Cincinnati @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2010 ) Cincinnati 6, Arizona 2
The Cincinnati Reds admitted that they are scoreboard watching. And not surprisingly so, considering they are in the hunt for their first trip to the postseason since 1995.
If they keep playing like they currently are, they won’t have to be too concerned with how the other teams around them are doing.
Cincinnati will try for another win over the Arizona Diamondbacks when the squads meet in the second of a three-game set on Wednesday.
Paul Janish broke a deadlock with a solo homer in the seventh and Scott Rolen drove in three runs as the Reds took the opener with a 6-2 triumph, their fourth consecutive win overall and sixth straight win at Chase Field - outscoring Arizona 37-14 during that time.
In the process, Cincinnati moved two full games clear of the St. Louis Cardinals - who suffered a 3-2 setback to the Milwaukee Brewers - in the National League Central.
After Bronson Arroyo went 7 1/3 innings for the win on Tuesday, the Reds will turn to Edinson Volquez (3-1, 4.25 ERA), who is making his seventh start of the season after missing extended time while coming back from Tommy John surgery and serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
The right-hander seems to have found his form from two seasons ago when he burst onto the scene in the NL by winning 17 games and posting a 3.21 ERA.
Over his past three starts, Volquez has allowed just one run in each outing in grabbing a pair of wins and a no-decision. But he has struggled with his command at times, allowing 11 walks in that span.
Volquez, 27, struck out six in six innings of eight-hit ball for the victory over the Florida Marlins on Friday. He has made one career start against Arizona, taking a no-decision with six steady innings.
Drawing the start for the Diamondbacks is slated to be veteran right-hander Rodrigo Lopez (5-11, 4.93 ERA), who is desperate for a win.
The 34-year-old is 0-4 over his past six starts and hasn’t picked up a victory since July 8. He suffered through the worst outing of his season the last time out, surrendering seven runs and seven hits in five innings of a loss to the Brewers.
Things don’t figure to get progressively better against the Reds, against whom Lopez is 1-0 with a 6.32 ERA in four career starts.
Kelly Johnson homered in the first inning of Tuesday’s setback, giving Arizona 23 home runs since Aug. 1, matching the Washington Nationals for most in that span.