The Cincinnati Reds head to Wrigley Field on Sunday, August 30 for a marquee NL Central matchup against the Chicago Cubs, with first pitch scheduled for 7:20 PM ET on NBC/Peacock. Chase Burns gets the ball for Cincinnati against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga in what shapes up as a compelling pitching duel. With the NL Central race deep in its final stretch, every game between these division rivals carries genuine weight. Fans can catch the action on WLW 700 AM locally, or on NBC/Peacock nationally.

Pitching Matchup: Chase Burns vs. Shota Imanaga

This is the matchup worth tuning in early for. Burns has developed into one of the more exciting young arms in the Cincinnati rotation, and he draws a stiff test in Imanaga, the Cubs' polished left-hander who generates swing-and-miss with his devastating splitter. Burns will need to command all four quadrants of the strike zone against a Cubs lineup that makes consistent contact and does not beat itself. For Cincinnati, keeping the ball in the ballpark at Wrigley will be a priority — the Friendly Confines can turn hanging breaking balls into highlights in a hurry.

Cincinnati Reds Lineup

• 1. Dane Myers, CF
• 2. Elly De La Cruz, SS
• 3. Sal Stewart, 1B
• 4. Tyler Stephenson, C
• 5. Eugenio Suárez, DH
• 6. JJ Bleday, LF
• 7. Matt McLain, 2B
• 8. Héctor Rodríguez, RF
• 9. Edwin Arroyo, 3B

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

Keys to Watch for the Reds

• Elly De La Cruz in the two-hole: Hitting De La Cruz second keeps his elite speed and raw power near the top of the order. His ability to change a game with his legs or his bat in a single at-bat is as dynamic as it gets in this lineup.
• Stephenson as the middle-of-the-order anchor: Tyler Stephenson batting cleanup signals the trust the Reds have placed in him as a run-producer. Getting him involved early against Imanaga could be the difference-maker.
• Burns limiting the Bregman-Happ combo: Alex Bregman and Ian Happ in the heart of that Cubs order represent a significant challenge. Burns cannot allow those two to do damage in the same inning repeatedly.
• McLain and Arroyo at the bottom of the order: Matt McLain and Edwin Arroyo batting seventh and ninth gives the Reds potential energy at the bottom of the lineup. If those two can get on base ahead of Myers and De La Cruz, the offense can cycle through in a hurry.

Prediction

This is a tight one. Imanaga is a difficult left-hander to solve, particularly for a Reds lineup that will see several right-handed bats asked to carry the load. But Burns has the stuff to match him, and Cincinnati's lineup has enough balance to scratch out runs. The Reds steal one on the road, 3-2, in a game that goes down to the final few outs.