Reds at Cardinals
The Cincinnati Reds broke out their power bats to take the series opener from a division rival Friday and are winners of six of the last eight as they emerge from an early funk. The Reds will try to clinch the three-game series when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle contest Saturday.
Cincinnati got home runs from Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winkler, Joey Votto, Yasiel Puig and Jose Peraza among 14 hits in Friday's 12-1 triumph, which marked the team's second-highest run total of the season. The Reds, who were opening a seven-game trip Friday, are winners of four of their last five on the road and are starting to get the offense to fully support a staff that allowed an average of two runs in those five contests. The Cardinals, who lead the National League Central in runs scored, had a five-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 10-4 at home. St. Louis will try to get the bats moving again against right-hander Tyler Mahle while countering with righty Dakota Hudson.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tyler Mahle (0-2, 3.52 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Dakota Hudson (1-1, 5.89)
Mahle is searching for his first win but showed off sharp stuff at San Diego on Sunday, when he struck out nine without walking a batter over six innings. The 24-year-old, who surrendered four runs to the Padres, owns 24 strikeouts and four walks in 23 total innings. Mahle made one start against St. Louis in his 2018 rookie campaign and allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings to suffer a loss.
Hudson had some trouble keeping the ball in the park against the New York Mets on Sunday, allowing three runs on three solo home runs in five innings, but ended up with the win in a 6-4 final. The 24-year-old is up to eight home runs, 26 hits and 12 walks in 18 1/3 total innings over five appearances - four starts. Hudson tossed two hitless innings of relief against Cincinnati in his 2018 rookie campaign.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cardinals LF Marcell Ozuna went 0-for-4 on Friday and had a streak of five straight games scoring at least one run come to an end.
2. Reds RF Scott Schebler is 1-for-25 over his last 11 games, dropping his batting average to .138.
3. St. Louis 1B Paul Goldschmidt went 1-for-3 on Friday, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.