Sean O Sullivan (1-4, 4.81 ERA) and the Philadelphia Phillies (19-33) meet Johnny Cueto (3-4, 3.03 ERA) and the Cincinnati Reds (22-27) in the first of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies enter this series on a seven-game losing streak. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 2 and will air on FSN-OH and CSN-PHI.
In his last start, O Sullivan pitched 5.2 innings, giving up seven runs, striking out two and walking one in a 7-0 loss to the Mets. In his career against the Phillies, Cueto is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA. He meets a struggling Philadelphia offense that’s batting just .237. Todd Frazier (.287, 34 Rs, 16 HRs, 31 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Reds, going 3 for 4 Sunday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. Don’t expect the Philadelphia hitters to swing wildly. They average only 7.1 strikeouts per game. Turning to the pitching staff, the Phillies are fifth in the NL in hits allowed at home with just 8.3 per game.
Cincinnati is a terror on the base paths, with an MLB-best 49 stolen bases. Switching gears to Cincinnati’s pitching staff, they average just 8.3 hits allowed per game, fifth-best in the NL.
The Phillies will take on a right-hander (Cueto) in this game. They have struggled against right-handed starting pitchers this season, going 15-27. The right-handed O Sullivan will take the mound against the Reds, who have a 16-21 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – CIN
Notes
When the Phillies play into extra innings, they have a 1-2 record. The Reds are 1-3 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Cincinnati batters brought in a solid 10 hits last game. Philadelphia has a record of 5-17 when their opponents get that many hits or more.
When they are outhit, the Phillies are 4-25. The Reds have a 5-20 record when opponents outhit them.
Philadelphia ranks at the bottom of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 27 this season. Cincinnati ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 58.
Philadelphia and Cincinnati both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Philadelphia sits at 13th with 7.90 hits per game and Cincinnati ranks 12th with 8.02.
Ranking 30th, Philadelphia is at the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.633). Cincinnati ranks in the bottom half at 16th with an OPS of .709.
When the Reds allow at least one home run, they are 12-20. When the Phillies allow one or more homers, they have a 6-24 record.
