Cincinnati @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 18, 2014 ) Cincinnati 3, NY Yankees 4

After beginning their second half of the season by winning the opener of 10-game homestand, the New York Yankees will test their mettle Saturday when they face the first of two All-Star pitchers. The Yankees will challenge Alfredo Simon on Saturday before taking on ace Johnny Cueto in Sunday's series finale. Jacoby Ellsbury, who is 4-for-6 in his career versus Simon, highlighted his 29th multi-hit game of the season with the go-ahead two-run homer in Friday's 4-3 victory.

While Ellsbury has hit safely in 20 of his last 25 contests, Brian McCann added an RBI double and is batting .356 with four extra-base hits and four RBIs in his last 11 games. The offseason acquisitions will be looked upon to provide some offense as CC Sabathia awaits season-ending surgery on his right knee while Masahiro Tanaka is attempting to avoid a similar fate on a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Brayan Pena, who recorded his first career multi-homer game in the series opener, is 2-for-5 with two doubles against Saturday starter Brandon McCarthy.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Alfredo Simon (12-3, 2.70 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Brandon McCarthy (3-10, 4.80)

Simon improved to 6-0 in his last eight trips to the mound after allowing one run and matched a season high by striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings in a victory over the Chicago Cubs on July 9. The 23-year-old Dominican has yielded just one run in four of his last six starts while permitting five hits or fewer the same amount of time during that stretch. Simon has struggled versus the Yankees, though, dropping both of his decisions while accumulating a 5.68 ERA.

McCarthy sputtered out of the gate in his Yankees debut, yielding three unearned runs in the first inning and allowed an earned run in the fourth before notching a no-decision versus Cleveland on July 9. While pitching for Arizona, the 31-year-old fell to 0-2 in his career against Cincinnati after permitting five runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 5-0 setback May 31. McCarthy kept the ball in the park in each of the last four contests after allowing as many in his previous three tilts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati is being cautious with OF/2B Skip Schumaker, who sat out on Friday despite being eligible for activation from the seven-day concussion disabled list.

2. New York SS Derek Jeter is 9-for-26 with four multi-hit games in his last six contests.

3. Reds INF Ramon Santiago is riding a seven-game hitting streak, but is 2-for-12 versus McCarthy.

PREDICTION: Yankees 4, Reds 2