The Cincinnati Reds wrap up a home series against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Great American Ball Park, with first pitch set for 1:40 PM ET. Rhett Lowder gets the ball for Cincinnati in what is a meaningful late-season regular season matchup between two NL Central rivals. Chicago sends a lineup loaded with recognizable names — Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong among them — making this a stiff test for a Reds club looking to close out September on a strong note. Catch the action on Reds.TV or listen on WLW 700.

Pitching Matchup: Rhett Lowder vs. Chicago Cubs Starter TBD

Lowder gets the nod for the Reds, and the young right-hander will have his hands full facing a Cubs lineup that can do damage from top to bottom. Chicago has not confirmed a probable starter for this one, so Cincinnati's advance preparation takes on added importance. What the Reds do know is that Lowder is their guy Sunday, and how he handles the Cubs' middle-of-the-order threats — Bregman batting cleanup and Ian Happ following him at five — will go a long way toward determining the outcome.

Cincinnati Reds Lineup

• Dane Myers, CF
• Elly De La Cruz, SS
• Sal Stewart, 1B
• Tyler Stephenson, DH
• JJ Bleday, RF
• Matt McLain, 2B
• Oswaldo Cabrera, LF
• Will Banfield, C
• Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B

Chicago Cubs Lineup

• Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
• Seiya Suzuki, RF
• Michael Busch, 1B
• Alex Bregman, 3B
• Ian Happ, LF
• Nico Hoerner, SS
• Michael Conforto, DH
• Pedro Ramírez, 2B
• Miguel Amaya, C

Three Keys to Watch on Sunday

• Elly De La Cruz setting the table: Batting second behind Dane Myers, De La Cruz is the engine of this Reds offense. If he's reaching base and running, the lineup flows. If he's quiet, Cincinnati's attack stalls before it gets going.
• Lowder against Bregman and the middle of Chicago's order: Bregman in the cleanup spot is no accident — the Cubs built their lineup around his ability to drive in runs. Lowder needs to keep the ball down and work around Chicago's core threats without letting a big inning develop.
• Matt McLain and the bottom of the Reds order contributing: McLain at six, Cabrera at seven, and Banfield at eight need to do damage when they get chances. Late-September games against division rivals often come down to whether the back end of your lineup can deliver.

Prediction

This is a good NL Central rivalry game at a venue where the Reds play their best baseball. Lowder gets the start and keeps Cincinnati in the game through the middle innings. The Reds offense, with De La Cruz and Stewart in the heart of the order, finds enough against an unannounced Cubs arm. Reds win a close one, 4-2, closing out the home series on a positive note in front of the Great American Ball Park crowd.