Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds 5/26/22 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The Thursday MLB schedule will get underway with a matinee between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds from the Great American Ball Park. The Cubs (18-25) are a game above .500 on the road and are tied with Pittsburgh for third place in the NL Central Division standings. Last night, Chicago went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position during a 4-3 road loss against Cincinnati.

Twenty-six year old southpaw Justin Steele (1-4 3.82 ERA) will make his ninth start of the season for the Cubs. Last time out, Steele fanned nine batters across five shutout frames during a 7-6 home loss versus Arizona.

The Cincinnati Reds have been playing better baseball over the last few weeks and still own the worst overall record in the majors. On Tuesday, 1B Joey Votto hit a solo shot in the second inning and drove in two runs with a triple to put Cincinnati ahead to stay. SP Luis Castillo (1-2) allowed two runs in five innings to earn the win for the Reds, who improved to 13-30 on the season.

Rookie right-hander Hunter Greene (1-6 5.49 ERA) is still trying to find his way at the major league level. Control has been an issue for Greene, who has walked 22 batters and surrendered 12 home runs through 39 plus innings.