Today at 1:10 p.m. ET, the Chicago Cubs (38-49) and Cincinnati Reds (46-42) take the field for a day-night double header live from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The games can be live streamed here. Chicago fans can hear all of the action on WGN 720 while Cincinnati fans can do the same on WLW 700.
These teams take the field for Games 2 and 3 of a five-game set today with the second contest of the twin bill slated for 7:10 p.m. The Cubs continue an 11-game road trip they are 4-3 on thus far while the Reds continue an 11-game homestand they are currently 3-1 on. Cincinnati took the opening game of the series 9-3 from Chicago.
Travis Wood (7-6, 4.62 ERA) toes the rubber for the Cubs in Game 1 while the Reds counter with Johnny Cueto, who is 8-6 with a 1.99 ERA. Tsuyoshi Wada gets the start for Chicago in the nightcap in his MLB debut while David Holmberg will man the mound for Cincinnati in his second-career start.
With Cueto going today and then again Sunday, it is doubtful that he'll be able to start in next Tuesday's All-Star Game, and he discussed the possibility of missing the game with MLB.com.
"It doesn't bother me, because [manager Bryan Price and the Reds coaching staff] are the ones that know what I'm going to do, what's going to happen," Cueto said through an interpreter on Monday. "Honestly, yes, I'd like to pitch in the All-Star Game; it's my first time, so of course, I would like to pitch."
Cueto, whose ERA ranks second in the league along with his 130 strikeouts, is starting the day game that is a makeup for an April 28 rainout and is 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA in his last six starts against the Cubs.
Cubs manager Rick Renteria believes that night-cap starter Wada has a lot of potential.
"In the spring, he was elevated a little bit, outside of the zone, and he's been pitching down in the zone, both sides of the plate, and has been mixing his pitches and been very effective, which is good to hear," the skipper told MLB.com.
Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo is hitting .274 this season and is tied for second in the NL with 18 homers while adding 47 RBI. Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro is tied for fourth in the NL with 26 doubles and has a team-leading .284 batting average with 11 long balls and a team-best 51 RBI.
Cincinnati outfielder Billy Hamilton ranks second in the NL with 32 stolen bases while Todd Frazier leads all NL third baseman and the Reds with 17 homers, a .499 slugging percentage and a .854 OPS. Frazier also has team-highs in batting average (.293) and RBI (48).
Two NL Central rivals clash for a full day of baseball when the Cubs and Reds take the field for a day-night double header this afternoon at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
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