Cincinnati @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2010 ) San Francisco 6, Cincinnati 7
Two teams strongly in the mix for a playoff spot meet in San Francisco for the next three days when the Giants host the Cincinnati Reds in a pivotal series that begins Monday night.
While the series is important to NL Central-leading Cincinnati, it may have a greater impact on the Giants.
Defeating other playoff contenders has been a recent problem for San Francisco. The Giants are 3-6 over their last nine games against the NL West-leading San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. San Francisco went 1-2 against each of the three teams.
The slide has dropped San Francisco six games behind San Diego in the division, perhaps making a run at the wild card a more realistic proposition than trying to chase down the Padres (74-49), who have the NL’s top record.
San Francisco (69-56) will look to turn its fortunes around against the Reds, who lead their division by 3 1/2 games.
Beating Cincinnati (72-52) won’t be easy, not with the Reds having reeled off victories in eight of their last nine games.
First baseman Joey Votto, a leading National League MVP candidate, homered and had three RBIs on Sunday when the Reds defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second time in three days. Prior to this weekend’s series, Cincinnati had lost 12 straight road games to the Dodgers.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips is also swinging a hot bat. Phillips had four hits on Sunday and went 8-for-15 in the series.
Coincidentally, Phillips also had a four-hit game the last time the Reds and Giants met. He went 9-for-18 in a four-game series in June in which each team won two games.
San Francisco will send Matt Cain (9-10, 3.11 ERA) to the mound on Monday and Phillips went 3-for-4 against him in June. However, the rest of the Reds had just four hits as Cain pitched a complete-game shutout, the fourth of his career.
However, Cain is 0-2 with a no-decision in his last three starts.
Cain is 3-3 with a 3.21 ERA in seven career starts against the Reds.
Edinson Volquez makes his eighth start of the season after missing the first half of the season while recovering from elbow surgery performed last August.
Volquez is 3-1 with a 4.98 ERA in 34 1/3 innings. He has allowed one run in four of his starts and has been shaky in the other three.
Volquez has won both career starts against San Francisco despite a 5.11 ERA.
The Giants spruced up their offense on Sunday by landing outfielder Cory Ross on waivers from the Florida Marlins. Ross is hitting .263 with 11 homers and 58 RBIs.