Reds vs. Cubs: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

Previewing the pitching matchups: Reds vs. Cubs

Sonny Gray (7-6 3.89 ERA) gets the holiday start as the Cubs counter with Justin Steele (3-2 3.48 ERA) this afternoon. Over his last three starts, the Cincinnati right-hander has been nothing less than sensational.

Tossing 18 innings, Gray has allowed two runs on six hits while recording 14 strikeouts. The Vanderbilt alum has faced the Cubs once this season and turned in an excellent performance, surrendering just one run in five frames with eight punch outs. A similar start today will do wonders for the Reds’ confidence.

Reds Country has been told time, and again the ballclub struggles against left-handed starters. However, the Redlegs have won two of their last three when facing southpaw hurlers, and for the season, they have an 18-14 mark versus lefties. One of those wins came against today’s starter Justin Steele who Cincinnati defeated on August 16th at GABP.

Tuesday night finds Wade Miley (11-5 2.97 ERA) toeing the rubber opposing Adrian Sampson (0-1 1.59 ERA) of the Cubs. To say Miley’s last outing was poor would be an understatement.

The Cajun was rocked for a whopping 12 hits and five runs in four brutal innings his last time out versus the St. Louis Cardinals. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but over his career, the month of September is far and away his worst month. Lifetime the Reds southpaw is 12-17 with a troubling 5.54 ERA.

Adrian Sampson will be making his first start since tossing four innings of one-run baseball against the Reds on August 18th in the Queen City. In his last appearance, the 29-year-old right-hander was effective, hurling 3.1 shutout frames in relief versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

Wednesday night’s series and season finale between the two clubs will feature Vladimir Gutierrez (9-6 4.17 ERA) battling Chicago’s Alec Mills (6-6 4.25 ERA). Has Gutierrez hit the wall? His last two starts have raised major concerns.

After becoming the first Reds’ pitcher in eight years to hurl six consecutive starts allowing two earned runs or fewer, the Cuban has not escaped the fourth innings in his previous two starts surrendering 11 hits and eight earned runs.

Between Cincinnati and Louisville this season, he’s worked 116.1 frames. The right-hander’s workload could become an issue down the stretch as the Redlegs fight for a postseason berth.

The Reds and Alec Mills are on a first-name basis. This will be the Cubs’ right-hander’s sixth start versus Cincinnati since July of last year. Don’t expect to see Eugenio Suárez in the starting lineup Wednesday night. Geno is 2-for-19 with nine punch outs against the University of Tennessee-Martin alum.