This Sunday the (46-65) Chicago Cubs and the (44-67) Cincinnati Reds will play their final game of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 1:40 PM EST inside the Great American Ball Park. Game one of this series was played at the Field of Dreams, as the Cubs were able to get the win, 4-2.
The Chicago Cubs are coming into this one after winning their previous series against Washington Nationals. The Cubs looked great on the mound, as they only allowed five earned runs in their two wins. They will need to stay consistent on the mound in this one if they want to finish the series strong against the Reds.
The Cincinnati Reds are entering this one after being swept by the New York Mets. The Reds struggled on the mound, as they surrendered 21 combined runs in this three-game series. They will need to hold the Cubs while they are at the dish if they want to give themselves a chanc e of winning this game.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Cubs are currently (5-5) in their last 10, but they have looked better as of late. They have now won two games in a row, as they have been showing up on the mound and at the plate. They will need to continue playing lights out, as they are still 15.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot. They will need an incredible run to give themselves a chance at playing in the postseason. At the plate, the Cubs are scoring 4.16 runs per game and hitting .244 as a team. This is the 21st least amount of runs scored per game and the 15th highest overall team batting average. The Cubs have shown they can consistently reach base safely, but they have struggled to drive in men when they are in scoring position. They have also shown that they don't have as much home run power as they originally thought. They are only averaging .98 bombs per game, as this is the 18th lowest average in the MLB. The Cubs will need to string together multiple base hit s in order to create a big inning. I also expect the Cubs to stay aggressive on the base paths once they have reached base safely. They have already taken 73 bases this season, which is the third most in the league. They will do whatever it takes to push their base runners closer to home plate, as runs are like gold for the Cubs this season. They are rare.
According to MLB.com, Keegan Thompson will be getting the start in this one. He has been solid this season, as he is (9-5) with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. In his last start, he pitched for 6.0 innings and only gave up one earned run, as he shut down the Nationals. He has had issues on the road, though. He is currently (3-3) with a 5.09 ERA outside of Wrigley Field. The Cubs will turn to their bullpen in this game, as well. They have also had issues, as they are allowing the 21st most runs per game with 4.05. They will have to finish this game strong if they want to keep this game close towards the end. As a team, the Cubs are giving up the 25th most runs per game, as they must be better when they are in the field.