Hot-hitting Ryan McMahon will be looking to extend his 10-game hitting streak as the Colorado Rockies (29-45) match up against the Cincinnati Reds (37-35) at Great American Ball Park on Monday for the first of a three-game series.
The Rockies are kicking off the final series of their 10-game road trip. They were just swept in four games against the Braves, dropping the finale 14-6 on Sunday at Truist Park for their fifth straight loss. McMahon was 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs.
The Reds are playing the first of six games at home after finishing up a productive nine-game road trip (8-1). They are coming off a three-game sweep of the Astros, taking the finale 9-7 on Sunday at Minute Maid Park for their eighth straight win. Jake Fraley went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Rockies have won two of three in the season series between the teams, including an 11-6 victory in their most recent meeting on May 17 at Coors Field. Reliever Brent Suter threw one scoreless inning to get the win, and Pierce Johnson threw 0.2 scoreless innings to earn his eighth save.
ON THE MOUND
Austin Gomber (4-6, 7.29 ERA) is set to take the mound for Colorado. The LHP allowed three runs over six innings in his last start, a 6-3 road defeat against the Red Sox on Wednesday.
He was charged with the loss, yielding six hits while striking out five and walking one. Gomber has made one previous start against the Reds this season, an 11-6 home victory on May 17. He surrendered five runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings, striking out one and walking two.
For Cincinnati, LHP Brandon Williamson (1-0, 5.40 ERA) gets the start. He has made one prior start against the Rockies this season, giving up one run over 5.2 innings in a 3-1 road win on May 16. He gave up two hits and walked two while striking out six in the no-decision.
In his last start on Tuesday, Williamson got the win on the road against the Royals. He threw five innings and gave up four runs (3 ER) on seven hits, striking out one, in the 5-4 triumph.
AT THE PLATE
The Colorado offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .255/.315/.398. McMahon leads the team in OPS at .841. The third baseman is slashing .271/.351/.490 with 12 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 41 runs over 71 games.
Over the last five games, though, Colorado has averaged only 3.0 runs a game while slashing worse across the board (.229/.289/.355). Against lefties like Williamson this season, the Rockies have a .648 OPS, second lowest in the league.
Ezequiel Tovar is the team’s most potent producer against left-handers with a .751 OPS in 69 at-bats. Cincinnati is slashing .254/.331/.396 for the season and averaging 4.8 runs per game. Spencer Steer leads the team with a .828 OPS.
The third baseman has 10 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 39 runs scored with a slash line of .278/.360/.468. Cincinnati is averaging 6.6 runs per game in the last five with a higher slugging percentage (.441).
The Reds have a .752 OPS against left-handers in 2023. With a .916 OPS over 62 at-bats, Kevin Newman has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Colorado is on a five-game losing streak on the road, bringing their record to 13-26 in 2023. The Rockies have scored 3.7 runs per game away from home while allowing 5.2 runs.
Cincinnati has gone 17-18 at their home ballpark this season, averaging 4.7 runs per game while surrendering 5.5. Cincinnati is 8-2 in the last 10 games at Great American Ball Park between the teams with an average scoreline of 5.9-4.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rockies are fifth in the NL West, 15 games behind the division-leading Diamondbacks. The Reds are second in the NL Central, zero games behind the Brewers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cincinnati Reds (-185)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
