After splitting a doubleheader on Friday, the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs get back at it tonight in Cincinnati. The winner will guarantee themselves at least a split of the series. First pitch is set for 6:40pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Chicago Cubs
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Cincinnati Reds
|
| Nico Hoerner – 2B | Jake Fraley – DH |
| Dansby Swanson – SS | TJ Friedl – CF |
| Ian Happ – LF | Spencer Steer – 2B |
| Cody Bellinger – CF | Elly De La Cruz – SS |
| Seiya Suzuki – RF | Nick Martini – LF |
| Yan Gomes – C | Hunter Renfroe – RF |
| Jeimer Candelario – 3B | Christian Encarnacion-Strand – 1B |
| Patrick Wisdom – 1B | Noelvi Marte – 3B |
| Christopher Morel – DH | Luke Maile – C |
| Javier Assad – RHP | Andrew Abbott – LHP |
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Andrew Abbott | 88.2 | 3.35 | 1.22 | 34 | 99 |
| Javier Assad | 79.0 | 2.96 | 1.20 | 32 | 60 |
| Links: Andrew Abbott’s Stats | Javier Assad’s Stats |
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Andrew Abbott
Through 10 starts for Abbott he had a 1.90 ERA. In the six starts since he’s struggled, posting an ERA of 6.67 as he’s been far more hittable and he’s struggled to throw strikes with consistency – walking 15 batters in 27.0 innings since July 31st. His last outing saw him throw just 3.1 innings before being lifted in San Francisco.
Left-handed hitters haven’t been able to do much against Abbott this season. They have just three walks and 23 strikeouts while posting an OPS just over .500 against him. Right-handed hitters don’t hit for much average, but they do walk at a good rate against him and have hit for a solid amount of power.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 301 | 63 | 18 | 1 | 10 | 31 | 76 | .238 | .312 | .426 |
| LHH | 64 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 23 | .180 | .219 | .295 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 92.5 | 80.8 | 82.8 | 86.4 |
| Usage | 50% | 17% | 17% | 16% |
Javier Assad
After spending much of the season in the Cubs bullpen, Assad has made five starts in a row, beginning in August. His last outing was his best of the year, allowing one run in 7.0 innings with seven strikeouts against Pittsburgh. Since moving to the rotation he’s posted a 2.48 ERA and thrown 29.0 innings.
On the season he’s shown some splits. Left-handed batters are hitting for a higher average, they walk more often, they make more contact, and they are hitting for more power – though it’s not a lot of power. Assad has been quite good against right-handed hitters. They are hitting just .204 against him and don’t hit for hardly any power. They do walk at a solid clip and they make contact at a high rate – they just haven’t done much when they do make contact.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 173 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 33 | .204 | .272 | .344 |
| LHH | 148 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 27 | .240 | .324 | .411 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | 2-seam | Cutter | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 93.2 | 92.8 | 89.1 | 76.9 | 80.9 | 85.2 |
| Usage | 21% | 28% | 27% | 6% | 13% | 5% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:40pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv (out of market)
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 87°, sunny, 0% chance of rain
News and Notes
Graham Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson to the injured list
Things got worse for the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon when they announced that Graham Ashcraft was heading to the injured list with a stress reaction in his toe and that Brandon Williamson was headed to the COVID-19 injured list. They have called up pitchers Connor Phillips and Chasen Shreve from Triple-A Louisville to take their place. We went into more details on everyone here earlier today.
Michael Siani claimed by St. Louis
The Reds designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment earlier this week. Today it was announced that he was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Justin Dunn to have shoulder surgery
After battling should issues for several years, Justin Dunn will be having shoulder surgery. That’s going to end his season – one that never really got going outside of a week of rehab appearances in August. We wrote about Dunn’s shoulder injury history here if you wanted to see how things have played out.
Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Brewers | 75 | 59 | 0.0 | 97.9% |
| Cubs | 72 | 63 | 3.5 | 73.8% |
| Reds | 70 | 67 | 6.5 | 13.9% |
| Pirates | 62 | 73 | 13.5 | 0.0% |
| Cardinals | 58 | 77 | 17.5 | 0.0% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
Too many players testing positive for COVID. We order you take more precautions and stop the spread. Especially stay out of crowded indoor spaces and keep those hands washed more often and keep your hands and fingers away from your face.
How do you do that in a clubhouse or dugout? I’ve had every booster and had natural immunity from a previous bout with Covid. Go to Key West and felt crappy. . Ride back for a 11 hour drive in the confines of a car. When we get back, I’m so sick with Covid I’m in the hospital 4 days. My fiancé is sick 2 weeks. My daughter who hasn’t even had a shot was fine. Go figure
I’m starting to worry about Abbott. He clearly hit the wall awhile ago and probably needs to be shut down, but they keep running him out there. If he’s truly fatigued, that means he’s more likely to injure himself.
I would shut him down at this point. While the Reds are still (ostensibly) in the playoff hunt, this team is in no condition to compete once they reach the playoffs. Too many injuries, too many players who have already reached their limits, too many holes in the lineup and pitching staff. It would be better to protect young assets like Abbott with an eye on the future instead of pushing for some pointless short-term gain.
And really, with the way Abbott is pitching now, is he really helping achieve that short-term gain?
Is there actually any hard data showing a clear correlation between fatigue and injuries? If you look at the Reds pitchers who’ve been injured this year, fatigue has played no role. The guys who are supposedly fatigued (most of the relievers and Abbott) are some of the few who aren’t on the injured list. Maybe the guys who aren’t fatigued throw harder than their bodies can handle, while fatigue forces pitchers to take it easy somewhat.
Overwhelming evidence overuse and pitching while fatigued/ tired dangerous
Too many innings over too long a time is overuse and long hi intensity 30 pitch innings over time damages arms .
Man the Reds are hexed. It’s like something bad happens every day.
Phillips threw on Thursday , so he is a go for Tuesday. Kennedy maybe tomorrow or Monday. I’m not even sure who is on the team anymore.
Kennedy suppose to be pitching tonight in Louisville. They need to scratch that.
Kennedy was called up yesterday, so he’s definitely not supposed to be pitching tonight for Louisville.
He is listed as starting. Thanks Doug.
The Bats lineup has been posted for two hours and Evan Kravetz is the starter. Someone messed up.
Kennedy listed to pitch for Louisville tonight. Lets see if he’s pulled back.
Already tired of “stat master” Sadak 2 batters in ….. he can’t shut up
+10000
Of the 32 play by play announcers Sadak is the lower 1%.
Friedl great catch
It’s time again for the hitters to carry this team. Pitching has done it for quite awhile now.
Alot of Cub fans cheering. Let’s send them home losers.
Pretty amazing… getting two Runners picked off 1st base in the 1st two innings back to back. Let’s not make any adjustments… let’s just keep doing that.
Has any team had more guys picked off 1st than the Reds this year?
Is it wrong to feel like the season is probably over? I mean, what are the chances now for the Reds to even make the post season? I think they should have one goal and that is to finish at least 500, but that may be pushing it. I am still proud of how well this team has performed and hopefully, with some additions over the off season, they put it truly all together.
The Reds chances are very straightforward and real. Going into play today, barring a miracle run by San Diego which trails them by 7.5 games if the Reds do the following 3 things they are in.
1. Win at least 2 more games than the Giants the rest of the way
2. Win at least 1 more game than the DBacks
3. Win the same or greater number of games than the Marlins.
Or at least that is how I see it since they trail the Giants and Dback both by 1 and have the tie breaker on the DBacks but not the Giants and lead the Marlins by 1.
I think, realistically, the Reds probably have very little hope of reaching the playoffs. The wheels have just completely fallen off the past few weeks, with injuries, COVID, and fatigue just dragging this team down.
This isn’t a team making a playoff push. Teams making a playoff push have (most of) their best players healthy and performing at a high level each night. This is a team being held together with rubber cement and duct tape just trying to field enough players to meet roster requirements.
The one small glimmer of hope is, after September 12th, the Reds final 20 games are against a bunch of teams with losing records (Cards, Pirates, Mets, Tigers) with a series against the Twins being the only team they play with a winning record before the end of the season. The Reds would probably have to go something like 15-5 in those games to still have a shot at the playoffs, and I’m not sure they can do it.
Giants play 3 vs Cubs in Chi, 2 with Dbacks in ‘Zona and 6 with Dodgers 3/3.
Dacks play 2 more with Orioles, 7 with Cubs> 4 in Chi/ 3 ‘Zona, afore mentioned 2 at home with Giants, and close with 3 against the Astros in ‘Zona.
I don’t the Reds are going to need to play .750 to make up 2 games on Giants and 1 on the Snakes.
Marlins play Dodgers 3 in SoFla, 3 in Phillie, 7 vs Brewers 4 road/ 3 home, 3 at home with Braves.
If the Reds catch the Giants and Snakes, it seems very likely they will keep the Fish at bay.
Kudos to Abbott
Hes pitching on fumes… 30 innings more than any year … yet he shows up in September against a good cubs team and fires 0’s for 3 innings
Marte is sneaky athletic
Maile 6-4-3 is not
Cant do that after first 2 runners reach
Maile Maile Maile. Smh
The cubs even played for a bunt there because it was so obvious that was the right thing to do. Yet we let Maile hit into a double play with top of order behind me.
Lead off double and single and have nothing to show for. Unbelievable.
I agree, bit with this manager it ain’t
surprising at all …. Zero fundamental
baseball , zero
CES has to get to 3rd on the slow infield cop to 3rd.
Didn’t see it, did he hesitate, or was ball in front of him??
slow chopper to the 3rd.
3rd baseman was close to the mound before trying to throw Marte out.
Not without risk for CES to try for 3B though. Swanson was moving that way to cover.
I like maile but cant hit 6-4-3!
Bunt!!!!
Votto and india updates from jim day
Neither ready next 5 days
For me India, yes. However, let Votto cool his heel unless Martini cools drastically.
Just can’t wait for the 3 run homer.Just have to be a little creative sometimes.Reds are just struggling right now.Worst thing that could happen did so you just remove that IMO
Spot on Roger
Can’t score waiting for geno Suarez 2019 49 homer year
Abbott 4 shut out innings
Candelario in a big slump.
Rediculous
6 hits 0runs
Ouch
Cubs nothing but lucky .. Assad ain’t that good … letting the dude off the hook
constantly this game
The Reds find the way to not scoring… Incredible…these missed nice chances could haunt later…
Offense not helping but Abbott 5 shutout innings
Cubs offense struggling too
Gotta win this one.
How can Larkin not see that he was out on the replay?
I saw it at full speed and that means anyone with younger eyes should have.
Great job by Abbott! Dude rises to the occasion more often than not. Now if the offense will show up. Get this man some runs!
Well at least Steer is up. Our best chance to get a run home.
You forgot about the chance for TOOTBLAN 3 of the night and arguably most grievous. Absolutely no excuse for for that one.
Reds have done everything possible to lose this game. Amazing how clueless they are sometimes.
No way Fraley can be doubled off there.
His baserunning has been atrocious at times this year.
Agree, if was the man off 1st maybe but the ball would have had to go all the way to 3b for a force on Fraley.
And the Reds give away another out on the attempted steal.
This team’s base running blunders over the last month are almost unfathomable
Just stop the thinking bunt the dang ball.Good grief somebody take charge and tell them what to do.Anybody can set back and watch them swing away.
Exactly. They can’t score runs. I was screaming for Martini to bunt with Steer on third. Take what they are giving you.
Really a bad day for the runners… Double-plays killing rallies… I don’t like how this game is going, seriously..
There it is. Game over. Football.
How many games have you seen where one team continually fritters chances then the other gets the one timely hit to win?? Just seems to be the way.
Also the bat was taken out of EDLC’s hands twice tonight by an out on the bases when he was batting. It is not like having guys on base would get him more fastballs or discourage pitchers from bouncing balls in the dirt.
Just awful and I mean awful.I am gone.Somebody wake up and tell these kids what to do.Please throw something or somebody this is little league stuff.Just forfeit and go home.
Pitcher: 8 pitches 3 outs. Time to take out.
Abbott: 96 pitches after 6 innings. Running on fumes for the year. Let’s send him back out for the 7th.
Cubs may win this game, but the Reds absolutely lost it.
I was wondering who was going to blame the manager for that. If he brings in the BP and they give up the lead then it would be his fault for not keeping him in there.
Ridiculous.
Renfroe is a plus addition the OF over senzel or hopkins… against lefties … but why is he playing against righties over Benson????
Weve gone backwards to hunter myers
Maybe Benson is next up for the COVID list but they are hoping not and waiting overnight to declare him? Just a thought.
I hope so. It seems the injury bug has hit the Reds at the worst possible time. I would hate to see them lose Benson too.
Nope!
Did the refresh function on my browser break down or are folks streaming to the exits following that Cubbies HR? 😉
Spencer steer!!! What a barehanded double play
Welcome back Antone!
What a great story Antone is. Could Steer’s best position be 2nd base? If that’s true where does McClain play?
Shortstop and Elly heads to 3rd or OF. This game is a give away…Reds offense pathetic again. The base running errors alone basically cost them this game
Antone pitching….good to see! Too bad this teams offense is so bad. It seems rare for the Reds to have a lead. It seems we are either tired of behind for the majority of every game. Pitching has been pretty good. The hitting is a big steaming pile.
Lousy hitting is difficult to watch. Noticed the number of comments on the site is way down lately and especially today. One of my pet peeves is the manager flashing take signs on 3-0 counts. We don’t know if he had a take sign but Renfroe took a fastball down the pipe 3-0 and then swung and then on 3-1, grounded out on a low strike.
Interesting….had not seen that. Thanks for the insight.
Welcome back Teejay!
Gotta admire the desire and dedication.
wish this site had an upvote function. So much this comment.
Have to hand it to Assad. He really pitched well. Benson looked like he was tryin to walk his way on and not hit his way on in that AB.
2 double plays and 4base running ours really helped him.
Larkin offers NOTHING to this telecasr
@Redalert, obviously with my name I am a Larkin fan. But he sucks as a broadcaster and makes sadak even worse.
Asad blew them away previous appearance.
Something about him that the Reds seem to struggle with.
They scattered enough hits to score though.
Baserunning…thrown out on bases 5 times or something tonight?
Need to fact check this
But pretty sure can’t win with 0 runs
They arent agaisnt 2019’jacob deGrom
Sadak said 5 outs on the bases tonight.
Heck of a play by CES and Moll there.
CES defense has been better than advertised.
EDLC needs something. His flippant way of playing short is maddening. I still say know one has ever got into his face. I don’t know if that what he needs, but he has no sense of urgency.
Maybe Friedl, Steer, and EDLC can make up for their base running antics. And EDLC’s errors.
Jake fraley- professional hitter- lead off double. Bader steals
Get him in
It takes absolute elephant balls to steal 3rd in that situation… wow
When the Reds lose this game 1-0, no one to blame but Bell, again! Why you ask? Because Bell absolutely WILL NOT PLAY SMALL BALL! The Reds had the first 2 runners on in the bottom of the 3rd. Small ball calls for a sacrifice bunt to do 2 things! 1) Move the runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs & 2) avoid hitting into a DP! But, NO! Bell elects not to have Maile bunt and he hits into the DP and the Reds fail to score early in this game! But it’s OK, the players love playing for Bell!
Like death and taxes
Reds won 2-1. Who do you blame now?
It is a message board and folks are gonna vent during games. Especially passionate fans that get frustrated when things are not going well. It happens on every board in every sport. Let them vent.
To be clear: This is NOT a message board. This is a website that allows comments. There is a huge difference between the two things.
Friedl needs to get this run in
Larkin an idiot arguing bader out
Dude offers ZERO substance to the telecast
twice he couldn’t see it …even on replay
Gonna jump on in here Old-school and give you a warning for calling Larkin an idiot. Far too many people are getting out of line with the personal insults in the comments section.
I Apologize Doug.
Poor comment by me. Was referring to his call on the safe or out and not his whole person , but thats not what was stated.
Of course the FIVE (5) TOOTBLANS didn’t help tonight and are NOT Bell’s fault!
Cubs trying to give it away. Accept the gifts.
EDC!
Elly gets the hit. Almost made another out on the bases overrunning 1st base. Got a little lucky there.
agree with holding TJ.
But the throw home was awful.
Got to win it now , NOW !
Yes!!
What a win!!!
They take Asad out….serves them right.
Yes sir !!!!! Boom ! !!
Anyone wanna take any comments back? There’s still time.
You mean like…..when the Reds lose this game 1-0?
Gotta have a little faith.
Lets face it….
Stu or Senzel doesn’t steal that bag that Bader took.
Baseball instincts.
Changed the whole inning.
Didn’t mean to post that here.
Ugly but it still counts. Better fundamentals and it would have been over earlier.
LOL
Renfroe smoked that ball
What an incredible last two wins for the Reds, especially with all the Covid sickness. Big time props to this team for winning these last two. Cubs fans have to be a little beside themselves!
The same heart and togetherness they have shown all year. Great win for the Reds. A win tomorrow would be HUGE.
Great win
Reds are still in it labor day!!!
Go reds
Might as well take 3/4 from cubbies tomorrow
71 wins and counting.
Does either Bader or Renfro have a hit yet? Weren’t they added for offense.
Abbott apparently still alive and well.
“Everytime I think I’m out … they puuul me back in!”
Reds win again in the 9th … Never give up on the Reds…
Bader stole third after replacing Fraley, who doubled.
I thought it was going to xtras, but Renfroe didn’t hit into a dbl play… That’s how close it was. Friedl scores from third on the play… Wow !
And not to forget Elly’s key hit with the bases loaded…
Also, happy to hang it on both of their closers, especially Leiter. If for nothing else, I’m still mad at his dad for 1999.
Good recall.
And so true.
Curious…..so Al changed his name to Mark?
Reds win, C13J hardest hit
Great win!
The Reds live to fight another day!
Lets face it….
Stu or Senzel doesn’t steal that bag that Bader took.
Baseball instincts.
Changed the whole inning.
Great to get Fraley back. SF and Arizona are losing and we have the tiebreaker on the Cubs and Dbacks. It’s unlikely with half the pitchers out, but they’re battling
After Reds won sensationally this game they got the tie breaker against the Cubs since the season series is led by Cincy 7-5 remaining just one game…What a resilent team…
The Reds are back!
Well since the early assessments on this board were maybe 70 wins lets just play the games and be optimistic.
Fraley 5-8 in last two games back, smart move Bell putting him 1st. Fraley, Bader, Renfro a much needed injection of veteran players I think. Not sure how they are going to win much with all the pitching injuries, but maybe the hitting picks up especially when they face some weaker competition in coming weeks.