Milwaukee @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2014 ) Milwaukee 1, Cincinnati 3

The Cincinnati Reds are limping to the finish line, and so is their candidate to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. Billy Hamilton has five games left to turn his slump around - and finish strong for the voters - beginning with the middle contest of a three-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. Since going 2-for-4 against Baltimore on Sept. 2, the fleet-footed center fielder is 6-for-59 to drop his average 18 points to .251.

"We've seen Billy have that ebb and flow to his season," Reds manager Bryan Price told Cincinnati.com. "It's a very difficult game to be consistently outstanding. ..." Hamilton, trying to become the first Red to win Rookie of the Year since right-hander Scott Williamson in 1999, leads NL rookies in categories including RBIs (48), hits (141), stolen bases (56) and strikeouts (117) while he's been caught stealing a league-high 23 times. Milwaukee led the NL Central by 1 1/2 games Aug. 26 but has gone 7-19 since after Tuesday's 3-1 setback, and will be eliminated from playoff contention with one more loss or one victory by San Francisco.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (12-9, 3.71 ERA) vs. Reds RH Daniel Corcino (0-1, 4.40)

Lohse received a no-decision while extending his winless streak to four starts after allowing one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings of Milwaukee's 3-2 loss in St. Louis on Thursday. The Californian, who turns 36 on Oct. 4, is 6-5 with a 2.90 ERA in 19 starts against Cincinnati, including a no-decision Sept. 12 when he permitted two runs in 6 2/3 frames of the Brewers' 3-2 victory. Lohse yielded 12 runs in his previous two starts in losses to St. Louis and San Francisco.

Corcino makes his fifth major-league appearance and third start after allowing two runs, three hits and four walks while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings of a 3-2 loss to the Cubs in Chicago last Wednesday. The Dominican pitched a scoreless inning of relief in his major-league debut Aug. 26 - his 24th birthday. Corcino received a no-decision in a 3-2 loss at Milwaukee on Sept. 12 when he permitted two runs and two hits in six innings while singling against Lohse in his first major-league at-bat.

WALK-OFFS

1. Devin Mesoraco hit a home run Tuesday and leads major-league catchers with 25 homers while standing second with 78 RBIs, joining Johnny Bench (seven times) as the only players in Reds history whose primary position was catcher to reach those numbers.

2. The Brewers have been outscored 15-9 in the first seven contests (2-5) of their nine-game road trip.

3. Cincinnati won nine of the first 17 meetings in 2014 and has not lost a season series to Milwaukee since 2006.

PREDICTION: Brewers 3, Reds 2