Milwaukee @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2011 ) Milwaukee 10, Cincinnati 1
THE STORY: The Milwaukee Brewers seem to be back on track, and their magic number keeps shrinking as a result. The Brewers picked up their fourth win in the last five games on Saturday night, clinching a series win over the stumbling Cincinnati Reds and cutting their number to clinch the National league Central to five over the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Braun, who became the second Milwaukee player in history to record 30 steals and 30 home runs in a season with a pair of blasts on Friday, joined teammate Prince Fielder in the 100-RBI club on Saturday night. The Reds will be looking to slow Braun and Fielder and avoid a sweep when they send Dontrelle Willis to the mound in Sunday afternoon’s finale.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FSWI (Milwaukee), FSOH (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Zack Greinke (14-6, 3.87 ERA) vs. Reds LH Dontrelle Willis (0-6, 5.04 ERA).
Greinke only lasted five innings against Colorado last Tuesday but he struck out nine and yielded one run in a no-decision. The former American League Cy Young Award winner has surrendered two runs or less in 12 of his last 13 starts and has piled up 181 strikeouts in 153 2/3 total innings. Greinke is 1-0 in two starts against Cincinnati this season with a 3.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 12 total innings.
Willis has yet to win in 12 starts since making it back to the major leagues. After starting out strong, things have been trending downward over the last four outings as he has issued 18 walks in 24 total innings in that span. The last one was the worst, with Willis getting knocked around for eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings to suffer a loss to the Chicago Cubs. The 29-year old was solid against the Brewers on July 10, allowing two runs in six innings.
ABOUT THE BREWERS (89-63): Braun is not only attempting to lead his team to the playoffs but also overcome some stiff competition in the NL MVP race. Los Angeles’ Matt Kemp is the statistical leader at the moment, though Braun, Arizona’s Justin Upton and Fielder are not far behind with just a 10 games left. Braun, whose .333 also leads the NL in hitting, joined Tommy Harper in Milwaukee’s 30/30 club on Friday. Braun is not the only one to get it going in Cincinnati, where the Brewers have matched through two games their run total from the previous eight.
ABOUT THE REDS (74-78): Cincinnati looked as though it was amped up to make a late charge at a winning record earlier in the week, when it took three straight from the Chicago Cubs. But the upturn in quality of competition has the Reds reeling once again. After veteran rotation stalwart Bronson Arroyo was lit up for four home runs on Friday, former ace Edinson Volquez took the mound on Saturday to similar results, allowing five runs in 6 2/3 innings. If Cincinnati can be encouraged about anything, it is that rookie Yonder Alonso homered again. Getting the start in left field, Alonso belted a solo shot off Yovani Gallardo in the second inning, his fifth in 77 at-bats.
FINAL PITCH: Gallardo struck out a career-high 13 batters over six frames on Saturday, including four in one inning. After punching out Devin Mesoraco and Volquez in the fifth, Gallardo got Brandon Phillips to chase a ball in the dirt that got by catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Phillips stole second but was stranded there when Gallardo struck out Edgar Renteria.