The Chicago Cubs will host a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds from August 9 through August 12, 2012. The Cubs' probable pitchers include Chris Volstad, Justin Germano, Travis Wood and Brooks Raley. The Reds' probable pitchers include Mike Leake, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto.
The Cubs have a 43-66 record. The Reds have MLB's second-best record at 66-45. The Cubs have lost eight consecutive games. The Reds have lost four consecutive games. The Cubs have a 27-24 home record. The Reds have a 30-25 road record. The Reds are 3-2 against the Cubs in 2012. The Cubs and Reds will play each other eight times from August 9 through August 19.
All times are central time zone. The probable pitchers are updated as of August 9 on Cubs.mlb.com. The Cubs are represented by the pitchers in italics. Batter versus pitcher data is from ESPN.
August 9, 7:05 p.m.
Chris Volstad (0-8, 7.22 ERA) vs. Mike Leake (4-7, 4.51 ERA)
Volstad surrendered five runs in five innings when these teams met at Wrigley Field on April 20. The Reds won 9-4. Volstad hasn't won a game in his last 21 outings.
Current Reds hitters are 22-for-69 (.319 batting average) with a .413 OBP (on-base percentage) against Volstad. Joey Votto is 4-for-10 (.400 batting average) with four RBIs, two walks and one homer. Brandon Phillips is 3-for-7 (.429 batting average) with three RBIs and two walks.
August 10, 1:20 p.m.
Justin Germano (1-1, 2.37 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (9-7, 3.98 ERA)
Ryan Ludwick, Scott Rolen and Phillips are the only current Reds hitters who have recorded an at-bat against Germano. Ludwick is 3-for-3 with a double, walk and RBI.
August 11, 3:05 p.m.
Travis Wood (4-8, 4.77 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (7-7, 4.05 ERA)
Wood is making his first start against his former team. The Cubs acquired Wood in an offseason transaction when Sean Marshall was sent to the Reds.
Wilson Valdez and Ludwick are the only current Reds hitters who've recorded an at-bat against Wood. Ludwick is 2-for-6 (.333 batting average) with two walks and one RBI.
August 12, 1:20 p.m.
Brooks Raley (0-1, 15.75 ERA) vs. Johnny Cueto (14-6, 2.58 ERA)
Brooks Raley fared poorly in his MLB debut on August 7. Raley surrendered seven earned runs in four innings. Raley was promoted after Matt Garza was shutdown with a stress reaction injury in his elbow. Raley will face a more-potent Reds lineup in his second go-around.
Fan's Take
Volstad, Germano and Raley vs. the Reds' offense? The Cubs have some frightening pitching matchups in this series. The good thing is that they have played better against divisional rivals. However, it's hard to expect more than one win (or even one win) from a team who was just swept by the San Diego Padres.
Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood's(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie's defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and "4th & 26" in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.
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