Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds preview, Tuesday 8/22, 6:10 CT

Catching up on Monday night’s action while the Cubs had the day off:

The Pirates blew a 3-0 lead and gave up five runs in the seventh to the Dodgers, four of them on a grand slam by just-acquired Curtis Granderson. Then they tied it up in the eighth, only to lose in 12.

The Brewers got shut out 2-0 by the Giants. It was just the second shutout this year for the Giants pitching staff.

Thus we enter Tuesday’s games with the Cubs leading the Brewers by 2½ games (and four in the loss column), the Cardinals by 3½ (also four in the loss column), and the Pirates by seven (eight in the loss column).

This series would be a good time to put some more distance between the Cubs and their N.L. Central rivals. A few other notes:

• The Cubs have won 14 of their last 18 road games and are 32-29 away from Wrigley, one of just three N.L. teams with winning road records (Dodgers, Nationals)
• Before Sunday, the last time the Cubs came from multiple runs down in extra innings to win was June 5, 2000 vs. the Diamondbacks, a 4-3, 10-inning win in which the Cubs entered their final at-bat down 3-1 after allowing two runs in the top of the 10th. (H/T Ed Hartig)
• Anthony Rizzo is 19-for-52 (.365) with four doubles, seven homers and 22 RBI in 13 games vs. the Reds this season. The club record for most RBI by a Cubs player against the Reds in a season is 26, set by Hack Wilson in 1930.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Jay CF, Schwarber LF, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Zobrist 2B, Avila C, Heyward CF, Baez SS, Lackey P

Reds lineup:

Hamilton CF, Cozart SS, Votto 1B, Duvall LF, Gennett 2B, Suarez 3B, Schebler RF, Barnhart C, Bailey P

John Lackey vs. Homer Bailey

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

This is a pitching rematch of the game last Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Don’t let the final score (7-6 Reds) fool you; John Lackey threw six really good innings in this one (four hits, one run) and the Cubs bullpen then nearly blew the game.

Meanwhile, the Cubs pounded Homer Bailey for seven hits, five walks and six runs in 5⅔ innings, including a first-inning grand slam by Anthony Rizzo. Bailey did strike out 10, but of his 11 starts this year, six can be characterized as “awful,” and in four starts at GABP in 2017 he has a 14.33 (!) ERA, 2.571 WHIP and six home runs allowed in 16⅓ innings.

This really should be a game where Cubs hitters just pound Reds pitching.

Also, the Cubs have won the last seven games started by Lackey, and he is 5-0 (two no-decisions) with a 3.06 ERA and 1.252 WHIP in those seven starts.

Today's game is on WGN. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Chicago and Cincinnati markets).

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

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The 2017 Game Thread procedure will be the same as the one used during 2016. Here's how it works.

You'll find the game preview posted separately on the front page, two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page. The First Pitch Thread and all the overflow threads will be published in that stream, as well as the recap. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post, and at the time I write the recap I will rename the stream "Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of Week) Game Threads" so you can go back and find every thread related to that particular game.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread, all the overflow threads and recap in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). They will also appear in the game's StoryStream as noted above.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at one hour, two hours and 2:45 after the scheduled game time.

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Discuss amongst yourselves.