Milwaukee @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2012 ) Milwaukee 2, Cincinnati 4
Although the Cincinnati Reds have already secured the National League Central title, they have still plenty more for which to play this season. Cincinnati is tied with Washington for the best record in the NL with eight games remaining. The Reds will look to better their standing while handing the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers a crippling blow to their playoff chances when they meet Wednesday at Great American Ball Park.
Dioner Navarro ripped a two-run single in the second inning and Jay Bruce and Joey Votto added RBI doubles as Cincinnati posted a 4-2 triumph on Tuesday. Milwaukee suffered back-to-back losses at an inopportune time, falling 4 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the race for the second wild card. With eight games remaining on their schedule, including two more versus the Reds, the Brewers will likely need to run the table with home tilts against Houston and San Diego on the horizon.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSWI (Milwaukee), FSOH (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Shaun Marcum (5-4, 3.86 ERA) vs. Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (12-8, 3.83)
Marcum has gone five straight starts without a decision and eight since his last victory. The 30-year-old pitched well in his last outing, yielding two runs on four hits in six innings against Washington on Friday. Marcum hasn't pitched well in three career outings versus Cincinnati, permitting eight walks and registering a 4.08 ERA en route to an 0-1 mark.
Arroyo has yielded one earned run in three of his last four starts, but has just one win to show for it. The 35-year-old allowed that one run on six hits in eight sizzling innings, but Cincinnati dropped a 3-1 decision to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Arroyo fell to 13-9 in his career versus the Brewers after permitting five runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings on Aug. 6.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker suffered a "mini-stroke" last week. Although he is progressing, the Reds declared that Baker will not return to the dugout until the team's final regular-season series at the earliest.
2. Milwaukee's Aramis Ramirez collected his 99th RBI with a solo homer in the seventh inning. Ramirez has struggled mightily versus Arroyo, going 14-for-66 (.212) in his career.
3. Bruce, who went 2-for-4 on Tuesday, has recorded hits in six of his last eight games. He is 2-for-5 with a homer in his career versus Marcum.