Blake Dunn starts as Lowder faces Imanaga in Wrigley matinee
Blake Dunn headlines a Reds lineup that looked different Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, where Rhett Lowder started against Shota Imanaga. Cincinnati went into a vintage matinee trying to salvage a game from a brutal series against the Cubs, and the changes were immediate.
Elly De La Cruz made his first start at designated hitter, Matt McLain moved to shortstop for the day and Sal Stewart played second base. Those moves gave the Reds a new infield look behind Lowder, who drew the assignment opposite Chicago’s left-hander in the middle game at Wrigley Field.
Lowder versus Imanaga
Lowder’s start was the central pitching note of the afternoon. The Reds sent him out against Shota Imanaga, a left-on-right matchup that set the tone for a game Cincinnati needed to handle cleanly if it wanted to stop the Cubs’ momentum in the series.
The setting added to the weight of it. The game came in a vintage Wrigley Field matinee, which gave the Reds a day-game test in one of baseball’s most familiar parks. For a club trying to settle the series, the first inning mattered, and so did the pitcher on the mound from the first pitch.
De La Cruz at DH
De La Cruz’s first start at designated hitter was the clearest change in the lineup. Instead of handling a defensive spot, he stayed in the order as the Reds used the day to shuffle responsibilities around him.
McLain’s move to shortstop and Stewart’s start at second base completed the infield adjustment. Cincinnati kept its best-known names active, but the alignment showed a deliberate shift for one afternoon against the Cubs.
Reds lineup shift
The practical effect for the Reds was simple: they changed the shape of the lineup without changing the core of it. Dunn, De La Cruz, McLain and Stewart all fit into a revised setup built for Thursday’s matchup, with Lowder asked to carry the pitching side against Imanaga.
That is the part to watch for anyone tracking the series from Cincinnati’s side. The Reds did not just send out a starter; they rearranged the field behind him and gave De La Cruz a first look at DH, a move that may matter again if the club keeps chasing a cleaner formula against the Cubs.
