Atlanta @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( May 24, 2012 ) Atlanta 3, Cincinnati 6
The Cincinnati Reds will look to continue their hot play - and their dominance over the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park - when the pair of playoff hopefuls begin a three-game set Monday night. The Reds, who are coming off a three-game road sweep over the Chicago Cubs, are 12-4 at home and haven't lost a series at Great American this year. They've won six straight against the Braves there dating to 2011.
The National League East-leading Braves snapped a three-game skid with a 9-4 win over the New York Mets on Sunday to finish a 3-3 homestand. Atlanta is beginning a 10-game road trip that includes trips to Cincinnati, San Francisco and Arizona. Reds manager Dusty Baker is seeking his 1,600th career win, which would move him past Tommy Lasorda - his former skipper with the Los Angeles Dodgers - for 18th all-time.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati), ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Paul Maholm (3-3, 3.08 ERA) vs. Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (2-3, 3.95)
Maholm has lost his last three starts despite pitching well in two of them, as the Braves have scored a total of one run in those three games. After a disastrous outing at Detroit on April 26, Maholm bounced back with eight strong innings last time out, holding Washington to two runs on three hits. Maholm is 7-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 20 starts against the Reds.
Arroyo has quality starts in four of his six outings, but he is winless in his last three starts and was tagged with the loss in his last two. He pitched well last time out, holding St. Louis to two runs over seven innings, but the Reds only managed one run of support for his second straight start. Arroyo is 6-3 with a 5.34 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) against the Braves.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reds 2B Brandon Phillips left Sunday's game with vision issues after a minor collision with CF Shin-Soo Choo, but Phillips said he hopes to play Monday. He is 18-for-51 (.353) with four homers against Maholm.
2. Braves C Brian McCann will join the team in Cincinnati and is expected to come off the disabled list and make his season debut after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
3. Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto is batting .438 during an eight-game hitting streak. He was 3-for-5 with an RBI on Sunday.
PREDICTION: Braves 6, Reds 5