Cincinnati Reds (71-81) at Chicago Cubs (67-84), 8:05 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Cincinnati Reds are apparently the perfect streak- prolonging opponent for the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs haven't shut the same foe out in three consecutive games in more than three decades, but they can do so on Wednesday night -- and complete a sweep of this week's three-game series -- when they host the Reds in the finale at Wrigley Field.
Chicago had four pitchers hold Cincinnati to three hits in a 1-0 victory on Monday, then saw Jake Arrieta flirt with a gem before settling for a one- hitter in a 7-0 triumph on Tuesday.
Arrieta struck out 13 and allowed only an eighth-inning double to Brandon Phillips while going the distance.
The Cubs haven't blanked the same opponent three times since doing it to the Reds across three months in 1982. Cincinnati hasn't had it happen against it since that time either.
The Reds will try to avoid their first sweep loss to Chicago since 2009 when they face Cubs rookie Kyle Hendricks, who tossed six innings and allowed four runs against them in his big-league debut in July.
In his subsequent nine starts, Hendricks posted a 1.60 earned run average and won six of seven decisions. He was hit hard in his last outing and dropped an 11-1 decision to Toronto seven days ago after allowing four runs in less than six innings of work.
"I felt strong through the whole outing, but it sucks getting beat like that," he said. "For me personally, I'm just going to move on."
The Cubs could return to the lineup first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who missed 18 games with a back problem before returning Monday to deliver a walk-off home run. He sat out Tuesday's game.
"I would say I plan on giving him every other day (off) and will increase his playing time to two days in a row, maybe three," manager Rick Renteria said.
The Reds counter with rookie right-hander Daniel Corcino, who makes his fourth big-league appearance and second start.
He tossed an inning of scoreless relief against the Cubs in late August, then made his initial start against Milwaukee on Friday and went six innings, allowing two runs and two hits.
"He impressed me a great deal," manager Bryan Price said. "He's a little bit more polished than I anticipated seeing and he handled that situation very, very well."
On Tuesday, Arrieta (9-5) faced the minimum through seven frames and was five outs away from tossing the 14th no-hitter in Cubs history. The right-hander was ahead 0-2 on Phillips before the slugging second baseman lined a gapper to the warning track in left for Cincinnati's only hit.
Rookie center fielder Matt Szczur made a valiant attempt with an all-out dive near the wall but came up well short as Phillips strolled in with a double.
Arrieta stranded Phillips on second and finished with a career-high 13 strikeouts.
Jorge Soler went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI while Chris Coghlan blew the game open with a three-run double in the sixth.
Any chance Johnny Cueto (18-9) had of challenging Clayton Kershaw for the NL Cy Young Award fell by the wayside after he surrendered a season high-tying six runs on five hits and five walks.
This was the third time this year Arrieta took a no- hitter into the seventh, including setting down the first 18 Reds the previous time he faced them on June 24.