The Cincinnati Reds aren’t making things easy for the Chicago Cubs, and they’ll try to salvage a split of their four-game road series against the National League Central leaders on Thursday afternoon. Chicago leads the division by 1 1/2 games over Milwaukee but has had a tough time taking care of last-place Cincinnati in the last two games after a 15-5 rout in the opener.
Chicago's bullpen squandered a five-run lead Wednesday before Javier Baez led off the ninth with a double and scored on a wild pitch for a 7-6 victory, which was the Cubs' first walk-off win since May 4. Cincinnati has dropped four of its last five games, including two walk-off losses, after a stretch during which it notched four wins in five contests. Chicago is 8-4 against the Reds this season, including a 5-1 mark at Wrigley Field. Jon Lester - who will start the finale for the Cubs - has fared well against the Reds, but speedster Billy Hamilton has been trouble for the ace, going 7-for-16 with a pair of home runs.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), CSN Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Scott Feldman (7-7, 4.43 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (8-7, 3.99)
Feldman returned from a four-week stint on the disabled list with a right knee injury to pitch at Milwaukee on Saturday, when he allowed three runs over four innings in a no-decision. The 34-year-old struck out six and only made one major mistake, giving up a three-run homer to Travis Shaw. Feldman was excellent at Wrigley Field when he pitched for the Cubs in 2013, going 4-2 with a 2.54 ERA in six starts, but he was tagged for seven runs - five earned - in 2 2/3 frames of a loss there earlier this season.
After capturing his first three starts after the All-Star break, Lester is winless in his last three outings. The 33-year-old struck out nine but allowed four runs - three earned - over six innings at Arizona on Saturday for his first defeat since July 9. Lester is 4-1 with a 3.79 ERA in 11 career starts against the Reds, including a 1-0 record this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto had his streak of reaching base at least twice snapped at 20 games on Wednesday, leaving him one shy of tying Ted Williams’ major-league record set in 1948.
2. The Cubs are 54-16 when scoring four or more runs, with five of the losses coming in Lester’s starts.
3. Reds SS Zack Cozart has hit six home runs in his last nine games at Wrigley Field.