Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds preview, Thursday 8/3, 7:05 CT

Thursday notes...

• RUN DIFFERENTIAL, PART 1: After their 7-5 loss to the Red Sox at home on July 17, the Cubs’ run differential was +19.It is now +77, as they have outscored their opponents, 122-64, over their last 15 games, while going 12-3. That +58 is tied for the Cubs’ biggest differential in any span of 15 games since 1945. They outscored their opponents, 103-45, while going 13-2 from April 21-May 8, 2016. They were +67, 106-41, from July 3-15, 1945. Their record over 15 games is +72, in overlapping spans, Sept. 4-18 and Sept. 7-22, 1935. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• RUN DIFFERENTIAL, PART 2: The Cubs have outscored the Reds by 21 runs the last two games. They have had 18 bigger differentials in back-to-back games, with a high of +27 on June 6-7, 1906, when they beat the Giants at New York, 11-3 and 19-0. Their biggest at home is +26, on June 2-3, 1987, when they beat the Astros, 13-2 and 22-7. Their record for 3 straight games is +33, set June 5-7, 1906 (6-0, 11-3, 19-0 at New York) and tied June 1-4, 1930 (16-4 vs. Pirates, then 15-2 and 18-10 at Boston). They were +32 on Sept. 13-15 when they demolished the Pirates at home, 17-8, 14-1, 16-6. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• HITTING STREAK, PART 1: Christopher Morel is on a 10-game hitting streak in which he is batting .350/.409/.600 (14-for-40) with four doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI and nine runs scored.
• HITTING STREAK, PART 2: Yan Gomes also has a 10-game hitting streak in which he is batting .385/.415/.641 (15-for-39) with seven doubles, a home run and nine RBI.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Reds lineup:

Jameson Taillon, RHP vs. Luke Weaver, RHP

You do not want to look at Jameson Taillon’s start against the Reds May 27 at Wrigley Field, so I am deliberately not linking it. Instead, let’s focus on his last four starts: 1.78 ERA, 0.987 WHIP, just one home run in 25⅓ innings. That’s the Taillon the Cubs thought they had signed, and it appears he’s going to be that guy going forward.

Here’s hoping, anyway.

Luke Weaver signed with the Reds as a free agent before the 2023 season and he has not had a good year. In fact, his numbers look like Taillon’s before Jamo turned things around: 18 starts, 6.80 ERA, 1.605 WHIP, 22 home runs allowed in 86 innings.

Weaver had an ERA over 6 last year, too. The Reds keep sending him out there because they don’t have anyone else. His last start was decent, though, against the Dodgers: six innings, two hits, two walks, two home runs, two runs.

Cody Bellinger is 4-for-10 with two home runs off Weaver. Go get him, Cody.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. You can find out if Marquee is available via a provider in your area here.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter. If you do go there to interact with Reds fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2023 Game Thread procedure will be like last year’s, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

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, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.