Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds preview, Sunday 9/3, 11:10 a.m. CT

Sunday notes...

• RUN SCORING, OR NOT: The Cubs have allowed 15 total runs in their last 6 games, but are only 3-3. They had 10 previous spans of six games this season, some overlapping, in which they gave up no more than 15 runs. They went 5-1 in five of them, most recently June 17-24. They went 4-2 in four more. The only previous time they went 3-3 was May 1-6, when they won a series opener at Washington, 5-1; lost the next three there by 1-4, 1-2 and 3-4; then returned home and beat the Marlins, 4-1 and 4-2. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• HAPP-ENINGS: Ian Happ’s 10-game hitting streak came to an end Saturday. Over Happ’s 17 games from August 15-September 1: .288/.365/.606 (19-for-66), five doubles, two triples, four home runs, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored.
• THE BELLINGER FILES: Cody Bellinger, five games at GABP this year: .429/.500/.857 (9-for-21), three home runs. Career at GABP: 18 games, .311/.374/.635 (23-for-74), three doubles, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 15 runs scored.
• THE NEW ACE?: Javier Assad, last two starts: 0.60 ERA, 0.867 WHIP, one run allowed in 15 innings, three walks, 14 strikeouts.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Reds lineup:

Jameson Taillon, RHP vs. Carson Spiers, RHP

Jameson Taillon, time to step up. It’s as simple as that. His last three starts have been decent, but the Cubs need better than “decent.”

He’s started twice against the Reds this year and the results have not been good: 5.59 ERA, 1.655 WHIP. Most current Reds haven’t faced him much, but Hunter Renfroe and Elly De La Cruz have both homered off Taillon.

Do better, Jamo.

Brandon Williamson was supposed to start this game for the Reds, but he’s been placed on the COVID list.

Instead, righthander Carson Spiers will start. He will be making his major league debut.

He was signed by the Reds out of Clemson in 2020 as an undrafted free agent, in that year when the draft was limited to five rounds. He has posted a 3.69 ERA and 1.349 WHIP in 28 appearances (nine starts) for Double-A Chattanooga this year. He pitched briefly in Triple-A last year.

He’s the nephew of former MLB infielder Bill Spiers, who played 13 seasons for the Brewers, Mets and Astros from 1989-2001.

That’s all I’ve got, except that it’s probably better for the Cubs to not have to face a lefthanded starter, against whom they have been pretty feckless the last month or so.

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 — also see the note at the top of this preview.

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.