Cleveland @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( May 22, 2011 ) Cincinnati 4, Cleveland 12
THE STORY: The Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds begin their second series of the season Friday night at Great American Ball Park. The Indians swept three games from the Reds in May at Progressive Field in the annual Ohio Cup series. A lot has changed since then, especially from Cleveland's perspective. The Indians led the Detroit Tigers by seven games in the American League Central on May 22. Cleveland now trails Detroit by a half-game. The Reds, who have performed below expectations all season, took two of three at the Tampa Bay Rays and are two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
TV: 7:10 ET, STO (Cleveland), Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Justin Masterson (5-6, 2.98 ERA) vs. Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (7-6, 5.01 ERA)
Masterson's streak of winless starts reached 11 when he dropped a 1-0 decision to the San Francisco Giants, but the loss was hardly his fault. Two errors helped load the bases in the seventh inning and the only run scored came as a result of Tony Sipp's balk. Masterson, who hasn't won since April 26, is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA lifetime against the Reds.
Keeping the ball in the park has been a major problem for Arroyo, who has allowed 20 home runs in 97 innings, including four in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles. He has won three starts in a row and four of his last five outings. Arroyo is 5-3 with a 3.61 ERA against the Indians in his career.
ABOUT THE INDIANS (42-37): Cleveland, which is 9-6 in interleague play, is in the final leg of a nine-game trip to National League cities. The Indians scored four runs in a three-game sweep in San Francisco before taking two of three in Arizona. The offense scored 15 runs in that series, an explosion by Cleveland's standards. The loss of Shin-Soo Choo, who will be out for at least two months with a broken thumb, created an even bigger void in the lineup. The Indians need production out of Grady Sizemore, who is batting .185 (20-for-108) with 41 strikeouts since coming off the disabled list on May 27.
ABOUT THE REDS (42-40): Manager Dusty Baker is still trying to get a handle on his team. That's not a good thing given the fact we're now in July. Cincinnati's trip through American League cities was a good summary of its season. The Reds lost two of three in Baltimore, which is last in the AL East, but then took two of three from the Rays, who are battling for the division lead. Only an Evan Longoria walkoff homer kept Cincinnati from a possible sweep in Tampa Bay. Interleague play hasn't worked too well so far. The Reds are 5-10 against American League teams and the sweep in Cleveland should still be fresh in their minds.
FINAL PITCH: "It stinks." - Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner on being limited to pinch-hitting duties in interleague road games.