Arizona @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2010 ) Arizona 3, Cincinnati 1
Once again, Daniel Hudson came through for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Now they need one of their other starting pitchers to do the same.
The Diamondbacks look to make it two wins in a row tonight when they take on the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in the third game of their four-game series.
Hudson helped end Arizona's four-game losing streak on Tuesday, scattering four hits over eight scoreless innings en route to a 3-1 victory.
It was the third straight win and sixth in seven decisions for the 23-year-old, who struck out eight in improving to 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA in nine starts since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 30.
The triumph was just the second in the last 10 games for the Diamondbacks, with Hudson recording both. The rookie helped his own cause at the plate, capping a two-run fourth inning with an RBI single.
Juan Gutierrez nearly wasted Hudson's effort, loading the bases with two outs in the ninth before hitting Drew Stubbs with a pitch to force in a run. Ramon Hernandez then lined a shot into right-center that right fielder Justin Upton chased down for the final out.
Arizona, which ended a five-game road skid and a six-game slide against Cincinnati, is hoping Joe Saunders can feed off Hudson's performance.
Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on July 25, Saunders won his first decision with the Diamondbacks but has lost five of six since. On Friday, the left-hander yielded seven runs - four earned - and five hits over just 2 1/3 innings in a 13-4 loss at Colorado.
Saunders will be making his second career start vs. Arizona. On Aug. 19, the 29-year-old surrendered four runs and eight hits in six innings of a 9-5 defeat.
Hernandez is hitting .417 (7-for-17) with one home run and six RBIs against Saunders, while Orlando Cabrera has registered nine hits in career 18 at-bats.
In four starts on the road for the Diamondbacks, Saunders is 0-3 with a 7.45 ERA.
Cincinnati, which lost to Arizona for just the second time in 13 meetings, sends Homer Bailey to the mound.
Bailey has struggled of late, going 0-1 with a 5.18 ERA over his last four outings. He pitched well against Pittsburgh on Friday, however, allowing just one run and five hits with a career-high nine strikeouts in seven innings but settled for a no-decision in a 4-3 victory.
The 24-year-old Bailey has faced the Diamondbacks just once during his career. On July 7, 2007, he gave up only one run and two hits over five innings but did not figure in the decision of Arizona's 5-4 triumph.
Bailey has made eight starts at home this season, going 1-1 with a 5.05 ERA.
Despite Tuesday's loss, the Reds remained seven games ahead of St. Louis in the National League Central thanks to the Chicago Cubs' 7-2 victory over the Cardinals. As a result, Cincinnati's magic number to clinch the division and its first playoff appearance since 1995 was reduced to 12.