Pregame Notes: The Chicago Cubs look to end two-game skid as they head to Cincinnati

Cubs hope Lester can give an ace performance

The Chicago Cubs travel to Cincinnati licking their wounds a bit, as the bullpen let them down in the final two games at Pittsburgh. The Reds meanwhile come off a solid offensive series against the Brewers, and are on the tail-end of a streak that has seen them play only NL Central teams. It’s a critical game, as

(0-2, 6.89) looks to get on track against

(0-1, 3.92), who is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA against the Cubs in his last six starts.

The Cubs (8-7) have been riding the spark of Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, while hoping the bullpen doesn’t extinguish it with its poor performances as of late. In the series in Chicago, the Reds were unable to crack the Cubs pen, as they managed no runs in 8 1/3 innings. It was a different story in Pittsburgh, as the middle-relief was unable to contain the Pirates, as they dropped the final two of the series.

The Reds (8-7) traveled to St. Louis following the series in Chicago and struggled, scoring just four runs while being swept–but rebounded against the Brewers to take three out of four. They’ll have Billy Hamilton this time, as he was out the last series against the Cubs. Leake will likely have to contend with Chris Coghlan, who is now 8-for-8 against him, including going 3-for-3 in the last series.

News and Notes:

• Bryant is 9-for-25 with seven RBIs since his MLB debut. And has played center field twice already, just to show off what he can do.
• Russell is off to a slower start, going 2-for-13 with six strikeouts, a double and an RBI.
• Lester has admitted to being a “slow-starter”, and the numbers seem to confirm that. His 2-4 start last year in April was one of his best, and bodes well that he will soon turn it around.
• Dexter Fowler returns to the lineup after sitting out yesterday’s game as a precaution. He dealt with some tightness in his groin, but is ready to go and leading off tonight.
• Keep an eye on the battle between Lester and Hamilton if he gets on base. The speedster has been caught only once this season, so he is indeed human–just a really fast one.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CT at Great American Ballpark.

Here are the starting lineups for tonight’s game:

Next: Where should Addison Russell play?