Cleveland @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2014 ) Cleveland 3, Cincinnati 8
The Cincinnati Reds aim for their third straight win over their in-state rival and look to reclaim the Ohio Cup for the first time since 2010 when they wrap up a four-game, home-and-home series with the visiting Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. The Indians claimed the trophy by winning five of six meetings in 2011 and retained it when the teams split the season series the past two years. Their reign is in danger after being outscored 17-5 over the past two games.
Cincinnati sends right-hander Homer Bailey to the mound to try to lock down the series victory, but the Reds have struggled to score when Bailey is on the mound -putting up a total of nine runs while losing the last five games he has started. Indians rookie left-hander T.J. House hopes that trend holds as he looks for his first win away from Cleveland - he is 0-2 with a 4.78 ERA in six road starts. The Reds are four games behind National League Central leader Milwaukee and three back of St. Louis for the NL wild card spot, while Cleveland sits 6 1/2 back of Detroit in the American League Central and 3 1/2 behind Toronto for the second AL wild card.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH T.J. House (1-2, 4.09 ERA) vs. Reds RH Homer Bailey (8-5, 3.89)
After a trip to the minors for one tune-up start, House turned in the best outing of his brief big-league career last time out. The 24-year-old held Texas to three hits and struck out seven over five scoreless frames, but didn't get a decision. House has never faced Cincinnati and is making his first start in interleague play.
Bailey is winless in five outings since tossing a three-hit shutout at San Francisco on June 29, but hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of those starts. The 28-year-old has posted a 1.88 ERA over his last six outings and held Miami to one run and three hits over seven innings in a no-decision Saturday. Bailey has struggled to a 2-3 mark and a 6.55 ERA in seven starts against the Indians.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians C/DH Yan Gomes, who is 2-for-2 against Bailey, is hitting .356 during a career-best 12-game hitting streak.
2. Reds C/1B Brayan Pena is batting .375 during an 11-game hitting streak, one shy of his career-best set in 2009.
3. Cincinnati 2B Kris Negron is 5-for-9 with a homer and four RBIs over the past two games, the first consecutive multi-hit contests of his career.
PREDICTION: Reds 6, Indians 3