The Cincinnati Reds (39-26) will go for their third consecutive win over the Chicago Cubs (25-37) at Wrigley Field today at 2:10 p.m., ensuring a series victory in this four-game set. The game can be live streamed here. Reds fans trying to catch the radio broadcast can do so by tuning in to WLW 700, while Cubs fans can turn their dials to WGN 720.
For the Cubs to eke out a win in today's matinee, they will need to contain Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who is raking at a .389 clip over the last seven games, clubbing seven hits, one home run and driving in three RBI. For the season, Votto is hitting .328 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI.
While his power and average have certainly been pleasing, his on base percentage (.446) is the real treat. Votto's combination of patience and plate vision, combined with his power potential, have created his .967 on base plus slugging percentage, one of the best marks in baseball. He is 3-for-7 in the first two games of this series, and has also drawn a walk.
The unfortunate Cub tasked with cooling Votto off is Travis Wood (5-4, 2.65 ERA), whose performance thus far in 2013 has surpassed anything he's ever done in the big leagues before. His home run to fly ball ratio is way down from his 2012 mark, and he's got a very low batting average on balls in play (.220), but his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) shows that despite those factors, his ERA still would be at a respectable 3.50.
Cubs infielder Darwin Barney, speaking about Wood said, "He's been consistent, pounding the zone. When he's pitching, it's fun to play behind him, because you know he's throwing strikes."
The Reds will counter with Mike Leake (5-3, 2.93 ERA) whose strong performances kept him in the rotation over promising youngster Tony Cingrani when Johnny Cueto briefly returned from a DL stint. Leake held onto his spot and has rewarded Cincinnati's faith.
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