The Pittsburgh Pirates (11-7) will be trying to pick up their second consecutive series win when they face the Cincinnati Reds (7-10) in the first game of their four-game weekend series on Thursday night.
Luke Weaver will get the start for the Reds. He was 1-1 with a 6.56 ERA last season. Roansy Contreras, 1-1, 6.00 ERA, will get the start for the Pirates.
Pittsburgh is 8-2 in its last 10 games against Cincinnati.
**This preview was written before Wednesday’s games were played**
The Reds didn’t gain any ground in the standings over the past week after splitting their last six games. They will try to turn things around with a win over the Pirates, which will give them their fourth win in their last seven games.
Cincinnati is averaging 4.82 runs per game. Their .243 batting average is 18th in the league. Their .329 on base percentage is 13th, while their .382 slugging percentage is 21st.
Spencer Steer leads the Reds with a .320 batting average. Jason Vosler leads the team with three home runs, while Jake Fraley leads the team with 10 RBI.
Cincinnati’s pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 5.29 runs per game. Opponents have a .290 batting average against the Reds, which is 30th in the league. Their 5.24 ERA is 25th, while their 1.60 WHIP is 28< sup>th.
In his last start against the Pirates, Weaver gave up seven hits and three runs in six innings. They will need a better effort from him if they want to win this game.