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Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs – June 29, 2022

After taking the first game of the series Tuesday night, the Cincinnati Reds (26-47) try for a second straight series win tonight against the Chicago Cubs (28-46) at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Hunter Greene faces the Cubs for the second time. He gave up five runs in five innings, including three home runs, on May 26 against Chicago at GABP. Greene wants to be opposed on the mound by right-hander Justin Steele.

Details:

  • Time: 8:05pm ET
  • Place: Wrigley Field
  • Weather: 73 degrees; mostly sunny
  • TV: Bally Sports Ohio
  • Radio: 700 WLW

lineups

Cincinnati Reds

Chicago Cubs

2B Jonathan India LF Rafael Ortega
DH Brandon Drury C Willson Contreras
LF Tommy Pham DH Ian Happ
1B Joey Votto 3B Patrick Wisdom
SS Kyle Farmer SS Nico Hoerner
3B Donovan Solano RF Nelson Velazquez
RF Albert Almora Jr 1B Alfonso Rivas
CF Nick Senzel 2B David Bote
C Aramis Garcia CF Christopher Morel

-Jonathan India has a home run and two RBI off Steele in his career.

Starting pitchers

Surname IP ERA xERA FIP xFIP WHIP K% BB%
Hunter Greene 70.0 5.66 4.11 5.70 4.11 1.36 28.9% 9.8%
Justin Steele 64.2 4.59 3.58 3.59 3.79 1.45 21.3% 10.1%

REDS

Greene has been a little inconsistent this season, but you’re going to have a little inconsistency with a rookie pitcher. He’s still pitched well despite those inconsistencies. Players have been able to catch up to his fastball after they see it a few times, so he needs to get better at locating his pitches. With a .277 batting average and a .335 on-base percentage, right-handed hitters have hit better against Greene than left-handed hitters. However, while he’s given up 13 home runs to right-handed hitters, he’s also surrendered seven home runs to lefties. The home run ball has plagued him so much this season. His HR/FB% is 19.8%, and he’s already given up 20 home runs in 14 starts.

Greene had two terrible starts against Arizona and St. Louis in which he pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball with eight strikeouts, and five innings of one-run, two-hit baseball with seven strikeouts, respectively. But his last two starts were not so great, with five home runs and four walks surrendered in ten innings combined.

CUBS

Justin Steele, a 26-year-old right-hander, has been in the Cubs organization since 2014, but has gotten an opportunity to pitch at the big league level over the last two seasons. One of Steele’s biggest problems in 2022 has been his lack of control. While he does have 61 strikeouts in 64.2 innings, he’s also walked 29 batters. His WHIP is close to 1.50, and his BABIP is .314. He pitched slightly better in the month of June, but he’s still given up nine home runs in 24.2 innings. Steele throws mostly a fastball and a slider. His fastball velocity averages in the low 90s and his slider averages in the mid-80s.

News, Notes, And Pregame Reading

Jeff Hoffman is back with the Reds after a brief stint on the Covid IL, and a corresponding roster move was made.

The #Reds today reinstated from the injured list RHP Jeff Hoffman and optioned to Louisville and added to the taxi squad RHP Jared Solomon. pic.twitter.com/SDI3HtrkOd

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 29, 2022

It looks like Nick Lodolo will be returning early next week.

Updates from David Bell

-Nick Lodolo is set to make his next start in MLB on Monday or Tuesday. It’ll be a six man rotation with an upcoming doubleheader but no decision past that

-Mike Moustakas is “available off the bench, but not to the point of starting.”

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) June 29, 2022

Chad Dotson wrote a good article on Graham Ashcraft in Cincinnati Magazine yesterday.

And in case you missed it, another Baseball is Life column dropped today from Redleg Nation writer Mary Beth Ellis.

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