Reds vs. Indians Preview
CLEVELAND, OH (AP) – Last season, the Cincinnati Reds completed a surprising end to their 15-year playoff drought, helping their cause with a pair of series victories over the Cleveland Indians.
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The unheralded Indians are hoping to pull off a similar feat this season and will continue their quest during the first of six games against their in-state rivals Friday night at Progressive Field.
After nine consecutive losing seasons, Cincinnati was hardly anyone’s pick to win the NL Central in 2010, but the Reds finished 91-71 for their first division title since 1995. They took two of three from the Indians on two occasions, their third straight win in the interleague series.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Reds -110 money line favorites for Friday’s game against the Indians. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 63% of more than 178 bets for this game have been placed on the Reds -110.
Cincinnati (25-19) is 13-5 over the last three seasons against Cleveland, but the Indians head into this three-game with the top record in majors (26-15) and are enjoying their best start since opening 28-13 in 2001.
“It goes to show you what expectations are about,” Reds manager Dusty Baker told his team’s website. “They’ve had some surprises.”
The Indians are also a major league-best 15-4 at Progressive but were limited to two runs during a two-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland scored 31 runs while winning its three previous games.
The Indians, batting .266 this season, might have a difficult time getting their offense back on track against Travis Wood (3-3, 5.01), who is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts this month.
The left-hander gave up two runs over six innings Sunday during a 9-7 win over current NL Central leader St. Louis. The Reds enter this game trailing the Cardinals by one-half game, and Wood will try to help his team regain its lead against an Indians lineup that might not have leading hitter Travis Hafner.
Hafner, batting .345, is sidelined with soreness in his right side and is expected to be re-evaluated after the team returns to Cleveland. Outfielder Travis Buck is dealing with turf toe and oft-injured Grady Sizemore is on the disabled list with a bruised right knee, but the Indians might get Orlando Cabrera back on the field.
The former Reds infielder headed to South Carolina on Thursday to become a U.S. citizen.
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that our lineup is better without Grady Sizemore and (Orlando) Cabrera, but I’m also not going to sit here and make excuses,” manager Manny Acta said. “Injuries are part of the game that every team in Major League Baseball has to deal with.”
If Cabrera does return to the lineup, he’ll try to help Alex White (1-0, 3.75) build on his first major league win. The right-hander earned that victory in Los Angeles on May 7 by allowing three runs over six innings but his perfect inning of work against Seattle on Saturday was washed away by rain.
White will face a team that scored three runs and batted .219 while dropping back-to-back games to Pittsburgh. The Reds hit .284 and scored 74 runs while winning 11 of their previous 13.
“It just goes to show you, anyone can beat you no matter where they are in the standings,” Baker said.
Cincinnati is seeking its seventh win in nine games in Cleveland.
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