Houston @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2012 ) Houston 1, Cincinnati 5
The biggest division lead in the majors belongs to the Cincinnati Reds. They'll try to pad their 9 1/2-game margin in the National League Central when they send ace Johnny Cueto to the mound to face the visiting Houston Astros in the rubber match of a three-game series. Cueto has faced the Astros once this year, tossing seven scoreless frames in a 6-0 win on April 28. The Reds evened the series with a 5-1 win Saturday, getting homers from Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips.
Cincinnati has won 10 of 14 meetings this season with Houston, which has lost 17 of 21 and is 10-43 since the All-Star break. The Astros are trying to claim only their second series win since the All-Star break and their first since taking two of three from Milwaukee from Aug. 10-12. The Reds are 44-27 at Great American Ball Park but are trying to avoid dropping their third straight series at home.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Houston, Fox Sports Ohio
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Edgar Gonzalez (1-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. Reds RH Johnny Cueto (17-7, 2.58)
The Astros signed Gonzalez out of the Mexican League last month, and he turned in a solid performance in his Houston debut. The 29-year-old held Pittsburgh to one run over 5 1/3 innings Monday for his first major-league win since 2008.
Cueto is 8-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break, but he had his streak of three straight wins snapped his last time out. He allowed four runs over seven innings in a loss to Philadelphia. Cueto is 2-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 starts against Houston.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati utility man Todd Frazier has reached base in 30 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Reds player this season.
2. Reds OF Jay Bruce is riding an eight-game hitting streak and has homered in five of his past six games.
3. The Astros are a collective 5-for-43 (.116) against Cueto, and only three players - Jordan Schafer, Tyler Greene and Matt Downs - have recorded a hit against him.