Tweet
Cleveland Indians Open Series At Cincinnati Reds
Another key interleague series this holiday weekend is in the Motor City where division leaders Detroit and San Francisco battle at Comerica Park.An Ohio battle is on the weekend slate as interleague play winds down for 2011. The Cleveland Indians meet the Cincinnati Reds for a second time in 2011, this series cranking up Friday at Great American Ball Park with a 4:10 p.m. (PT) first pitch.
The Tribe looks to extend a 4-game win streak against their in-state rivals. The run started with last season's finale between the two clubs and was extended at Progressive Field in May when the Indians swept the Reds.
MLB betting lines opened with Cincinnati laying -125 for Friday's opener, the scoreboard tally starting at nine runs.
Cleveland's broom job over the Reds on May 20-22 included rallying from behind for a pair of 1-run wins plus a 12-4 rout. Two of the three went 'over' the total, and two of the three games played last season in Cincinnati also jumped the number.
Both teams enjoyed an off-day on Thursday and enter the weekend fighting to remain close with the leaders of their respective division standings.
Cincinnati completed a 3-3 road trip with a win at the Rays on Wednesday, giving the Reds a 14-12 record in June after dropping seven of their final 12 games. Dusty Baker's team is 42-40 (-4.1 units) and third in the NL Central, 2.5-games behind Milwaukee before play began Thursday.
Manny Acta's crew also scuffled through June, closing a winning series in Arizona on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory. The Indians finished the month with a 10-17 record and lost six of their last nine, but still held a share of first in the AL Central with the Tigers.
Friday's opener begins with a mound duel between right-handers who didn't have their names called in May when the teams met in Cleveland. Justin Masterson (8-8, 2.98) is on tap for the Indians with Bronson Arroyo (8-8, 5.01) going for the Reds.
Masterson has been one unlucky son-of-a-gun since the end of April. He bolted to a 5-0 record in the first month, winning each of his starts with a 2.18 ERA, and hasn't picked up a win on his personal ledger since.
The 6-foot-6 hurler has seen his ERA rise by nearly a run in 11 May/June starts, but the lack of wins has been a case of poor run support more than his pitching. Masterson was 0-3 despite a nifty 2.78 ERA in his five June assignments, the club 1-4 in the five starts. Cleveland's lineup has been blanked in four of his last eight outings, two of those whitewashings 1-0 finals.
He made one start against the Reds last season and it was in this ballpark. Masterson lasted five innings and allowed six runs in a 6-4 loss with Cincy laying -135.
Arroyo owns more than half of the Reds' red ink and wasn't lights out by any stretch during June. Still, Cincinnati won four of his five outings. He was coming out of a pretty sloppy May, so any improvement was nice to see for Reds fans and bettors.
The 34-year-old veteran is coming off a most fortunate win in his last start at the Orioles, the victory his third straight. Closing as a pick, Baltimore shelled Arroyo with four homers at Camden Yards, but the Reds pounded five long balls to post a 10-5 win.
Those long balls last Saturday added to Arroyo's MLB-leading 21 allowed. Twelve have come at home. The Reds are 3-2 in his five games vs. Cleveland since the former Pittsburgh 3rd-round pick joined the Cincinnati staff, Arroyo with a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. He was 1-1 in a start and a relief appearance against the Indians while with the Red Sox.
Cincinnati entered this season having dominated the Indians in recent competition. The Reds won 14 of 18 played from 2008-10. The last time the Tribe won a series in Cincinnati was 2006 when they took two of three.
There is a slight chance of rain throughout the series, Friday's chances placed at 30 percent according to the weatherman. A light SSW breeze is in the mix (in from RF).
The weekend set continues Saturday afternoon when Fausto Carmona is scheduled for Cleveland opposite Cincinnati's Homer Bailey, and concludes Sunday with a Mitch Talbot, Mike Leake mound battle.
Another key interleague series this holiday weekend is in the Motor City where division leaders Detroit and San Francisco battle at Comerica Park.An Ohio battle is on the weekend slate as interleague play winds down for 2011. The Cleveland Indians meet the Cincinnati Reds for a second time in 2011, this series cranking up Friday at Great American Ball Park with a 4:10 p.m. (PT) first pitch.
The Tribe looks to extend a 4-game win streak against their in-state rivals. The run started with last season's finale between the two clubs and was extended at Progressive Field in May when the Indians swept the Reds.
MLB betting lines opened with Cincinnati laying -125 for Friday's opener, the scoreboard tally starting at nine runs.
Cleveland's broom job over the Reds on May 20-22 included rallying from behind for a pair of 1-run wins plus a 12-4 rout. Two of the three went 'over' the total, and two of the three games played last season in Cincinnati also jumped the number.
Both teams enjoyed an off-day on Thursday and enter the weekend fighting to remain close with the leaders of their respective division standings.
Cincinnati completed a 3-3 road trip with a win at the Rays on Wednesday, giving the Reds a 14-12 record in June after dropping seven of their final 12 games. Dusty Baker's team is 42-40 (-4.1 units) and third in the NL Central, 2.5-games behind Milwaukee before play began Thursday.
Manny Acta's crew also scuffled through June, closing a winning series in Arizona on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory. The Indians finished the month with a 10-17 record and lost six of their last nine, but still held a share of first in the AL Central with the Tigers.
Friday's opener begins with a mound duel between right-handers who didn't have their names called in May when the teams met in Cleveland. Justin Masterson (8-8, 2.98) is on tap for the Indians with Bronson Arroyo (8-8, 5.01) going for the Reds.
Masterson has been one unlucky son-of-a-gun since the end of April. He bolted to a 5-0 record in the first month, winning each of his starts with a 2.18 ERA, and hasn't picked up a win on his personal ledger since.
The 6-foot-6 hurler has seen his ERA rise by nearly a run in 11 May/June starts, but the lack of wins has been a case of poor run support more than his pitching. Masterson was 0-3 despite a nifty 2.78 ERA in his five June assignments, the club 1-4 in the five starts. Cleveland's lineup has been blanked in four of his last eight outings, two of those whitewashings 1-0 finals.
He made one start against the Reds last season and it was in this ballpark. Masterson lasted five innings and allowed six runs in a 6-4 loss with Cincy laying -135.
Arroyo owns more than half of the Reds' red ink and wasn't lights out by any stretch during June. Still, Cincinnati won four of his five outings. He was coming out of a pretty sloppy May, so any improvement was nice to see for Reds fans and bettors.
The 34-year-old veteran is coming off a most fortunate win in his last start at the Orioles, the victory his third straight. Closing as a pick, Baltimore shelled Arroyo with four homers at Camden Yards, but the Reds pounded five long balls to post a 10-5 win.
Those long balls last Saturday added to Arroyo's MLB-leading 21 allowed. Twelve have come at home. The Reds are 3-2 in his five games vs. Cleveland since the former Pittsburgh 3rd-round pick joined the Cincinnati staff, Arroyo with a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. He was 1-1 in a start and a relief appearance against the Indians while with the Red Sox.
Cincinnati entered this season having dominated the Indians in recent competition. The Reds won 14 of 18 played from 2008-10. The last time the Tribe won a series in Cincinnati was 2006 when they took two of three.
There is a slight chance of rain throughout the series, Friday's chances placed at 30 percent according to the weatherman. A light SSW breeze is in the mix (in from RF).
The weekend set continues Saturday afternoon when Fausto Carmona is scheduled for Cleveland opposite Cincinnati's Homer Bailey, and concludes Sunday with a Mitch Talbot, Mike Leake mound battle.
Comment