San Francisco @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2013 ) San Francisco 0, Cincinnati 3
Rookie Tony Cingrani has high standards to live up to when the Cincinnati Reds host the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday for the third contest of their four-game series. Cingrani gets the start for Cincinnati one day after Homer Bailey tossed his second career no-hitter and the second consecutive hitless game thrown in the major leagues. Bailey, who also accomplished the feat against Pittsburgh on Sept. 28, joined Johnny Vander Meer and Jim Maloney as the only Reds pitchers to throw two no-hitters.
The win was the third in four contests for Cincinnati, which has limited San Francisco to two hits over the first two games of the series. The Giants are 1-7 on their 10-game road trip and have lost 10 of their last 12 overall. San Francisco has been outscored 32-16 over the first eight games of its trek.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (San Francisco), Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Barry Zito (4-6, 4.53 ERA) vs. Reds LH Tony Cingrani (3-0, 3.42)
Zito is winless since May 30, going 0-3 with a 5.97 ERA over his last five starts. The 35-year-old former Cy Young Award winner surrendered four runs and 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings in a loss at Colorado on Friday. Zito, who is 0-5 with an unsightly 10.41 ERA in six road outings this season, owns a 3-5 record and 6.25 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against the Reds.
Cingrani will be making his eighth start of the year and first since allowing two runs over seven innings in a road win over the Chicago Cubs on June 11. He has made five relief appearances since, including a four-inning stint at Texas last Friday in which he yielded three runs on four hits and six walks. Cingrani, who will celebrate his 24th birthday on Friday, is returning to the rotation as Johnny Cueto landed on the disabled list for the third time in 2013 with a right lat muscle injury.
WALK-OFFS
1. Bailey's no-hitter was the 16th in Reds history and also the 16th thrown against the Giants.
2. San Francisco has scored fewer than three runs in nine of its last 12 games.
3. Giants LHP Mike Kickham has been moved to the bullpen after getting pounded while starting Monday's series opener.
PREDICTION: Giants 6, Reds 2