MLB Game Preview: Cincinnati Reds (46-42) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (51-37)

The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies continue their three-game weekend series at Citizens Bank Park in what’s shaping up to be a pivotal midseason showdown. After the Reds took Game 1 with a 9–6 win, both teams are looking to solidify their playoff positioning in the National League.

Game Details

Matchup	Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies
Date	Saturday, July 5, 2025
First Pitch	4:05 PM ET
Venue	Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast	NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv
Season Series	Reds lead 1–0 (Game 2 of 3-game set)

Team Records & Recent Form

Team	Record	Last 10 Games	Division Rank
Cincinnati Reds	46–42	6–4	3rd in NL Central
Philadelphia Phillies	51–37	4–6	2nd in NL East

• The Reds have won 4 of their last 5 and are 22–23 on the road.
• The Phillies are 28–16 at home but have dropped 3 of their last 4.

Pitching Matchup

Philadelphia Phillies: Ranger Suárez (7–2, 2.00 ERA)

• 94.2 IP, 91 K, 0.98 WHIP
• One of the most consistent starters in the NL this season
• Has allowed 2 or fewer runs in 9 of his last 10 starts

Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo (5–5, 3.52 ERA)

• 76.2 IP, 84 K, 1.21 WHIP
• Lefty with a deceptive curveball and strong command
• Coming off a 7-strikeout performance vs. Boston

Players to Watch

Cincinnati Reds

• Elly De La Cruz: .276 AVG, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 22 SB – electric at the plate and on the basepaths
• Spencer Steer: .252 AVG, 10 HR, 37 RBI – 4 HR in last 10 games
• Matt McLain: .281 AVG – 5-hit game vs. Boston earlier this week
• Tyler Stephenson: .265 AVG – 3 RBI in Game 1 of the series

Philadelphia Phillies

• Kyle Schwarber: 26 HR, 60 RBI – 5th in MLB in home runs
• Trea Turner: .297 AVG, 11 HR, 104 hits – 4-game hitting streak
• Alec Bohm: .283 AVG – 5-game hit streak, .333 over last 5 games
• Nick Castellanos: .279 AVG, 10 HR – consistent middle-of-the-order bat

Advanced Stats Snapshot

Stat Category	Reds	Phillies
Team Batting Avg	.247	.251
Home Runs	105	118
Team ERA	4.32	3.78
Bullpen ERA	4.10	3.42
OPS	.728	.752