NBC is giving the Reds a late-August spotlight, and the timing says plenty about where Cincinnati stands right now.
The network announced Wednesday that the August 30 series finale between the Reds and Cubs at Wrigley Field will move to NBC and Peacock, with first pitch set for 7:00 pm ET. What had been a standard divisional game is now a primetime showcase, putting two National League Central teams in front of a bigger audience under the lights.
It comes during a strange, volatile stretch for Cincinnati. The Reds had just picked up their third straight series win since play resumed after the All-Star Break before Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Guardians.
Game one went sideways when Chase Burns was shelled in a 6-5 Cleveland win, but the Reds answered in the nightcap. Their bullpen slammed the door, and Dane Myers delivered a heroic grab in a 2-0 victory.
The Reds are still not technically out of the National League Wild Card picture, but the margin for error is thin. As of now, they sit five games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, and August is going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting if they’re going to stay in the race.
That’s part of what makes NBC’s decision interesting. The network is clearly betting Cincinnati will still matter when this series arrives, even if the road there is steep. The Cubs currently lead the National League Wild Card race, though they still have work to do if they want to catch the Milwaukee Brewers, who are six games ahead of them in the National League Central.
For the Reds, the climb looks even steeper. They’re trying to get back to the postseason for a second straight year, and the path is not an easy one. A series win over the Guardians on Wednesday and a strong outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend could change the mood quickly, but the bigger picture still points to a team that may look different by the time it gets to Wrigley on August 30.
With the trade deadline approaching fast, that late-August matchup may not feature the exact Reds roster fans are watching now. By then, everyone should have a better sense of where this team really stands in the postseason chase.
For a fan base carrying plenty of frustration, there’s still at least one reason to lean in: a primetime stage. Even when the outlook feels grim, the Reds are getting a national showcase, and that’s something worth noticing.
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Reds Suddenly Face Another Pitching Scare They Could Not Afford
After dropping the first game of a doubleheader to the Guardians, the Reds were already trying to salvage a split when another pitching concern surfaced in the nightcap. Jose Franco was forced out of the game, adding yet another uneasy moment to a season in which Cincinnati has already had to navigate multiple injuries on the mound.
For a club that has spent much of the year trying to piece together its pitching staff, any new scare carries extra weight. The Reds still had to finish the game without Franco, and the bigger question now is whether this latest setback becomes just a brief interruption or another hit to a rotation and bullpen that can hardly afford one. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Face One Trade Deadline Dilemma That Could Shape 2027
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Bleday is the one who makes the decision feel especially tricky, because his value in a trade may not match his value to the Reds if they are still searching for everyday outfield answers beyond this season. The same kind of push-and-pull runs through the rest of the group, with Lowe offering left-handed balance, Surez bringing right-handed power, Singer supplying rotation stability and Burke giving clubs another bullpen option, leaving Cincinnati to decide whether the return now is worth the cost later. [Read more 🡒]
How The Reds 2025 Deadline Trades Are Looking Now
When the Reds moved three prospects at the 2025 deadline to land Ke'Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell and Miguel Andujar, the focus naturally fell on what Cincinnati was getting back for a push in the present. A few months later, the early returns on the players they sent out are starting to take shape. Sammy Stafura has made a noticeable jump with the Pirates minor league club, while Adam Serwinowskis arm has stood out in the Dodgers system even as his control remains a work in progress.
Kenya Huggins has had a tougher go of it with the Athletics at Double-A, which is part of the uneven picture the Reds left behind when they cashed in those prospects. Serwinowski and Huggins are both eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, adding another layer of uncertainty to how those deals will be judged in the long run. For Cincinnati, the deadline haul is still being measured against the upside it gave up, and that evaluation is only getting more interesting as the former Reds prospects continue down very different paths. [Read more 🡒]