Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 14, 2014 ) Pittsburgh 8, Cincinnati 7

The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates can’t wait to get back on the field and continue their home run barrage. The teams will complete Monday's suspended contest before the Reds host the second game of the series later on Tuesday. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati combined for a Great American Ball Park-record 10 home runs before heavy rain came and ruined the fun in the series opener after six innings, just after the Reds hit the tying blast.

The clubs will pick things up in the top of the seventh at 5:30 p.m. ET and hope to begin the regularly scheduled game on time at 7:10 p.m. ET. Neil Walker and Gaby Sanchez hit back-to-back home runs twice and Starling Marte and Travis Snider also went back-to-back, giving the Pirates only the third set of three back-to-back blasts in history. Not to be denied, the Reds got two-run shots from Joey Votto, Ryan Ludwick and Todd Frazier as the consistent rain did not seem to do anything to stop fly balls from carrying.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (2-0, 3.46 ERA) vs. Reds RH Mike Leake (1-1, 2.45)

Cole breezed through seven innings to beat St. Louis in his season debut and ended up striking out 10 over six frames in a win at Chicago last week. The 23-year-old gave up four runs - three earned - against the Cubs but fought through most of his trouble in one inning, when his command got away from him, before recovering to earn the win. Cole missed Cincinnati in his 2013 rookie campaign and will be making his first career start against the division rival.

Leake had a rough start his first time out but put everything together at St. Louis last week, holding the Cardinals scoreless while yielding four hits over eight innings. The Arizona State product induced 17 ground balls against St. Louis while allowing just five fly balls. Leake went 3-0 with a 3.28 ERA in four starts against Pittsburgh last season but has surrendered a pair of home runs to Andrew McCutchen in his career.

WALK-OFFS

1. The 10 combined home runs marks the most in a game since 2006.

2. Cincinnati LHP Aroldis Chapman threw off a mound Monday for the first time since taking a line drive off his forehead in spring training and undergoing surgery.

3. Pittsburgh 3B Pedro Alvarez was 0-for-3 when the game was suspended and is 0-for-13 in his last four contests.

PREDICTION: Reds 9, Pirates 8 (suspended game), Pirates 6, Reds 5 (regular game)