Cincinnati @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2015 ) Cincinnati 9, Milwaukee 7

A bad season just keeps getting worse for the Milwaukee Brewers, who wrapped up a miserable three-game stretch by watching third baseman Elian Herrera leave in an ambulance during their eighth straight loss on Saturday. The Brewers look to prevent any more personnel losses and avoid their longest skid of the season Sunday, when they wrap up their three-game series with the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Milwaukee starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson was hospitalized after taking a line drive off the back of his head in Wednesday’s loss to St. Louis and, after a day off, the Brewers fell into last place in the National League Central when they opened this series with a 5-3 defeat. It didn’t get any better during Saturday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds as Herrera laid on the ground motionless for more than five minutes while being treated by team trainers after colliding with teammate Shane Peterson as they tried to chase down a fly ball. Herrera was diagnosed with a deep right thigh bruise and was walking on crutches in the clubhouse after the contest while Peterson suffered a bruised right knee and lacerations on his right forearm after replacing Khris Davis, who had exited with a twisted right ankle. Cincinnati has won or tied the season series with the Brewers every year since 2006 and can preserve that streak with a victory in Sunday’s finale.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (9-10, 3.67 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Ariel Pena (1-0, 3.46)
DeSclafani recorded his second victory in as many outings on Sept. 12 against St. Louis, permitting one run and four hits while striking out a career-high 10 over six innings. The 25-year-old New Jersey native has yielded fewer than two runs in three of his last four turns, posting a 2.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over that span. DeSclafani turned in his finest start as a major-leaguer at Milwaukee on April 20, allowing two hits in eight scoreless frames to get the win.
Pena did not factor in the decision for the second straight time after notching a victory in relief in his major-league debut, settling for a no-decision despite yielding one run in five innings versus the Cardinals on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Dominican had a similar outing at Miami on Sept. 9, yielding two runs over five frames in his first career start. Although Pena has walked eight batters over his first 13 innings, he has managed to hold opposing hitters to a .191 average.

WALK-OFFS
1. If DeSclafani and Pena take their scheduled turns on Sunday, this series will mark the first three-game set featuring all rookie starting pitchers since 1913.
2. Cincinnati 3B Todd Frazier joined Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson as the only Reds to produce 40 doubles and 35 homers in a season after belting a two-run shot in Saturday’s win.
3. Brewers RF Ryan Braun, who did not play on Saturday due to tightness in his back, is one stolen base shy of recording 25 homers and 25 steals for the third time in his career.

PREDICTION: Reds 5, Brewers 2