Reds, Cubs eager to bounce back from close losses

The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs will try to put one-run losses behind them when they open a three-game series Friday night in Cincinnati.

For the Reds, it will be a chance for some revenge after the Cubs swept them in a four-game series May 4-7 at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs were denied a three-game sweep in Baltimore on Thursday in a controversial finish to a 3-2 loss to the Orioles.

Nico Hoerner was called out on an attempted steal of second in the top of the ninth when the umpiring crew did not call obstruction on Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Replays indicated that Henderson's foot kept Hoerner's hand off the bag.

"There is a clear blocking the bag there. It's very clear," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of the sequence. "The reason why Nico came off the bag is because the player is blocking the bag and he has to adjust his slide. ... They don't even look at the blocking of the bag when that's what caused the player to come off; it's kind of illogical."

Still, the Cubs have won eight of their past 11 games to move 11 games over .500, as their up-and-down first half of the season nears its conclusion.

The Reds, on the other hand, are desperate to put together any momentum before the All-Star break. They fell 1-0 at home to Philadelphia on Thursday night after putting the first two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth.

Eugenio Suarez and Tyler Stephenson struck out against Jhoan Duran before Noelvi Marte grounded out to end the game as the Reds lost their seventh home game in the past nine chances, falling to 42-50 overall after starting the season 20-11.

"There's been times where it looks like he's trying to maybe cheat to the fastball, and then he's committing a little early, hands are kind of coming forward," Reds manager Terry Francona said of Suarez, who hit .179 in June and is batting .172 in July. "It's easy for me to say sitting there when you're 90 feet away, not having to face the guys we're facing. I still think he's a guy that when he gets hot, he'll carry us for a while. We just got to get him there."

Taking the mound for Chicago on Friday will be left-hander Shota Imanaga (5-7, 4.28 ERA), who will make his 19th start of the season. Imanaga shut down the Reds for one run and six hits over six innings on May 7, earning the win in Chicago's 8-3 victory. He struck out 10 and walked three.

In his career, Imanaga is 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four outings against the Reds.

Strikeouts have been a problem for Cincinnati batters of late; they fanned 18 times in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Philadelphia and 14 times in Thursday's defeat.

Opposing Imanaga on Friday will be Cincinnati right-hander Hunter Greene (0-1, 21.60 ERA), making his second start back from elbow surgery in March. Last Saturday against Baltimore, he was tagged for eight runs and seven hits over just 3 1/3 innings in Cincinnati's 8-5 loss. Greene struck out seven and walked four.

He is 5-1 with a 3.38 ERA in nine career appearances vs. the Cubs.

"Just didn't do a good job channeling the adrenaline," Greene said of his outing vs. the Orioles. "Not an excuse by any means. Just a reality. I was aware I was amped, especially on the late heaters that I pulled early."

--Field Level Media