MLB Game Preview: San Diego Padres (45-37) vs. Cincinnati Reds (43-40)

First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m. ET, with coverage on Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports Ohio, and MLB.tv.

Matchup	San Diego Padres vs Cincinnati Reds
Date & Time	Sunday, June 29 – 1:40 p.m. ET
Venue	Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
Broadcast	Bally Sports SD, Bally Sports OH, MLB.tv
Betting Odds	CIN -132 ML	SD +111 ML	O/U: 9.5 runs

This is the series finale of a three-game set. The Reds are looking to secure a home series win, while the Padres aim to avoid their third straight road series loss.

Team Form & Trends

Cincinnati Reds (43–39, 3rd in NL Central)

• Recent Form: 6–4 in last 10 games
• Home Record: 23–18 at Great American Ball Park
• Offensive Leaders:

• Elly De La Cruz: 18 HR, 56 RBI – leads team in both categories
• Spencer Steer: .410 AVG, 4 HR, 9 RBI in last 10 games
• TJ Friedl: .284 AVG, 13 doubles, 8 HR

San Diego Padres (44–37, 3rd in NL West)

• Recent Form: 5–5 in last 10 games
• Road Record: 19–23 away from Petco Park
• Offensive Leaders:

• Manny Machado: .295 AVG, 13 HR, 47 RBI
• Luis Arraez: .349 AVG in last 10 games
• Gavin Sheets: 3-hit game with go-ahead HR in Saturday’s win

Probable Starting Pitchers

Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo (LHP)

• Record: 5–5 ERA: 3.63 WHIP: 1.21
• Last Start: 4.1 IP, 1 ER vs Yankees (Win)
• Career vs Padres: 1–1, 3.00 ERA in 2 starts

San Diego Padres: Stephen Kolek (RHP)

• Record: 3–3 ERA: 3.95 WHIP: 1.28
• Last Start: 4.1 IP, 5 ER vs Nationals (Loss)
• Scouting Report: Ground-ball pitcher with mid-90s sinker; struggles with command when behind in counts

Key Matchups to Watch

• Elly De La Cruz vs Kolek: De La Cruz is riding a 7-game hitting streak and ranks 14th in MLB in home runs
• Machado & Arraez vs Lodolo: Both right-handed hitters are batting over .300 and could challenge Lodolo’s inside fastball
• Bullpen Edge: Reds’ bullpen ERA (3.81) ranks 11th; Padres’ pen has been stretched thin due to recent injuries

Head-to-Head & Betting Insights

• Season Series: Tied 1–1 entering Sunday’s finale
• Reds are 6–4 in their last 10 games as favorites
• Padres are 1–2 in last 3 games as underdogs
• Over is 3–6–1 in Padres’ last 10 games; Reds are 3–7 to the Over in that span