Brewers at Reds
The Cincinnati Reds used the weekend to end the Chicago Cubs' tenuous 1 1/2-week grasp of sole possession of first place in the National League Central. Beginning Monday, they will spend the early part of the upcoming week doing their part to make the division race a veritable free-for-all when they host the opener of a four-game set against the co-Central leading Milwaukee Brewers.
Cincinnati (38-43) was within two games of reaching .500 for the first time since the end of March when it took two games in Milwaukee from June 20-21, but it lost the final four games of its six-game road trip. The Reds rebounded nicely upon returning home over the weekend, taking two of three from Chicago to forge a two-way tie atop the division and close the gap between first and last place in the Central to 5 1/2 games. Milwaukee (45-39) continued to sputter offensively but was able to conclude a 5-5 homestand against three teams with losing records by winning three of its last four after edging Pittsburgh 2-1 on Sunday. Eric Thames hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and is 6-for-12 with two home runs, a triple, three doubles and four RBIs during his four-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Adrian Houser (2-2, 2.94 ERA) vs. Reds RH Tyler Mahle (2-8, 4.35)
Houser, opening for the first time since May 7, did not fare well in the role for the second time in three tries in a loss to Seattle on Wednesday, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks over two innings. The Oklahoma native, who is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in three career starts, had yielded only two runs while striking out 27 across 21 1/3 innings over his previous 11 relief appearances. Houser has worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen versus the Reds this season.
Mahle failed to register a quality start for the fifth time in six tries Wednesday in Los Angeles, surrendering a pair of homers among the four runs and six hits he allowed to the Angels over five innings. The 24-year-old has been much more comfortable at home this season, however, going 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in five turns while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. Mahle is 0-1 in two career starts versus the Reds despite posting a 2.53 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 10 2/3 frames against them.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers OF Christian Yelich is 4-for-29 with no homers, one RBI and nine strikeouts over his last eight games, but his third-inning double Sunday gave him 1,000 hits for his career.
2. Reds 3B Eugenio Suarez is 4-for-8 with a home run and three RBIs in his last two games following a 22-game stretch in which he went 11-for-80 with two homers and five RBIs.
3. Each of Milwaukee's six wins in the season series have been by two runs or fewer, while each of the Cincinnati's three victories have been decided by three runs or more.