Cincinnati @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2019 ) Cincinnati 2, Chi. Cubs 8

The Chicago Cubs have found a way to persevere even as key pieces of their core recently have succumbed to injury, taking advantage of one of the better offensive stretches in club history during what has been a perfect 10-game homestand thus far. The Cubs look to continue their high-scoring ways on Tuesday, when they host the Cincinnati Reds for the middle contest of their three-game series.

Despite losing Javier Baez to a thumb injury about two weeks ago and Anthony Rizzo to an ankle sprain on Sunday, Chicago belted 14 homers while blitzing Pittsburgh by a combined 47-15 score over the weekend - the club's highest total of runs in a three-game series since 1894. The Cubs didn't unleash quite the same fury in Monday's series opener, but Kyle Schwarber's three-run blast in his first at-bat proved to be enough as the club posted an 8-2 victory. While Chicago remained two games behind St. Louis in the National League Central and maintained its one-game edge over Milwaukee for the second wild card, Cincinnati (70-81) guaranteed itself a sixth consecutive non-winning season. Eugenio Suarez struck out in both of his at-bats to remain tied with New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso (47) for the major-league lead in home runs as he attempts to become the first Red to pace the sport in that category since George Foster hit a club-record 52 shots in 1977.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), WCIU (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Sonny Gray (10-7, 2.80 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Yu Darvish (6-6, 3.97)

Gray took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Wednesday in Seattle but ultimately saw his five-game winning streak come to an end after giving up a three-run homer among the two hits he allowed over 6 1/3 frames. The two-time All-Star has given up six hits or fewer in 31 consecutive starts, tying Nolan Ryan for the longest such streak in major-league history. Four of those outings have come versus the Cubs, against whom Gray is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA this season.

Darvish was masterful in Thursday's win at San Diego, yielding only two hits and two walks while registering a season-high 14 strikeouts over six innings en route to his third scoreless outing in five turns. The 33-year-old has turned around his season since the All-Star break, going 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA since mid-July while posting a 93:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 66 1/3 frames. Suarez is 4-for-17 with a homer versus Darvish, who is 1-1 with a 4.44 ERA in four starts against the Reds in 2019.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs OF Nicholas Castellanos on Monday became only the third right-handed hitter ever to record at least 55 doubles and 25 homers in a season, joining Hank Greenberg (1934) and Joe Medwick (1937).

2. Suarez is two home runs shy of tying Ted Kluszewski for the second-highest single-season total in club history.

3. Rizzo is expected to wear a walking boot for the rest of the week and may not be able to return to action before the end of the regular season.

PREDICTION: Reds 3, Cubs 2