The Cincinnati Reds (49-39) take one of the top offenses in MLB on the road to face the Milwaukee Brewers (47-41) at American Family Field on Friday to open a three-game series.
The Reds are in the midst of a seven-game road trip. They are coming off a four-game sweep of the Nationals, taking the finale 5-4 on Thursday at Nationals Park for their fifth straight win. Elly De La Cruz was 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI.
The Brewers are amid a seven-game homestand. They split their last series against the Cubs, taking the finale 6-5 on Thursday at American Family Field. Victor Caratini went 1 for 2 with a home run and two runs, walking twice. Christian Yelich added a home run, two runs, and three RBIs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Brewers have won three of four in the season series between the NL Central rivals, although they dropped a close one 2-0 in their last meeting on June 5 at Great American Ball Park.
Starter Andrew Abbott threw six scoreless innings – striking out six – to get the win, and Alexis Diaz struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 14th save.
ON THE MOUND
Abbott (4-0, 1.21 ERA) is slated to get the start for Cincinnati. The southpaw allowed one run over 7.2 innings in his last start, a 4-3 road win over the Padres on Sunday. He scattered four hits while striking out 12 and walking one in the no-decision.
Abbott has made one previous start against the Brewers this season, a 2-0 home victory on June 5. He allowed one hit over six scoreless innings, striking out six and walking four.
For Milwaukee, righty Corbin Burnes (6-5, 4.00 ERA) gets the ball. He has made one prior start against the Reds this season, giving up three runs over six innings in a 5-4 road win on June 2.
He gave up two hits and walked four while striking out seven in the no-decision. In his last start on Saturday, Burnes got the win on the road against the Pirates. He threw seven innings and gave up two runs on one hit, striking out seven and walking two in the 11-8 triumph.
AT THE PLATE
The Cincinnati offense is averaging 5.0 runs per game for the season, fifth best in MLB, with a slash line of .259/.339/.419. Spencer Steer leads the team in OPS at .881.
The third baseman is slashing .290/.381/.500 with 14 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 45 runs over 85 games. Against right-handed pitchers like Burnes this season, the Reds have a .751 OPS.
Jake Fraley is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .923 OPS in 189 at-bats. Milwaukee is slashing .230/.309/.372 for the season and averaging 4.2 runs per game, the third lowest in the National League.
Yelich leads the team with a .830 OPS. The right fielder has 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 65 runs scored with a slash line of .286/.380/.450. Milwaukee is averaging 5.8 runs per game in the last five with a higher slash line (.256/.346/.375).
The Brew Crew have a .660 OPS against Southpaws in 2023, the lowest in the league. With a .954 OPS over 79 at-bats, William Contreras has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Cincinnati is on a six-game winning streak away from Great American Ball Park, bringing their record to 26-18 in 2023. The Reds have scored 5.0 runs per game away from home while allowing 4.6 runs.
Milwaukee has gone 24-20 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 4.4. Milwaukee is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings at American Family Field with an average scoreline of 6.1-4.4.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Reds lead the NL Central by two games over the Brewers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Milwaukee Brewers (-125)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
