The Cincinnati Reds entered the season as the heavy favorite to win the National League Central, but at 15-14 have not gotten off the start they hoped for. A major part of their struggles has been a meager 3-10 record away from their home park, The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
As a team, the Reds are batting a weak .215 away from home, with just eight home runs and a collective on base plus slugging percentage of .610. When the team is back home, their average shoots back up to .297, and in just three more games Cincinnati has socked more than double the amount of home runs, scored 87 runs as opposed to 41 on the road, and had an OPS leap to .769.
Reds manager Dusty Baker is aware of the poor home and road splits his team shows, and is hoping a trip to Wrigley Field to face the underwhelming Cubs will set his crew on the right path. "Hopefully, we'll regroup in Chicago and come home victorious," Baker told the team's website. "I'd like a sweep before we get home." He may be onto something; the Reds have picked up wins in each of their last six tilts in the Friendly Confines.
The Cubs are 5-7 at home in 2013, and are coming off a 4-2 loss under the Chicago sun Thursday afternoon at the hands of the San Diego Padres. Today, the Cubs will send Carlos Villanueva (1-1, 2.29 ERA) to the mound against Mike Leake (1-1, 4.34 ERA). Leake figured to be the odd man out of the Reds rotation during spring training, but the organization's decision to restore closer Aroldis Chapman to the bullpen opened the door for Leake.
In Villanueva, the Reds are facing a formidable foe. In five starts this year, Villanueva has gone at least six innings in all five, surrendering more than three runs just once. In that start, his last against the Miami Marlins, he allowed four.
The game will be held at Wrigley Field at 2:20 p.m. and can be live streamed here for free or here with a subscription and with better quality video. Fans of the Cubs can listen to the game on WGN 720 while Reds fans can hear the action at WLW 700.
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