Cincinnati @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2013 ) Cincinnati 6, Milwaukee 7

The Cincinnati Reds were on the verge of pulling into second place in the National League Central and drawing to within 2 1/2 games of first-place Pittsburgh. Instead, the Reds attempt to pick up the pieces after a walk-off loss when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers again on Saturday. Jonathan Lucroy delivered a game-winning home run off Aroldis Chapman on Friday to deny Cincinnati a sixth straight win.

The Reds are comfortably ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the race for the second wild-card spot but hope to surge ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Pirates in the division to avoid a one-game playoff to start the postseason. The seven runs Cincinnati pitchers surrendered on Friday matched the total from the previous five contests. The Brewers are in last place in the Central but have a chance to impact the race with 13 straight games against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Mat Latos (12-3, 3.04 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (8-9, 4.91)

Latos enters with a 15 1/3-inning scoreless streak after back-to-back wins over the Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old struck out nine and did not walk a batter in eight scoreless innings on Monday and is going for his sixth straight start allowing two or fewer runs. Latos was bailed out by his offense against Milwaukee on May 11, earning the win despite allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in six innings.

Gallardo is making his first start since going on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring on July 31. The Mexico native was battling through a rough patch before hitting the DL and had allowed nine earned runs on 14 hits in his last two turns, totaling 8 1/3 innings. Gallardo had one of his best efforts at Cincinnati on June 15, scattering three hits over six scoreless innings to earn the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers CF Carlos Gomez (sprained right knee) is listed as day-to-day but is not expected back before the end of the series.

2. Cincinnati 3B Todd Frazier homered in two of the last three games after going 32 straight contests without a blast.

3. Milwaukee rookie LF Khris Davis recorded six RBIs in the last four games.

PREDICTION: Reds 6, Brewers 2