After hosting the festivities of the All-Star break, it’s back to business for the Cincinnati Reds (39-47), who are set to host the Cleveland Indians (42-46) for a three-game set starting on Friday. Both teams are looking to turn their respective seasons around following their letdown performances in the first half. Which team gets off on the right foot in the second half of the season?
For more baseball previews, you can click here for Mets vs. Cards and here for Rangers vs. Astros.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Cleveland Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview
Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
When: Friday, July 17, 2015, 7:10 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Indians vs. St. Cincinnati Reds – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Cleveland Indians
[sc:MLB240banner ]Trevor Bauer is a hilarious dude, but there’s nothing funny to opposing hitters when he’s on the mound. Bauer, who carries an 8-5 record and a 3.76 ERA into the second half of the season, will look to help the Tribe snap a two-game skid when he gets the ball this coming Friday against Cincy.
Bauer has been especially good of late, as he is 2-0 in his last two starts, allowing just four earned runs on nine hits in 14 plus innings during that span. In his most recent start, Bauer tossed eight strong innings, yielding two runs on six hits with no walks issued while striking out nine to lead Cleveland into a 4-2 win over Houston on July 8.
When Bauer meets the Reds on Friday, he’ll be eyeing to duplicate his fantastic performance against Cincinnati last May 24th, when he held the Reds to just one run on five hits in seven plus innings of duty. The Indians’ offense, on the other hand, is also hoping to regain the kind of offense they showed in that game after being blanked by Oakland in a 2-0 loss on Sunday.
Jason Kipnis, for one, has been on a slump this month after a scorching June, wherein he hit .358 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Thus far this month, Kipnis is hitting just .174 with no homers and just four RBIs. Overall, the Indians are batting only .219 in 10 games this July.
Cleveland is 3-1 in Bauer’s last four road starts.
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Betting on the Cincinnati Reds
Maybe Mike Leake can stop the Reds’ bleeding. The Reds, who lost their last two games to finish the first half, will send Leake to the mound when they play Game 1 of their three-game set against Cleveland on Friday.
Leake (6-5, 4.08 ERA) is coming off a scintillating performance on July 10, when he tossed eight scoreless innings and allowed just three hits while racking up 10 K’s to stymie the Marlins on the road in a 1-0 Cincinnati victory. The Reds were lucky that Leake was on fire that night and that their measly one-run output proved enough for them to win.
That wasn’t the case in Leake’s previous start, wherein Leake allowed three runs in six innings, losing to Milwaukee at home, 6-1. Cincinnati can’t afford to be as stingy at the plate again on Friday, especially considering Leake’s struggles at the Great American Ball Park this season. So far this year, Leake is only 2-3 with a disappointing ERA of 5.92 in nine home starts.
Todd Frazier, fresh off an explosive showing to win the Home Run Derby, is batting .287 this July with no homers. Jay Bruce, on the other hand, has hit an impressive .421 (8-for-19) in his past five games. As a team, Cincinnati is averaging 4.45 runs per game at home this season, third highest in the National League.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland wins, 5-4.
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