Braves, Teheran tackle rolling Reds
Nobody’s prepared to put the Reds back in the NL Central race, but their power surge certainly doesn’t suggest a sharp decline anytime soon.
Cincinnati’s blistering bats collide with Julio Teheran and the Braves tonight, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Turner Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv list the hosts as 1.5-run favorites. Bryan Price’s crew, meanwhile, represents a +132 underdog. The over/under run figure holds steady at 7.5.
These teams engaged in a downright bonkers series opener yesterday. Cincy eventually prevailed, 9-8, as Adam Duvall ripped a clutch homer down the stretch. The Reds now lead the senior circuit with 19 bombs in June.
Will the success continue against this evening’s formidable adversary? Teheran’s 2-6 record belies some exceptional work in 2016. Opponents bat just .203 off the Colombia native. He is susceptible to the dinger, however, having surrendered 12 of them in 13 starts.
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Price counters by sending the ever-improving Brandon Finnegan (2-4, 3.77 ERA) to the rubber. Most recently, the lefty twirled seven innings of two-run ball vs. the Cardinals. He hasn’t lost since May 29.
Winners of eight of 12, the Reds could be in line for a decent summer after all. They must keep beating the Atlantas of the world, though, in order to regain confidence with the masses. Unfortunately, Teheran’s quite adept at taming slugger-packed lineups. Bank on the Braves to secure triumph No. 19 on the year.
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