Brandon Finnegan (1-1, 3.97 ERA) and Jimmy Nelson (4-2, 3.05 ERA) take the hill in the third of a four-game series between the Cincinnati Reds (13-17) and the Milwaukee Brewers (11-18) at the Great American Ball Park. The Reds won the last game 5-1, and Cincinnati leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 7 and can be seen on FSWI and FSOH.
Finnegan pitched 6.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering three runs, striking out four and walking three in a 9-6 defeat to the Giants. Adam Duvall (.247, 11 Rs, 5 HRs, 10 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one RBI. Nelson went 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out six and walking three in an 8-5 win over the Angels in his last outing. Chris Carter (.283, 18 Rs, 10 HRs, 22 RBIs) has been successful at the plate for the Brewers, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
The odds for Cincinnati and Milwaukee are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. Within its division, Cincinnati has a record of 2-8 SU. The Reds have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Cincinnati is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 20 bases. Cincinnati’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
The Brewers are 7-11 against fellow NL Central members. Offensively, the Brewers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. Milwaukee is excellent at drawing walks with 3.9 per road game, ranking fourth in the NL. The Brewers allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. The Brewers have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 6.7 strikeouts per game.
The Reds have the edge in the season series, 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – MIL
Notes
Cincinnati has won 43% (6-8) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Milwaukee has won 44% (4-5) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Brewers are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Reds have a 3-0 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
When they are outhit, the Brewers are 2-16. The Reds have a 4-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Cincinnati ranks in the bottom half of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 30 this season. Milwaukee ranks in the top half at 13th with 31.
Cincinnati and Milwaukee both rank near the bottom of the league in hits. Cincinnati sits at 28th with 7.50 hits per game and Milwaukee ranks 23rd with 7.86.
Ranking 24th, Cincinnati is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.689). Milwaukee ranks in the top half at 14th with an OPS of .732.
The Brewers are 9-16 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Reds are 11-16 when they allow at least one homer.
