St. Louis @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 6, 2011 ) Cincinnati 9, St. Louis 8
THE STORY: Bitter division rivals who happen to be the National League’s highest-scoring teams clash on Friday when the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series against the host Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals average 4.71 runs per game, just behind the Reds’ 4.75. In the season’s first half, St. Louis weathered 15 trips to the disabled list yet still made it to the All-Star break tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Cincinnati, which sits four games behind St. Louis, has gone 20-30 since sweeping the Cardinals at home in May.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS-O, FS-M
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Johnny Cueto (5-3, 1.96 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Jake Westbrook (7-4, 5.34 ERA)
Just 11 days ago, Cueto stifled the Cardinals over eight innings in a 1-0 loss. He permitted six hits and three walks in the contest. The only run scored was a result of an infield hit. Cueto would rank second in the NL in ERA if he had enough innings to qualify. Opponents are batting a miniscule .199 against him.
Westbrook was shellacked by the Reds nine days ago, giving up three homers and seven earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. It was the second time this year Westbrook failed to record a strikeout. Opponents are batting .301 against him, and Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips is 6-for-12.
ABOUT THE REDS (45-47): Cueto aside, Cincinnati has been plagued by poor starting pitching (4.64 ERA). Despite the gaudy number, the Reds are confident they’ll make a second-half push to defend their division crown. “I know for sure that we are a better team than we are playing (like) now,” said closer Francisco Cordero, who has blown five of 32 save opportunities this season. All-Star Joey Votto is hitting .423 with runners in scoring position, best in the National League.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (49-43): With Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, David Freese and others having gone to the disabled list in the first half, 35-year-old Lance Berkman stepped up with an NL-best 24 homers. He also has 63 RBIs and a .404 on-base percentage. The Cardinals won two straight heading into the break. St. Louis is in the market for pitching, specifically a lefty specialist and a starter who would enable the team to move Kyle McClellan back to the bullpen.
FINAL PITCH: The Reds have won five of nine meetings between the teams this season. Cincinnati salvaged the series finale in St. Louis on July 6 after posting a 9-8 victory in 13 innings. Reds manager Dusty Baker said Cueto will be followed in the rotation by Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Dontrelle Willis and Mike Leake.