Cincinnati Reds vs Chi. Cubs Cubs Picks and Predictions July 30th 2024

Chicago comes into the game with a record of 51-56, while the Reds are 50-55 overall. The money line odds have the Cubs favored at -109 compared to the Reds at -109. The over/under line is at 9 runs, and the game is being played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

First pitch for this NL Central matchup is set for 7:10 PM ET. MARQ carries this game on TV, and the Reds will be looking to end a two-game losing streak. Carson Spiers is the Reds’ starter, and the Cubs are going with Jameson Taillon.

Chicago vs. Cincinnati Key Information

Chicago is sending Jameson Taillon to the mound today vs. the Reds, and he comes in with a record of 7-5 and an ERA of 2.96. Taillon’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.15. Out of his 17 starts, he has turned in 10 quality starts, and his ERA is 3.41 on the road compared to 2.92 at home. In his last outing, Taillon took the loss, going 7 1/3 innings and giving up one earned run. Before that, he had won three straight starts. So far, he has done a good job of limiting walks, coming in at 1.88 per nine innings.

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So far this season, the Cubs are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. Their home and road splits are very similar, with the team averaging 4.2 runs per game on the road and 4.0 at home. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .233, and their collective on-base percentage of .310 is 14th in the league. The Cubs are 17th in home runs this season and have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the league.

Chicago’s top home run hitter this season is Christopher Morel, but he is batting just .199 for the year. Ian Happ is the team’s leading RBI man, and he has 16 homers this season, which is 2nd on the team. Happ’s batting average is also below the Mendoza Line, at just .232. Nico Hoerner comes into the game with a batting average of .250 and has gone deep four times this season.

Cincinnati is sending Carson Spiers to the mound today vs. the Cubs, and he has made two quality starts this year. Overall, Spiers is 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA. Looking at his home/away splits, he has an ERA of 3.87 at home compared to 3.5 on the road. Spiers most recently pitched on July 12th vs. the Marlins, where he picked up the win after going five innings and giving up three earned runs. Before that outing, he had won three straight starts. Spiers’ WHIP for the season is 1.25.

Elly De La Cruz has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Reds, going 10/27 in his last seven games, including one home run and two RBIs. For the season, he is batting .263 with 18 homers, which is 14th in the league and the top mark on the team. Spencer Steer has also been a big run producer for the Reds, as his 64 RBIs are 13th in the league, and he is also 3rd on the team with 15 homers.

As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. They have been a very consistent offense this season, as they are averaging 4.3 runs per game on the road and 4.4 runs per game at home. Overall, they are batting just .228, which is 20th in the league.

There should be no shortage of offense in today’s Cubs vs. Reds matchup, and not only are we leaning towards the Reds picking up the win, but we like the over as well. The Reds have the 2nd best team hits projection and are 4th in runs scored, and Carson Spiers is our 4th ranked starting pitcher of the day in terms of strikeouts.

Players Coming, Going as Cubs-Reds Series Continues

The Cincinnati Reds dominated a match however lost a starting pitcher on Monday night, altering their plans for the second challenge of their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Reds’ Trade Shakes Up Rotation

After hitting three grand slams in a 7-1 triumph over the Cubs, the Reds traded their booked Tuesday starting pitcher, Frankie Montas, to the Milwaukee Brewers. Cincinnati leader of baseball operations Scratch Krall affirmed the trade.

“Definitely sad,” Montas said. “This is a team that helped me a lot, a team that was definitely what I was looking for. This is probably the toughest time I have leaving a clubhouse, to be honest. I’ve been traded many times, but the relationships I’ve created here and the way they welcomed me, and not just me but my family and kids, like, it’s definitely tough.”

The Reds are reportedly receiving outfielder Joey Wiemer, a University of Cincinnati product, and right-hander Jakob Junis in return, though the details of the trade were not officially announced.

Frankie did a lot in a short time here, both on the mound, which everybody can see, and behind the scenes,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Just amazing things really, as far as being a great teammate and doing his part to share his experience. He gave us everything. He poured it into our team and really invested everything he had to help us be the best we could be.

The Reds have yet to announce a replacement starter for Tuesday’s game.

Cubs’ Starting Pitcher: Justin Steele

The Cubs will go to left-hander Justin Steele (2-4, 3.08 ERA) for his seventeenth start of the season. In spite of Steele’s noteworthy ERA, Chicago has lost his past two starts and is 5-11 in his appearances this season.

Steele will confront the Reds for the third time this season. On June 1, he gave up five runs (one earned) in five innings in a no-choice at home against the Reds. Six days later, he assumed a misfortune after allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits north of seven innings in Cincinnati’s 3-2 win.

Lifetime, Steele is 0-3 with a 7.31 ERA in five appearances (three starts) in Cincinnati. Overall, against the Reds, he holds a 2-4 record with a 5.75 ERA in 10 appearances, including eight starts.

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Cubs Get Lift with Bellinger’s Return

Notwithstanding their setback on Monday, the Cubs got a lift when outfielder Cody Bellinger was activated from the 10-day harmed list after a normal pregame work out. Bellinger had been sidelined because of a fractured left community finger since July 10.

“Cody hit for a long time this afternoon,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said before the game. “It went really well. He’s going to throw here and then he’s going to hit again. Really good day. We’re going to assess after he’s done with the next round of working out and see where we’re at, but we’re moving in a really good direction.”

Through 79 games this season, Bellinger is batting .269 with nine home runs, 15 doubles, and 37 RBIs.

New Arrival: Isaac Paredes

The Cubs are expected to get more help on Tuesday when third baseman Isaac Paredes joins the club. Paredes was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday in exchange for infielder Christopher Morel, rookie reliever Hunter Bigge, and pitching prospect Ty Johnson.

Counsell indicated that Paredes is anticipated to be added to the roster in time for Tuesday’s game. Paredes, who made the American League All-Star team this year, hit .245 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs in 101 games for Tampa Bay.

Game Outlook

With Montas now in Milwaukee and the Reds yet to announce a replacement starter, Cincinnati’s rotation faces uncertainty. The Cubs, supported by the arrival of Cody Bellinger and the arrival of Isaac Paredes, aim to bounce back in the second game of the series. Fans can expect an interesting matchup as these NL Central rivals proceed with their battle.