Cincinnati @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( May 17, 2013 ) Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 5

The Philadelphia Phillies have won four out of five heading into the middle contest of their three-game series Saturday afternoon against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. The Reds had their longest winning streak of the season come to an end at six games in Friday's 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. Both teams have key players who are swinging the bat well. Phillies leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins is 9-for-24 in his last six games and Cincinnati's Jay Bruce is 13-for-23 during his eight-game hitting streak.

The Reds would like to see third baseman Todd Frazier find his groove again. He’s hitless in his last 19 at-bats and his average has plunged from .305 on April 19 to .214. After hitting six home runs in April, Frazier hasn't left the yard in May. Phillies left fielder Domonic Brown has gone 0-for-4 the last two games after a five-game stretch in which he went 8-for-21. He did drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on Friday with a grounder that was ruled an error when Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips dropped a flip from shortstop Zack Cozart.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 3.76 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 2.47)

Arroyo ended a three-start losing streak by throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings Sunday in a 5-1 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. It helped that the Reds scored more than four runs in one of his starts for the first time since his season debut. Arroyo won his last two starts against the Phillies to improve to 3-7 in his career, but his 6.00 ERA against Philadelphia is the highest against any opponent. He allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings of a 4-2 win on April 15 and went eight innings last August, allowing two runs and three hits in a 3-2 victory. Michael Young and Chase Utley are each hitting over .300 in their careers against Arroyo.

Kendrick entered the weekend with the eighth-best ERA in the majors. He hasn’t been beaten in his last seven starts and has lasted at least six innings in each of those outings. “I was talking to Roy (Halladay) the other day in the outfield about when you’re going like that, you don’t think about it, you just move on,” Kendrick told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “In the past, you’d wake up and feel good about yourself, ‘Oh, I pitched great last night. Now I can sit on that for four days.’ That’s not really how I feel right now.” Kendrick probably has a clear memory of Reds outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who has touched him for two home runs in five career at-bats.

WALK-OFFS

1. With a runner on third and fewer than two outs, opposing batters are 4-for-62 off Kendrick in his career.

2. The Reds have lost 16 of their last 21 in Philadelphia.

3. Cincinnati is 8-3 on the road this season.

PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Reds 1