Coming off one of their most productive offensive performances of the season, the Chicago Cubs look to keep rolling when they host the Cincinnati Reds for the second of a four-game series Tuesday. Chicago belted three home runs among its 17 hits in a 15-5 victory to open the series, increasing its National League Central lead to 1 1/2 games over St. Louis.
Jon Jay, Tommy La Stella, and Anthony Rizzo each had three hits, and Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez all homered in the Cubs’ rout of the Reds in the opener. Chicago leads the season series 7-3 and has claimed 25 of the last 32 meetings with the Reds overall. Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks aims for his fourth straight win over the Reds over the past two seasons after holding them to two runs over six innings in a victory May 17. The last-place Reds have dropped three straight following a three-game winning streak but Scooter Gennett's homer gave the club five players with 20 or more blasts for just the third time in franchise history.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (2-5, 3.73 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.70)
Castillo has just one win in his last six starts, but he has been consistently solid for the Reds. The 24-year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic allowed three runs over six innings Thursday against San Diego for his third straight quality start. Castillo has been excellent on the road, going 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA in five starts.
Hendricks is winless in four starts since returning from the disabled list, but he has pitched to a 2.57 ERA since coming back. The 27-year-old has just one quality start since his return, but he has allowed more than one run only once during that stretch. Hendricks is 4-1 with a 3.81 ERA in nine starts against the Reds.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs 3B Kris Bryant is 20-for-43 during an 11-game hitting streak and has reached base in 16 of his last 20 plate appearances.
2. Reds 1B Joey Votto, who is 7-for-13 with two homers against Hendricks, has reached base at least twice in a club-record 19 consecutive games.
3. The Cubs have hit back-to-back homers in three of the past four games.