The Cincinnati Reds (50-77, 26-37 home) take on the St. Louis Cardinals (75-54, 33-32 away) in a National League Central showdown on Tuesday night. The contest will be the second of a three-game set between the two divisional foes, with the Cardinals triumphant in the opener, 13-4.
Tuesday’s first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. EST inside Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. St. Louis opens as the betting favorite at -210, and the over/under total is ten runs.
What to Know – St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis has won three in a row and four of its last five games heading into Tuesday’s showdown. The Cardinals maintain a six-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central as the calendar turns to September.
On the hill for the Cardinals is expected to be right-hander Dakota Hudson (7-6, 4.23 ERA, 1.39 WHIP). The 27-year-old has had an up-and-down month but picked up his first win of August in his last outing. Hudson has thrown 121.1 innings, allowing 57 earned runs on 114 hits and 55 walks while striking out 70 batters.
The Cardinals have one of the best offenses in the majors, with Paul Goldschmidt leading the way. Goldschmidt sports a league-best .335 batting average with 33 home runs and 105 runs batted in. Nolan Arenado has brought his batting average back over .300 this month (.308) while driving in 27 runs in 25 games in August.
St. Louis averages 4.9 runs per game behind an offense that is fourth in the MLB, hitting .260 as a team. The Cardinals’ pitching staff sits 12th in the majors with a 3.83 team earned run average.
What to Know – Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati comes into the contest having dropped its last two contests and six of its last eight battles. The Reds are fourth in the NL Central, 24 games back of the leading Cardinals.
Right-hander Justin Dunn (1-2, 5.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) aims to get the hosts back in the win column. Dunn has made just four appearances this season for the Reds, joining the roster at the beginning of August. Through four trips to the mound, the 26-year-old has surrendered 11 earned runs over 19.1 innings, scattering 19 hits, walking ten, and striking out 15.
Cincinnati’s offense is young and getting accustomed to major league pitching. Kyle Farmer leads the lineup with 58 runs driven in, and veteran Joey Votto is the only bat in the lineup with double-digit home runs (11). Votto is second on the team with 41 RBIs.
The Reds bat .240 as a team, 18th in the MLB, and score 4.3 runs per contest. The pitching staff for Cincinnati ranks 28th in the league, sporting a 5.04 team ERA.
The Pick is In
St. Louis exposed the lopsided mismatch between these two organizations Monday night with a beatdown of their divisional rival. The Cardinals own an 8-4 record against the Reds in 12 contests this season. That number improves to 9-4 on Tuesday night.
The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5
