The Cincinnati Reds (7-11) will be trying to avoid losing two consecutive series when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates (12-7) in the second game of their four-game series on Friday night.
Graham Ashcraft, 2-0, 1.42 ERA, will get the start for the Reds. The Pirates will counter with Mitch Keller, 1-0, 3.80 ERA.
Pittsburgh is 8-2 in its last 10 games against Cincinnati.
**This preview was written before Thursday’s game was played**
The Reds struggled in recent games and they’ve lost three of their last four games. They will try to turn things around with a win over the Pirates, which will give them their second win in their last five games.
Cincinnati is averaging 4.56 runs per game. Their .239 batting average is 20th in the league. Their .326 on base percentage is 14th, while their .371 slugging percentage is 25th.
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 5.44 runs per game. Opponents have a .292 batting average against the Reds, which is 30th in the league. Their 5.40 ERA is 26th, while their 1.62 WHIP is 29th.
< p>
In his last start, Ashcraft gave up four hits and no runs in six innings, leading to a 13-0 win over Pittsburgh. They will need a similar effort from him if they want to win this game.