The Reds arrive at Wrigley Field with a little momentum after a badly needed comeback Wednesday in San Francisco. Cincinnati ended a three-game losing streak with a seven-run ninth against the Giants, giving the club a brief lift before another Reds vs Cubs series in a season that has otherwise been defined by injuries, roster issues and a last-place standing.
That matters because the Reds have now lost 13 of their last 20, and the matchup with the Cubs comes during one of Cincinnati's final visits to Wrigley Field this season. The Cubs, meanwhile, have already had the upper hand in the season series and now get another chance to deepen the gap.
How the season series has gone
The Cubs were 3-4 at home against the Reds in 2023, and the teams split their meetings 3-3 over the last two seasons. This year has looked different. In May, the Cubs swept four games and stretched the streak to nine games, then took 6-1 overall control of the season series after the July 10 game in Cincinnati.
That July 10 opener was a clean win for the Reds at first glance, a 4-0 Cubs loss in Cincinnati, but the broader takeaway has still been clear: Chicago has handled this matchup better than it has in recent seasons. The Cubs and Reds will meet again for three games at Cincinnati from Sept. 18-20.
What it means for Cincinnati
For the Reds, the immediate question is less about one game and more about whether Wednesday's rally can steady a team that has spent too much of the year chasing better health and better results. Wick Terrell, who manages the SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter, summed up the mood with a familiar reminder of where things stand: "Oh, the Cincinnati Reds. The Cincinnati Reds!" He also described the reality plainly, noting that it is the kind of stretch that comes with a club once again stuck in last place and going nowhere.
That is the backdrop for this series. The Reds need wins, but they also need signs that the roster can play cleaner baseball over a longer stretch. The Cubs do not have to solve the whole season in one series, but they do have a chance to keep control of a matchup they have largely owned in 2024, and the timing fits a club still trying to keep pace in the division race.
For Cincinnati, the goal is simple: carry over Wednesday's surge and make this trip to Wrigley Field look different from much of what has gone before.
