Reds at Cubs
The Chicago Cubs finally broke out of their offensive slump, and they’ll try to keep the bats going when they open a four-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Cole Hamels makes his second start as a Cub at Wrigley Field, where he is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in seven career outings.
Chicago ended its streak of five consecutive games scoring a single run on a solo homer with an 8-2 win at Detroit on Wednesday. Daniel Murphy went 2-for-5 with an RBI from the leadoff spot in his Cubs debut, while David Bote, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo all hit home runs to help Chicago maintain a 2 1/2-game lead over second-place St. Louis in the National League Central. The streaky Reds dropped two of three at Milwaukee to open their seven-game road trip following a three-game sweep of San Francisco over the weekend. Cincinnati leads the season series 7-5 but dropped two of three in its first trip to Wrigley Field.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (6-3, 4.12 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Cole Hamels (8-9, 4.00)
DeSclafani has been outstanding in three starts this month, allowing two runs over 21 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts. The 28-year-old had pitched to a 9.00 ERA over his previous three outings. DeSclafani is 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA in eight starts against the Cubs, including a win June 23 in Cincinnati.
Hamels has been nothing short of dominant in four starts with the Cubs, going 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA. The 34-year-old tossed seven scoreless innings Friday at Pittsburgh, allowing five hits and two walks. Hamels is 10-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 15 starts against the Reds, most recently in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. Murphy is 6-for-11 with three doubles and a homer versus DeSclafani.
2. Reds SS Jose Peraza has multiple hits in five of his last seven games and is 12-for-26 with four doubles and two homers over that stretch.
3. The Cubs placed SS Addison Russell on the disabled list Wednesday with a sprained left middle finger and right shoulder inflammation.