Reds at Brewers
The Cincinnati Reds' playoff hopes have taken a beating since the All-Star break, although Eugenio Suarez hardly is to blame for that. The Reds hope to build off a dramatic comeback victory thanks in large part to the offense provided by the 2018 All-Star on Tuesday, when they go for a series win in Milwaukee against the Brewers.
Suarez staked Cincinnati to a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning Monday with a two-run blast and delivered another two-run shot in the ninth after Tyler Saladino had put Milwaukee ahead in the eighth with a grand slam. The Reds, who were within 3 1/2 games of the National League Central lead and the second wild card as recently as July 4, moved within eight games of the Chicago Cubs in the division and are 6 1/2 behind St. Louis in the wild-card race. The defeat was a bitter one for the Brewers, who turned to Jeremy Jeffress in the ninth with regular closer Josh Hader unavailable after having worked each of the previous two nights. Milwaukee remained two games back of the Cubs in the division and fell one-half game behind the Cardinals in pursuit of the wild card after losing for only the second time in seven contests.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tanner Roark (5-6, 3.97 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (8-2, 2.79)
Roark rebounded from a dreadful outing in Colorado, allowing two runs and while registering six strikeouts against St. Louis on Thursday but making it through only five innings after throwing 102 pitches. The 32-year-old has limited right-handed hitters to a .225 average, but left-handers have batted .317 against him and tagged him for 10 of the 14 homers he has allowed. Christian Yelich is 13-for-48 with two home runs and 11 walks versus Roark, who is 1-0 with a 4.24 ERA in three starts against Milwaukee this season.
Davies has been one of the NL's stingiest starters over the last three weeks, although his only win over that time came on Thursday as he held Arizona to one run over seven innings despite failing to record a strikeout. The native of Arizona has permitted fewer than two runs in each outing during his unbeaten streak, posting a 0.77 ERA while allowing 17 hits in 23 1/3 frames. Joey Votto is 10-for-27 with a homer against Davies, who has given up eight runs over as many innings in a pair of no-decisions versus Cincinnati this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers All-Star RHP Brandon Woodruff was placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain Monday and is expected to miss six weeks.
2. Cincinnati RHP Raisel Iglesias has yielded at least one home run - and five runs in total - in each of his last three appearances.
3. Milwaukee 2B Keston Hiura was scratched from Monday's lineup due tightness in his left quadriceps, but he drew a walk as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. The NL Player of the Week is batting .489 during his 11-game hitting streak.