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Today · 6:40 PM ETLineup pendingNL Central

Chicago Cubs   vs   Cincinnati Reds Preview

September 19, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Great American Ball Park.

6:40 PM ET · Great American Ball ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score66
Chicago Cubs
85–68 · 2nd NL Central · T-Score 66
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First pitch 6:40 PM ET
Cincinnati Reds
71–82 · 5th NL Central · T-Score 29
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T-Score29
First pitch 6:40 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherCubsChicago has the stronger starting-pitcher profile: Boyd leads in P-Score, WHIP and FIP.
Offense vs handCubsChicago owns a .800 OPS vs LHP, 1th in MLB; Cincinnati ranks 6th vs LHP.
Team strengthCubsChicago leads 66–29 in T-Score, driven by stronger offense.
WeatherModerate impactA 3 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

CHC
Matthew Boyd LHP
Matthew Boyd
Chicago Cubs
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
4.16
108th
WHIP
1.24
80th
K/9
6.99
163rd
BB/9
2.75
69th
P-Score51i
FIP
4.41
HR/9
1.18
102nd
OPS/R
0.754
IP
114.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA5.53
Road ERA2.95
Last 5 starts
CIN
Nick Lodolo LHP
Nick Lodolo
Cincinnati Reds
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.12
164th
WHIP
1.49
184th
K/9
7.36
142nd
BB/9
3.91
165th
P-Score41i
FIP
5.63
HR/9
1.77
196th
OPS/R
0.873
IP
96.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.50
Road ERA5.97
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Boyd allows fewer baserunners, with a 1.24 WHIP compared with 1.49.
·Boyd owns the lower FIP, 4.41 to 5.63.
·Boyd allows the lower home-run rate: 1.18 vs 1.77 per nine.
·Boyd carries a 2.95 road ERA, compared with Lodolo's 4.50 mark at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricBoydLodoloNote
ERA−98119Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP4.415.63
WAR1.20.0Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Boyd arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam44%92.7
Changeup27%78.6
Slider15%83.0
Curveball13%73.1
Sinker1%91.8
Lodolo arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam27%93.9
Sinker26%93.7
Curveball25%82.4
Changeup23%88.1

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Cubs vs LHP (Nick Lodolo)
1st
in MLB
0.800OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Reds vs LHP (Matthew Boyd)
6th
in MLB
0.742OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsCHCCHC·CINCIN
+3611st
Run differential
+9528th
85–68 Record71–82
Last 10 games
Chicago Cubs (0–0)
Cincinnati Reds (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Cubs?+
Matthew Boyd is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Reds?+
Nick Lodolo is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
6:40 PM ET at Great American Ball Park.
Where is the game being played?+
Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Matthew Boyd is at 51; Nick Lodolo is at 41. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.