Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois
First pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
TV: CHSN / Reds.TV (streaming via Fubo/MLB.TV where available)
This is Game 2 of a three-game interleague series. The Reds won the opener 5-4 in 10 innings on Tuesday night, rallying from a 4-0 deficit behind Elly De La Cruz’s go-ahead sacrifice fly. Chicago sits first in the AL Central; Cincinnati is fourth in the NL Central and fighting for wild-card relevance.
Probable Starting Pitchers
Reds: RHP Rhett Lowder (#25) — 4-7, 5.26 ERA, ~1.48 WHIP, 73 K in ~89 IP. Coming off a solid outing against the Athletics; first career appearance vs. the White Sox.
White Sox: RHP Luis Castillo (#58) — 3-9, 5.30 ERA, ~1.41 WHIP, 91 K in ~104 IP. Former Red making his third career start against Cincinnati (0-2, 7.15 ERA in prior meetings). Workhorse but elevated ERA this season.
Both starters have similar mid-5.00 ERAs; neither holds a clear dominance edge.
Venue & Weather Forecast
Rate Field (outdoor, generally hitter-friendly with the wind often blowing out to left-center).
Forecast: Warm and humid with highs near 78–81°F. Showers and thunderstorms likely earlier in the day (some potentially severe with heavy rain and wind), transitioning to partly cloudy by evening with lows around 70–71°F. Light winds. Possible delays if storms linger, but conditions should improve for a 7:40 p.m. start.
Injury Reports
Reds:
Spencer Steer (1B): 10-day IL (wrist).
Tony Santillan (RP): 15-day IL (oblique).
Longer-term/60-day IL: Hunter Greene (elbow), Graham Ashcraft (forearm), Brandon Williamson (shoulder), Blake Dunn (elbow). Rotation and bullpen depth strained.
White Sox:
Joey Bart (C) / Kyle Teel (C): 10-day IL (hand/ankle).
Chris Murphy (RP): 15-day IL (flexor).
Chase Meidroth (INF): Day-to-day (wrist).
Longer-term/60-day IL: Tanner Murray (shoulder), Prelander Berroa / Ky Bush / Mike Vasil / Jordan Leasure / Brooks Baldwin / Drew Thorpe (mostly elbow-related). Catching and pitching depth limited.
Current Rosters / Key Players (active emphasis)
Reds key contributors: Elly De La Cruz (.271 AVG, speed/power), Sal Stewart (~25 HR), JJ Bleday, Tyler Stephenson, Matt McLain; offense ranks among the better power groups in MLB.
White Sox key contributors: Miguel Vargas (~25 HR), Colson Montgomery (~26 HR), Chase Meidroth (.274 AVG when healthy), Munetaka Murakami, Luis Robert Jr. (when active); solid home power production.
Key Player Versus Player Matchups & Notes
De La Cruz and Stewart (Reds’ dynamic duo) vs. Castillo’s elevated home-run rate.
Vargas, Montgomery, and Murakami (White Sox power) against Lowder’s mid-5.00 ERA.
Rate Field’s dimensions and potential wind favor offense, especially left-handed hitters.
Both bullpens have been taxed; Cincinnati’s late rally Tuesday showed resilience.
Season series: Reds lead 1-0 in this set (first meetings of 2026).
Recent Team Forms
Reds: 6-4 in last 10; snapped a three-game skid with the Tuesday comeback. Road record 28-30.
White Sox: 4-6 in last 10; strong home mark (36-23) but dropped the series opener after two prior wins.
Game Odds
Cincinnati Reds 9
Chicago White Sox – 143
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, August 11, 2026
