A pair of National League Wild Card contenders will meet up on Tuesday night for game two of their series out in San Francisco. The Giants won the series opener over the Cincinnati Reds, and every game is going to impact the team that is in front in terms of the standings.
Cincinnati led the National League Central for a good chunk of the season, but the Reds are now seven games out of first place in that division. The Reds are currently only 1 ½ games out of a Wild Card spot, but this team has dropped six of their last ten games.
San Francisco is just one half game out of a Wild Card spot in the National League, and they have been keeping the pressure on the other teams. The Giants have now won two straight games, but they are also just 4-6 in their last 10.
The Giants are the moneyline favorites in this game at -165 over the Cincinnati Reds.
Reds Struggling to Score
The Cincinnati Reds have scored two or less runs in three of their last five games, and it’s hard to win baseball games like that. Cincinnati has been dealing with some injuries to key offensive performers, and that has impacted them over the past week.
Spencer Steer leads the way with 18 home runs and 71 RBIs, but the Reds have to get players on base for him to deliver. San Francisco is not a good hitter’s park, and the Reds will have to try to string together some hits.
Brandon Williamson will take the mound for the Reds in this game, and he is just 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA so far this season. The Reds have been pitching the ball better, but they need Williamson to step up in a big way.
Giants Getting Good Pitching
The San Francisco Giants have a team ERA of less than 4.00 this season, and that has been a big key for this team. There have been some issues in the bullpen for the Giants, but they usually get great starts from their rotation.
It will be Alex Cobb on the mound in this game, and he has gone 6-5 with a 3.74 ERA so far this season. Cobb will need to keep the Reds off of the bases, as Cincinnati is a team that can steal bases when they get on.
Wilmer Flores is having a big season for the Giants, as he leads the team with 19 home runs and a .296 batting average. This Giants team isn’t going to erupt for a big total, but they usually don’t have to with the pitching staff.
Giants Gain More Ground
The starting pitching matchup in this game favors the Giants on Tuesday night, and that should make a pretty big difference in this matchup. Both teams are going to have trouble scoring runs, but the Giants will be able to break through against Williamson.
Cincinnati is going to come into this game with a bit of desperation, but it’s going to take more than desperation to get a win against the Giants. This game will be even closer than the series opener, but the end result is going to be the same.
Bet the San Francisco Giants again on Tuesday night as they will be able to beat the Reds for a second straight night to continue their climb in the NL Wild Card race.
