Cincinnati @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2013 ) Cincinnati 7, Milwaukee 3

The Cincinnati Reds strengthened their hold on the second wild card and inched closer to the lead in the National League Central, but manager Dusty Baker is not feeling upbeat about his team. "We're playing ugly baseball," Baker said. "Even though we're winning, I'm not real happy because I'm seeing some things over the course of a year that I haven't had a team do." The Reds will look to take the rubber game of the series Sunday against the host Milwaukee Brewers.

Cincinnati holds a 5 1/2-game lead over Washington with only 13 games to play and is 2 1/2 back of division co-leaders St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Milwaukee had a string of six straight quality starts come to an end in Saturday's 7-3 loss, only the second time in 12 contests the Brewers have failed to meet that standard. Rookie second baseman Scooter Gennett had his fourth two-hit game in the last five on Saturday to give him 11 hits in 34 at-bats versus the Reds.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (13-11, 3.58 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (11-9, 4.18)

Arroyo was a hard-luck loser in his last start, giving up a pair of solo homers over seven innings in a 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He beat the Brewers for the third time in as many starts this season on Aug. 24, giving up three runs on seven hits in seven innings. Arroyo has struggled away from home, logging a 4-7 record and .437 ERA in 11 starts.

Gallardo has been superb since coming off the 15-day disabled list, going 3-0 over his last five starts and giving up six runs in that span. Two of those outings came against the Reds, when Gallardo went 1-0 and allowed two earned runs and nine hits over 12 1/3 innings. Gallardo went seven innings for the third straight time last time out, limiting the Chicago Cubs to one run and three hits.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds CF Shin-Soo Choo needs one homer to match his career high of 22 set in 2010 with Cleveland.

2. Brewers CF Carlos Gomez is 5-for-7 with six RBIs in the series but he is only 3-for-19 lifetime against Arroyo.

3. Cincinnati leads the season series 10-8, but the Brewers have won five of the last eight.

PREDICTION: Brewers 4, Reds 2