Reds Get the Cushion Against Wrigley's Bullpen Disaster

The Cubs are running a MASH unit out of their bullpen right now, and that's the entire story heading into Friday night. Six relievers on the IL means Jed Hoyer is probably scanning the Schaumburg Boomers roster for warm bodies. When David Peterson inevitably implodes—he's sporting a bloated 6.09 ERA and 1.65 WHIP that screams "please take me deep"—Chicago's got nobody reliable to clean up the mess.

Meanwhile, Rhett Lowder isn't exactly Greg Maddux reincarnated at 5.13 ERA, but he's a full run better than Peterson, and that gap matters when you're catching a run and a half. Yes, Cincinnati just played six games in seven days, so the bullpen's gassed, but "gassed" beats "non-existent." The Reds don't need to win outright here—they just need to keep it close, and with Peterson's control issues and Chicago's relief corps held together by duct tape and prayer, that's entirely reasonable.

The Cubs took the last meeting 8-4 back in July, but this isn't the same situation. Wrigley's crowd won't pitch the seventh inning. Reds +1.5 gives you two outs: a straight win or a one-run loss. Against this Cubs bullpen? That's the smart side.