Johnny Cueto (3-3, 2.98 ERA) and the Cincinnati Reds (17-17) take on Tim Lincecum (3-2, 2.00 ERA) and the San Francisco Giants (17-17) in a game that has the potential to be low scoring. This is the first of a four-game series at the Great American Ball Park. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 14 and can be seen on CSN-BAY, FSN-OH and MLB Net.
Cueto is 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA in his appearances against the Giants, but goes up against a quality San Francisco offense which is batting .260 this season. Joey Votto (.306, 17 Rs, 7 HRs, 21 RBIs, 4 SBs) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI. Lincecum is 0-4 with a 9.79 ERA when pitching against the Reds. He takes on a below-average Cincinnati offense which is hitting just .237 this season. Buster Posey (.291, 15 Rs, 5 HRs, 14 RBIs) has been successful at the plate for the Giants, going 3 for 5 yesterday with one run, one home run, and three RBIs.
Cincinnati is a -168 favorite against San Francisco and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Reds have recorded an overall money line of +38 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 9-6. Cincinnati leads the MLB in steals, swiping 40 bases.
In games where it is the underdog, San Francisco has a 9-7 record and an overall money line of -122. San Francisco is excellent at drawing walks with 3.3 per road game, ranking fifth in the NL.
The Reds have a 13-12 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Lincecum takes the mound. Cueto (RHP) will be on the hill against the Giants, who have an 11-14 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – CIN, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 5 games.
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 5 games at home.
Cincinnati is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco.
The Giants lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Reds are 6-5. The Giants are 9-4 in close games this season.
When the Giants play into extra innings, they have a 3-1 record. The Reds are 1-3 when their games exceed nine innings.
The San Francisco batters brought in a solid 11 hits last game. Cincinnati has a record of 2-6 when their opponents get that many hits or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Reds are 11-4. The Giants have a 13-4 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 29th, San Francisco sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 112 this season. Cincinnati ranks in the bottom half at 20th with 137.
Ranking 14th, San Francisco is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 105 this season. Cincinnati ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 117.
The Reds are 15-8 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Giants are 9-8 when they hit at least one homer.
