Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds – Series Preview (August 4-6): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (65-46) had a tougher time than expected against the Orioles this weekend but they won two of three to take the series. Chicago continues to tread water in the second half as the offense has cooled from the torrid pace it had earlier in the season. Next on the schedule is a matchup with the always pesky Reds starting Monday.
Cincinnati (58-54) has been hovering around the .500 mark for most of 2025 and still have some playoff hopes, sitting four games back of the final Wild Card spot. Veteran manager Terry Francona has his squad playing decent baseball and the arrow is pointing up in the Queen City.
The Reds strong suit is their starting pitching which has an overall ERA of 3.81 in 2025, the eighth best in MLB. A pair of lefties, Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott, have been outstanding and helped fill the void left by a series of injuries to ace Hunter Greene.
Cincinnati’s bullpen has been more pedestrian with a 4.00 ERA that ranks 15th in baseball. Closer Emilio Pagán has 23 saves but hasn’t been lights out and former Brewers Brent Suter has been a valuable innings eater.
Offensively, the Reds have been very close to the middle of the pack with a .714 team OPS which ranks 16th in baseball. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz is the best hitter on the team with 19 homers, 30 stolen bases, and an OPS of .843. Austin Hays and TJ Friedl are also dangerous parts of the lineup and had success against the Cubs earlier this year.
The North Siders are 4-2 against Cincinnati so far in 2025 but they have been a thorn in Chicago’s side in recent years. If the Cubs play well they can really bury the Reds and give a significant boost to their already strong playoff chances.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, August 4 at 7:05pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, August 5 at 7:05pm CT on TBS and Marquee.
- Wednesday, August 6 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 8/4 | Michael Soroka | 28 | R | 4.87 | 3-8 | 4.12 | 3.63 |
| Nick Lodolo | 27 | L | 3.09 | 8-6 | 3.73 | 5.13 | |
| 8/5 | Shōta Imanaga | 31 | L | 3.25 | 8-4 | 4.74 | 3.71 |
| Zack Littell | 29 | R | 3.58 | 8–8 | 4.89 | 4.24 | |
| 8/6 | Cade Horton | 23 | R | 3.42 | 5–3 | 4.12 | 2.12 |
| Andrew Abbott | 26 | L | 2.15 | 8–1 | 3.59 | 2.91 |
What to Watch For
- Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1-12 with seven strikeouts against Baltimore.
- Willi Castro had three hits including a triple his first two games for the Cubs.
- Soroka makes his Chicago debut Monday night.
- Horton has yet to allow a run in the second half.
