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Cubs at Reds, Game 1: Preview and Lineups

Win a few games in GABP, would ya?

By Wick Terrell
Chicago Cubs v Cincinnati Reds Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Little did we know at the time that Tyler Mahle’s gem in the season’s fourth game would be one of the very few positives we’d get to see from the Cincinnati Reds all April. The season opening homestand featured a visit from the Chicago Cubs, and Mahle’s dazzling display in that 1-0 victory was the lone such win of that set.

The Reds welcome the Cubs back to GABP this weekend, and do so with an NL-worst 6-15 record at home so far this year. In other words, while it’s always nice to get a chance to beat up on the Cubs, the Reds are seriously in need of a good homestand, and this is their next chance at getting one.

Jon Lester will toe the rubber for Chicago in the series opener on Friday evening, and he’ll be opposed by Homer Bailey, who is also desperately in need of a good outing.

First pitch is set for the usual 7:10 PM ET.

Cincinnati Lineup

Chicago Lineup

Other Notes

  • Tyler Goeddel, a former 1st round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays who’d been slapping around at AAA Louisville, was released by the Reds earlier this week. Today he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who also signed his brother Erik on the same day. That’s neato, mosquito.
  • To get his brother Erik onto their roster, the Dodgers designated former top prospect Henry Owens for assignment. The Reds only have 39 players on their 40-man roster right now...
  • The Reds are 10-9 since the return of Eugenio Suarez to the lineup from his DL stint, including the game on Wednesday that they won in which he did not play. I like Eugenio Suarez. I’m glad he’s going to be around as a Red for a while.
  • Of the 307 MLB hitters who’ve had at least 70 PA in 2018, Alex Blandino has swung at the lowest percentage of pitches thrown to him outside of the strike zone, at just 12.4%. Not only is that incredible discipline, it’s over 2% better than the next player on that list.
  • I sent some blurbage to the blogsters at Bleed Cubbie Blue for their series preview, which you can read here. I’ll be damned if I didn’t actually sound a bit optimistic there.
  • Go Reds.

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