Cincinnati @ Chicago preview
Wrigley Field
Last Meeting ( May 9, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 3, Cincinnati 5
Just call the Cincinnati Reds “The Comeback Kids.” After all, they just keep coming from behind to win ball games.
The Reds were at it again on Wednesday when Jay Bruce connected for a two-run homer in the eighth inning of a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. It marked the league-best 25th time this season that Cincinnati has come from behind for a victory.
The win sent the Reds off in grand fashion as they embark on a season-high 11 game road trip through the East Coast. It begins on Thursday with a stop at Wrigley Field for a four-game battle with the Chicago Cubs.
Cincinnati’s late-inning heroics have certainly been a key reason for the club’s surprising start. The Reds (44-35) are currently in first place in the National League Central, a half-game ahead of the defending division champion St. Louis Cardinals.
The Reds, winners of seven of their last nine, have spilt the season’s first six games with the fourth-place Cubs. Much of the success can be pinned to an offense that ranks in the top five in the NL in average (.274), home runs (91), RBIs (370) and hits (729).
They’ll look to keep the offense going in Thursday’s opener and help take some of the pressure off starter Travis Wood, who is primed to make his major-league debut.
The 23-year-old is set to be recalled from Triple-A, where he owns a 3.12 ERA and has allowed just a pair of runs over his last four starts. He will be taking the spot in the rotation of rookie Sam LeCure, who was sent back down to the minors.
Toeing the rubber for the Cubs will be the surprising Carlos Silva, who will be trying to regain his form after going winless in three starts following a string of eight consecutive victories to open the campaign.
Silva (8-2, 3.01 ERA) is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts this year against the Reds.
Chicago has struggled as a team of late, dropping six of nine overall, including two of three to lowly Pittsburgh.
Unlike the Reds, the Cubs have failed due to an underwhelming offense. Among NL teams, they rank 19th in average (.257) and 22nd in RBIs (303). Some of that blame falls on a pair of sluggers in Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, who are batting .234 and .179, respectively.