Reds Host Houston Astros With Hangover
Cincinnati clinched its first division title in 15 years Tuesday night with a walk-off home run, and the hangover effect is in full force for Game 2 versus the Astros this evening.
Earlier this baseball season the talk was about the San Diego Padres being the 'surprise team' of the National League. Most preseason picks put the Padres behind the Rockies, Dodgers and Giants in the NL West, battling the Diamondbacks for the cellar of the division.
Meanwhile the Cincinnati Reds were overlooked, a preseason pick to trail the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central along with the other four clubs in the six-team group.
San Diego still ranks as a pleasant surprise for 2010, though the Pads' chances of playing on past this Sunday are growing shorter. The Reds? The clinched their first division crown since 1995 on Tuesday night in dramatic fashion.
Jay Bruce's walk-off blast lifted Cincinnati to a 3-2 win in the series opener versus the Astros. The shot set off an eruption from the Reds dugout and fireworks for the small crowd on hand to witness the game. Official attendance was posted as 30,151, but the empty seats in the lower deck early in the game suggest a chunk of that number no-showed.
Cincinnati was the 160 favorite for Game 1 and moved to 9-4 against Houston on the year with the triumph. The pitchers duel resulted in just the fifth 'under' between the clubs this season to go with seven 'overs' and a 'push.'
MLB oddsmakers held off posting lines for this game due to the Reds' chances to clinch the division Tuesday night. As of early morning, the game was still off the board.
Nelson Figueroa (5-3, 3.81) makes his ninth start of the season, eighth in an Astros jersey, when he faces the Reds for a second time in 11 days. The Brooklyn native got knocked around pretty good on Sept. 18 in Houston, allowing five runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings to the Reds lineup as plus 120 underdog. Cincinnati won the game 11-1. Figueroa also hurled five scoreless innings of relief against the Reds this season, some of that while he was with the Phillies.
The right-hander followed that loss with another defeat in his most recent outing, a 7-2 setback in Washington last Thursday. Figueroa, a plus 105 pup in the game, worked six innings and allowed five of the Nats runs.
Johnny Cueto (16-14, 3.73) will be trying to break a four-start losing skid when he takes on the Astros for a third time in 2010. The Dominican has only seen two losses added to his ledger with Cincinnati dropping the other two in which he no-decisioned.
Both of the previous starts versus the Astros came in Houston, including a 5-3 defeat two assignments ago on Sept. 17. Cueto pitched six frames and allowed three runs, one on a Carlos Lee solo shot. The Reds were listed as 110 MLB odds favorites in the 5-3 downfall. He tossed eight scoreless innings at Minute Maid Park on July 24 in what was a pick 'em against Roy Oswalt. Cincinnati and Cueto sailed to the victory, seven-zip.
He's coming off his worst game of the season last Wednesday (Sept. 22) in Milwaukee. Cueto couldn't get out of the second inning and was charged with eight runs in the Brewers' 13-1 rout. The righty threw 49 pitches, so his arm should be strong for this contest.
Scott Barry, finishing up his third full season as an MLB umpire, has the dish for Game 2. That's good news for Reds and 'over' backers. Home teams are 20-12 overall this campaign with Barry south of the plate, 17-10 when favored. That includes an Aug. 27 win for the Reds in Cincy with Cueto on the hill. The 'over' is 19-13 in those games.
All signs point to a very nice evening in Porkopolis on Wednesday. Weather forecasters are calling for clear skies, a first-pitch temp around 70ºF and a very slight breeze out of the ENE (1B out to LF corner).
The series concludes Thursday evening with a dandy matchup of veteran pitchers. Brett Myers (20-12, 2.89) will take the hill for the Astros against Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo (19-13, 3.97). Myers is the only pitcher in the majors with at least 20 starts to go at least six innings in all of his assignments while Arroyo just had an 18-start streak with a decision snapped in his last outing.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
Cincinnati clinched its first division title in 15 years Tuesday night with a walk-off home run, and the hangover effect is in full force for Game 2 versus the Astros this evening.
Earlier this baseball season the talk was about the San Diego Padres being the 'surprise team' of the National League. Most preseason picks put the Padres behind the Rockies, Dodgers and Giants in the NL West, battling the Diamondbacks for the cellar of the division.
Meanwhile the Cincinnati Reds were overlooked, a preseason pick to trail the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central along with the other four clubs in the six-team group.
San Diego still ranks as a pleasant surprise for 2010, though the Pads' chances of playing on past this Sunday are growing shorter. The Reds? The clinched their first division crown since 1995 on Tuesday night in dramatic fashion.
Jay Bruce's walk-off blast lifted Cincinnati to a 3-2 win in the series opener versus the Astros. The shot set off an eruption from the Reds dugout and fireworks for the small crowd on hand to witness the game. Official attendance was posted as 30,151, but the empty seats in the lower deck early in the game suggest a chunk of that number no-showed.
Cincinnati was the 160 favorite for Game 1 and moved to 9-4 against Houston on the year with the triumph. The pitchers duel resulted in just the fifth 'under' between the clubs this season to go with seven 'overs' and a 'push.'
MLB oddsmakers held off posting lines for this game due to the Reds' chances to clinch the division Tuesday night. As of early morning, the game was still off the board.
Nelson Figueroa (5-3, 3.81) makes his ninth start of the season, eighth in an Astros jersey, when he faces the Reds for a second time in 11 days. The Brooklyn native got knocked around pretty good on Sept. 18 in Houston, allowing five runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings to the Reds lineup as plus 120 underdog. Cincinnati won the game 11-1. Figueroa also hurled five scoreless innings of relief against the Reds this season, some of that while he was with the Phillies.
The right-hander followed that loss with another defeat in his most recent outing, a 7-2 setback in Washington last Thursday. Figueroa, a plus 105 pup in the game, worked six innings and allowed five of the Nats runs.
Johnny Cueto (16-14, 3.73) will be trying to break a four-start losing skid when he takes on the Astros for a third time in 2010. The Dominican has only seen two losses added to his ledger with Cincinnati dropping the other two in which he no-decisioned.
Both of the previous starts versus the Astros came in Houston, including a 5-3 defeat two assignments ago on Sept. 17. Cueto pitched six frames and allowed three runs, one on a Carlos Lee solo shot. The Reds were listed as 110 MLB odds favorites in the 5-3 downfall. He tossed eight scoreless innings at Minute Maid Park on July 24 in what was a pick 'em against Roy Oswalt. Cincinnati and Cueto sailed to the victory, seven-zip.
He's coming off his worst game of the season last Wednesday (Sept. 22) in Milwaukee. Cueto couldn't get out of the second inning and was charged with eight runs in the Brewers' 13-1 rout. The righty threw 49 pitches, so his arm should be strong for this contest.
Scott Barry, finishing up his third full season as an MLB umpire, has the dish for Game 2. That's good news for Reds and 'over' backers. Home teams are 20-12 overall this campaign with Barry south of the plate, 17-10 when favored. That includes an Aug. 27 win for the Reds in Cincy with Cueto on the hill. The 'over' is 19-13 in those games.
All signs point to a very nice evening in Porkopolis on Wednesday. Weather forecasters are calling for clear skies, a first-pitch temp around 70ºF and a very slight breeze out of the ENE (1B out to LF corner).
The series concludes Thursday evening with a dandy matchup of veteran pitchers. Brett Myers (20-12, 2.89) will take the hill for the Astros against Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo (19-13, 3.97). Myers is the only pitcher in the majors with at least 20 starts to go at least six innings in all of his assignments while Arroyo just had an 18-start streak with a decision snapped in his last outing.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
