Giants vs. Reds
Cincinnati, OH – The Cincinnati Reds are hoping to display their usual power-hitting prowess at home. They bailed out an ineffective Johnny Cueto on the road in his last outing.
Cueto will be on the mound Monday night when the Reds start a 10-game stretch at Great American Ball Park with the first of four against the San Francisco Giants.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sports Interaction have made the Reds –130 money line favorites for Monday’s game against the Giants. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 62% of more than 526 bets for this game have been placed on the Reds -130.
Cincinnati (33-24) leads the NL in numerous offensive categories at home, including runs (166), homers (45), batting average (.291) and slugging percentage (.487). The Reds are 19-11 at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds weren’t quite as productive on their just-completed 3-3 road trip, totaling 26 runs with a .413 slugging percentage and four homers – three by Scott Rolen. Cincinnati captured the final two games of a weekend series in Washington, winning 5-4 in 10 innings on Sunday.
Drew Stubbs capped a three-hit effort with an RBI single in the 10th after closer Francisco Cordero couldn’t hold a two-run lead in the ninth.
Joey Votto was the only Cincinnati batter other than Rolen to homer on the trip. The Reds feel it will be a different story at home.
"We’re going to keep it going," said outfielder Jonny Gomes, who has hit five of his seven homers at home. It’s good to carry a win into home."
Cincinnati has won seven straight starts by Cueto (5-1, 4.09 ERA), who is 5-0 with a 3.27 ERA in that span. That includes a 2-0 mark with a 1.89 ERA in his last three home starts.
Cueto, however, was terrible in his last outing, allowing a season-high eight runs over five-plus innings Tuesday. He did not get a decision in the 9-8 win at St. Louis, failing to record a strikeout for the first time in 72 career starts.
The right-hander has never faced the Giants (30-25).
San Francisco enters this contest off a Sunday victory similar to the one by Cincinnati.
Giants closer Brian Wilson blew his second save by giving up a tying, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth before Freddy Sanchez capped a big series with a sacrifice fly in the 10th of a 6-5 win at Pittsburgh.
"There’s no getting around it, that would have been a tough one if we hadn’t come away with the win," manager Bruce Bochy said.
Sanchez went 7 for 13 in the series, and is 18 for 36 during a 10-game hitting streak.
Giants starter Barry Zito (6-2, 2.78) is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his last three outings. He gave up one run over seven innings Tuesday in a 2-1, 11-inning loss to Colorado.
The left-hander is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in five career starts against the Reds since joining the Giants in 2007. The only Cincinnati batter who has ever homered against him, however, is light-hitting Miguel Cairo.
The Giants and Reds split six games in 2009.
Posted: 6/06/2010 9:06PM ET