Reds at Brewers
The Cincinnati Reds are starting to look a lot like a playoff contender this month and hope to continue making up ground when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers for the third of a four-game series Saturday afternoon. The Reds recorded 10 hits in an 11-7 victory on Friday and have scored 39 times during a season-high six-game winning streak to move within striking distance of first place in the National League Central.
Yasiel Puig homered for the fourth time in seven contests and Jose Iglesias was 4-for-5 with two RBIs in the latest victory for Cincinnati, which is 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the division and three behind the Brewers for the NL’s second wild card. The Reds will send ace Luis Castillo to the mound to try to extend their winning streak, while the Brewers attempt to snap out of their doldrums when fellow right-hander Jhoulys Chacin gets the ball. Milwaukee has lost five games in a row and seven of eight after wasting three homers in Friday’s loss, giving up at least seven runs for the third straight contest. Christian Yelich belted his major league-leading 29th homer - his third in three games - for the Brewers in the loss and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 18 games, in which he is a robust 34-for-75 to raise his batting average to .349.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (7-1, 2.26 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jhoulys Chacin (3-8, 5.60)
Castillo is unbeaten in his last 13 trips to the mound and has posted three quality starts to open June after holding Houston to two runs despite issuing a career-high six walks over as many innings in a victory Monday. The 26-year-old has struck out 103 over 87 2/3 innings this year and opponents are batting just .175 against him. Orlando Arcia is 7-for-15 with a double versus Castillo, who is 2-2 with a 3.50 ERA in six career games against Milwaukee.
Chacin has lost five straight starts after giving up two runs on six hits and three walks across 4 2/3 innings in a 2-0 loss to San Diego on Monday. The 31-year-old Venezuelan has not recorded a win since April 30 against Colorado and owns a 6.04 ERA in six starts since. Puig (10-for-27, one homer) and Joey Votto (7-for-22, two homers) have had success against Chacin, who beat Cincinnati with 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball on April 2.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arcia had a pair of hits in Friday’s loss after going 1-for-19 in his previous six contests with five strikeouts.
2. Votto has 386 doubles, three behind Dave Concepcion for third on the franchise’s all-time list.
3. Brewers LHP Gio Gonzalez (left arm fatigue) threw a bullpen session Friday and could return before the All-Star break.