Series Finale Against the Cincinnati Reds

3 Things Preview For Todays Game:

1 – Brennan’s Bullet

On Tuesday night, right fielder Will Brennan made the first out in the bottom of the 6th inning on a fly ball at the warning track, and Red Elly De La Cruz tried to tag up to second but was gunned down by Brennan for a double play.  That play seemed to kill momentum for the Reds on Tuesday night.  

2 – Thor!

Noah Syndergaard looks for his second straight win as he is on the mound for the Guards.  The key to Syndergaard is keeping the ball inside the park. When he does not allow home runs, Syndergaard usually wins.  When he gives up a home run, it typically turns into multiple bombs and a loss. 

3 –  New Line Up

Last night the Guardians had Jose Ramirez batting second behind Steven Kwan and ahead of Andres Gimenez.  It will be interesting to see if the line-up sticks moving forward, as both J-RAM and Kwan had multiple hits on Tuesday. 

Guardians Notes

Cleveland finds itself trailing Minnesota by 4.5 games in the AL Central standings, having lost three of its last four series. Is there a chance for them to rally in the second half and surpass their rival?

The Guardians average 4.08 runs per game (27th in the league) and maintain a batting average of .251 (17th), along with a .694 OPS (25th). Their home run count stands at 87 (30th), but their stolen base tally is at a solid 97 (9th) for the 2023 season. On the pitching front, Cleveland’s staff boasts a 3.80 ERA (4th) and a 1.27 WHIP (13th), supported by 43 quality starts (13th).

Taking the mound on Wednesday evening in Cincinnati will be Syndergaard, a seasoned right-handed pitcher who joined the Guardians after being traded by Los Angeles at the deadline. Since joining Cleveland, he has made three starts. In his debut, he limited Houston to just one run on two hits, and in his latest outing, he secured a victory against Toronto, allowing only one run in 5.2 innings pitched.

Guardians Stats and Insights

GUARDIANS PROBABLE PITCHER – Noah Syndergaard

• Syndergaard (2-5) gets the starting nod for the Guardians in his 16th start of the season. He has a 6.35 ERA in 72 1/3 innings pitched, with 46 strikeouts.
• In his most recent time out on Thursday, the right-hander tossed 5 2/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing one earned run while surrendering six hits.
• Syndergaard will aim to pitch five or more innings for his fourth straight appearance. He’s averaging 4.8 innings per outing.
• He has had one outing this season that he held his opponents to zero earned runs.
• The Guardians have a 1-4 record in Syndergaard’s five starts this season when they were the underdog on the money line.
• Syndergaard’s team is 5-10 over his 15 starts.
• Syndergaard has had 15 starts with a total this season, and the teams combined to hit the over in 10 of those matchups.

GUARDIANS HITTING TRENDS

• They are 17-5 this season when they hit two or more home runs in a game.
• Cleveland has won 17 of its 22 games with five or more extra-base hits this season.
• They have a record of 39-33 this season when collecting eight or more base hits in a game.
• Cleveland has won 34 of its 44 games this season in which it scored more than four runs.
• In 28 games this season with five or more walks drawn, they’ve posted a record of 16-12

Reds Notes

In its most recent series, Cincinnati emerged victorious in two out of three games against Pittsburgh, aiding in its pursuit to keep up with Chicago in the NL Central standings. With a mere 3.5 games behind the top spot, the question remains: can the team make a resurgence to claim the division lead once again?

The Reds maintain an average of 4.84 runs per game (ranking 8th) and a batting average of .251 (ranking 15th), coupled with a solid .745 OPS (ranking 11th). Displaying their power, they have smashed 139 home runs (ranking 14th) while also exhibiting speed with 134 stolen bases (ranking 1st) during the 2023 season. On the pitching front, the Cincinnati staff has posted a 4.80 ERA (ranking 26th) alongside a 1.42 WHIP (ranking 26th), supplemented by 34 quality starts (ranking 24th).

Taking the mound for the home team on Wednesday is Abbott, a rookie southpaw. In his most recent outing, he held the Pirates to a mere two runs on four hits, impressively striking out nine batters and securing the victory. This performance showcased a significant improvement compared to his prior two appearances against the Cubs and Nationals, where he had struggled, giving up ten earned runs on 14 hits across a combined nine innings.

Reds Stats and Insights

REDS PROBABLE PITCHER – Andrew Abbott

• Abbott’s team is 9-4-0 against the spread in his starts this season.
• The left-hander gave up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched on Friday in his last outing, a matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Abbott will look to finish five or more innings for the third start in a row.
• He has made 13 appearances and finished five of them without allowing an earned run.
• Abbott’s team has a record of 4-2 this season when he starts and they are the favorite on the moneyline.
• Abbott’s team has won 10 of his 13 starts.
• In games Abbott has started this season, the teams are 4-9-0 at hitting the over.

REDS HITTING TRENDS

• The Reds have racked up at least two round-trippers in 41 games this season, and are 31-10 in those outings.
• Cincinnati has gone 27-8 in its 35 games this season with five or more extra-base hits.
• The club is 56-24 in the games this season it has notched eight or more hits.
• Cincinnati has a 61-12 record in games this season when it put up at least five runs.
• The Reds have drawn at least five walks in 38 games this season, and are 18-20 in those contests.

Final Thoughts/Pick

The Cincinnati Reds boast a 75-45 Record on the run line, although a majority of these victories were achieved when considered underdogs. Their performance as favorites stands at 13-16 on the run line, with a home favorite record of 9-12. On the other hand, the Guardians have thrived as underdogs, holding a 37-19 run line record, including an impressive 23-13 performance as road underdogs.

Since the All-Star break, Cincinnati has recorded a slash line of .232 BA/.296 OBP/.417 SLG/.714 OPS. In their last 12 games overall, they have only managed a 3-9 record. Syndergaard has shown noticeable improvement since his previous start with the LA team in early June. Despite the Reds tagging him for six runs in that last outing, he is set to continue his competitive form on Wednesday. The memory of that final performance likely lingers in his mind, motivating him for the upcoming game.

Cleveland’s batting consistency remains noteworthy, maintaining a slash line of .247/.312/.380/.692 at home and .254/.314/.382/.696 on the road this season. They even average a full run more when playing away. The rookie Abbott has displayed varying levels of performance since July, suggesting that significant run support will be essential if the Reds aim to cover the spread.

Our Pick: Take Guards and the Moneyline (-145)

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