L | 4.68 | 3-2 | 5.04 | 1.92 | |
| 7/12 | Matthew Boyd | 35 | L | 4.31 | 4-1 | 3.27 | 3.75 |
| Andrew Abbott | 27 | L | 3.92 | 5-5 | 4.91 | 1.80 |
What to Watch For
- Seiya Suzuki had four hits, including two home runs, in his last two games.
- Boyd had his best start of the season against the Orioles with no runs in six innings,
- Greene gave up eight runs in his first start of the season after elbow surgery.
