3:45 pm
April 14

Reds @ Giants

Who will WIN this matchup?

Cincinnati Reds (7-3)

@ San Francisco Giants (6-4)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Mahle (CIN): 1-0; 2.00 ERA

Cueto (SF) 1-0; 2.51 ERA

 

Current odds:

Cincinnati Reds: (-115)

San Francisco Giants: (+105)

 

Cueto (1-0, 2.51) began the Giants’ current six-game homestand with a dazzling performance in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies last Friday. The 35-year-old turned back the clock in the club’s home opener, taking a shutout into the ninth inning and coming within one strike of his first complete game in five years. Cueto, who pitched 7 1/2 seasons for the Reds before being dealt to Kansas City in 2015, has started three games against his old club since then, going 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He hasn’t seen them since May of 2017, when he worked eight innings, but didn’t get a decision, in a 3-2 home win.

Longtime teammate Joey Votto has gone 3-for-10 with a homer against his old mate, but, interestingly, it is a former Royals teammate — Mike Moustakas — who has given Cueto the toughest time among guys he might face Wednesday. Moustakas has a homer, two doubles, a single and a walk in nine career plate appearances against Cueto.

The Giants have lost just once — Monday against the Reds — on their homestand that ends Wednesday. They had allowed a total of seven runs in four games before the Reds roughed up another of their former employees — Kevin Gausman — for five early runs in Tuesday’s defeat, including the homers by Votto and Moustakas.

Mahle has faced the Giants just twice in his career, both times as a starter, going 0-1 with a 7.45 ERA. His biggest nemesis among current Giants has been Brandon Belt, who has batted against the 26-year-old twice and homered on each occasion, driving in three runs. The native Californian allowed two homers in a 9-6 win over St. Louis in his first outing of the season, then overcame four walks to throw four shutout innings in a 6-5 win at Arizona in his most recent start last Friday.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Cincinnati Reds