Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds – Series Preview (May 23-25): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (30-20) continue to play well against weaker competition, winning a series in Miami against the Marlins to move a season-high 10 games over the .500 mark. Chicago now takes their first trip of the season to Great American Ball Park for a three-game set against the Reds starting Friday.
Cincinnati (25-26) has been a very streaky team under first-year manager Terry Francona, with a record hovering right around break-even. Offensively, it has been quite a Jekyll and Hyde season on the Ohio River. The Reds have played 14 games in which they scored one or no runs, yet they’ve averaged six per game in their other 37 contests.
Shortstop Elly De La Cruz is still the most dynamic player on the roster, but he has been as inconsistent as the rest of Cincinnati’s squad. Matt McLain and Spencer Steer, who were so good in 2024, have struggled mightily out of the gate this season. Will Benson has been on fire since returning from injury and has always played well against the Cubs.
The Reds’ pitching has been pretty good with a 3.48 team ERA, which is the ninth-best in baseball. Ace Hunter Greene was off to a great start before suffering a groin injury, but he is back and will face Chicago on Friday. Nick Lodolo and Nick Martinez have also been very good in the rotation in the early going.
Closer Alexis Díaz absolutely imploded to begin the season and was shipped to Triple-A to try and figure things out. Cincinnati turned to Emilio Pagán, who has been solid with 12 saves and a 3.58 ERA. Taylor Rogers has been an outstanding setup man with a 1.47 ERA.
The Cubs have had trouble against the Reds the past two years, going 11-15 against them, and it has proved costly to their postseason hopes. This is an opportunity to put Cincy in a deep hole in the standings early in the season. The North Siders handling business in the Queen City would be another sign that 2025 might be a different kind of year.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, May 23 at 5:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, May 24 at 3:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, May 25 at 12:40pm CT on MLB Network and Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 5/23 | Matthew Boyd | 34 | L | 2.98 | 4-2 | 3.84 | 4.08 |
| Hunter Greene | 25 | R | 2.36 | 4-2 | 3.06 | 7.63 | |
| 5/24 | Colin Rea | 34 | R | 2.38 | 3–0 | 3.58 | 2.91 |
| Andrew Abbott | 25 | L | 1.80 | 3–0 | 3.11 | 2.87 | |
| 5/25 | Ben Brown | 25 | R | 5.44 | 3-3 | 3.49 | 3.63 |
| Nick Lodolo | 27 | L | 3.22 | 4–4 | 3.61 | 4.90 |
What to Watch For
- Matt Shaw had quite a return from Iowa with five hits, three of which went for doubles, and a walk in the series in Miami.
- Reports of Kyle Tucker‘s demise were greatly exaggerated, as the big fella picked up six hits in his last two games against the Marlins, two of which left the yard.
- Daniel Palencia appears to be the Cubs’ option at closer with Porter Hodge on the shelf.
- Ian Happ is back in the lineup just in time to play in Cincinnati, which has historically been a very good thing.
