(Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Losers of six straight contests, the Chicago Cubs are limping into the month of July, opening things up in Cincinnati with a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds are 5-5 in their last 10 and carry a -8 run differential on the season. In June, the club turned in its first winning month, going 15-12. Unlike the Cubs, who have brutal home-road splits, Cincinnati is .500 both at Great American Ballpark and on the road. All that has culminated in just 1 1/2 games separating the two teams heading into Friday’s series opener.