MLB Preview: Cincinnati Reds (49-39) at Milwaukee Brewers (47-41)

CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME

• Is Game 1 of a 3-game series vs Michael Vassallo’s Brewers and Game 5 (4-0) of the Reds’ last road trip of the season’s first half (4-0 at Wsh).
• Will follow the All-Star Game break with a 10-game homestand vs the Brewers (3g), Giants (4g) and Diamondbacks (3g).

BIG ROAD MACHINE

• The Reds have won 7 consecutive road series for only the third time in their history…won 8 straight road series in 1976 (6/25-8/12) and 1923 (7/2-8/25)…courtesy @EliasSports.
• The Reds are 19-3 over their last 4 road trips covering 7 road series.
• The Reds’ 26 road wins (26-18) is their highest total prior to the All-Star Game break since 1999 (29-13).
• Went 8-1 on their road trip to StL (2-1), KC (3-0) and Hou (3-0)…for only the second time, won 8 games on a road trip of 9 games or fewer (8-0, 9/21-9/27, 1964)…was their first road trip of any length with at least 8 wins since 5/28-6/9, 1999 (9-3)…courtesy @EliasSports.
• The 10-3 loss on 6/26 at Bal snapped the Reds’ 8-game road winning streak, tied for the second-longest streak in the Major Leagues this season.

SERIES NOTES

• In 2022 the Brewers won 4 of last season’s 6 series and 13 of the 19 games.
• For the second time in 3 seasons, the Reds and Brewers will meet in the series on each side of the All-Star Game…in 2021, the Reds went 3-1 at Mil to end the first half and were swept in the 3-game home series after the break…in that 2021 series, the Reds faced the same opponent in 7 consecutive games for the first time since 6/30-7/4, 1953, when, coincidentally, they went 4-3 vs the Milwaukee Braves…in 2022, the Reds and Cardinals met on each side of the All-Star Game (0-2, 1ppd at StL & 2-1 vs StL).
• The Brewers’ 3-game sweep from 5/3-5/5, 2022 was their first series sweep vs the Reds at American Family Field since 4/24-4/26, 2017…the Redlegs have won 10 of the last 19 games and 12 of the last 22 games at AFF.
• Reds pitchers in 2022 allowed 44 HR to Mil, the most by Brewers batters against any team in a single season and the most allowed to any team in a season by Reds’ pitchers…the 2017 Brewers rank third on the Reds pitchers’ single-season HR allowed list (38hr), behind the 2016 Cubs (42hr)…@EliasSports.
• The 18 runs scored by the Brewers in an 18-4 win on 5/4/22 at AFF was their highest total ever in a game vs the Reds.

GIANTS UP NEXT

• In 2022, the Reds earned a pair of 2-1 series wins vs the Giants, their first series wins August 2018.
• Beginning with the 2008 season the Reds are 53-40 vs SF, at .570 the best winning percentage of any Giants opponent since then (minimum 50g).

FIRST-PLACE REDS

• With a 49-39 record the Reds are in first place this late in a full season for the time since the end of the 2012 season, when they most recently won the Central Division (97-65, +9.0).
• Last season, the Reds were 33-55 after 88 games.

RUNNING MEN

• The Reds rank second in the Major Leagues with 106 stolen bases (TB 109), their highest total since 2017 (120sb)…recorded 58 stolen bases all of 2022.
• Have been successful on 66 of their last 73 attempts.
• The Reds recorded 50 stolen bases in June, their highest steals total in a calendar month since September 1912 (53sb).
• 4 times this season recorded at least 5 stolen bases in a game (6sb on 6/2 vs Mil, 9sb on 6/3 vs Mil, 5sb on 6/25 at Bal, 6sb on Tue at Wsh)…prior to 6/2, the Reds hadn’t recorded 5 stolen bases in a game since 4/10/17 at Pit.
• Their 9 stolen bases on 6/3 vs Mil (Jake Fraley 3, Spencer Steer 2, Jonathan India 2, Will Benson, Stuart Fairchild) was their highest single-game total since 5/30/1976 vs LAD (9sb)…the Reds’ single-game record since 1900 for stolen bases in a game remains 10 (5/29/1913 at StL).

RED HOTS

• Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer on Tue at Wsh became the first set of rookie teammates in Major League history to finish in the same game 4-for-4 with at least 1 RBI (since RBI became an official statistic in 1920)…courtesy @EliasSports.
• The Reds have homered in 20 consecutive games, the second-longest single-season streak in franchise history…the 1956 Reds homered in 21 consecutive games.
• The Reds have used 51 players…in 2022 used a club record 66 players.
• Reds baserunners in 69 attempts have scored 68 runs from second base on singles…both lead the Major Leagues.
• The Reds are the first team in Major League history to move into first place alone in 9 games or fewer after falling 5 or more games under .500 while facing a deficit of at least 5 games…on 6/9 were 29-35 and trailed the first-place Pirates by 5.0 games…beginning 6/10 won 9 straight games to move into first place alone on 6/19…courtesy @OptaSTATS and @EliasSports.
• The Reds went 18-9 in June, their highest victory total in any month since June 2014 (18-10).
• The Reds’ 12-game winning streak, snapped by a 7-6 loss on 6/24 vs Atl, tied their modern club record (5/16-5/27, 1939 & 4/30-5/12, 1957).
• 11 Reds players have made Major League debuts this season (RHP Casey Legumina, RHP Levi Stoudt, IF Matt McLain, LHP Brandon Williamson, RHP Eduardo Salazar, OF TJ Hopkins, LHP Andrew Abbott, IF Elly De La Cruz, RHP Ricky Karcher, RHP Randy Wynne, RHP Jake Wong)…15 rookies played in at least 1 game for the Reds.

Tonight’s Pitcher – #41 Andrew Abbott, LHP

• Tonight is making his seventh Major League appearance and start…will be his second appearance vs Mil (ML debut on 6/5 at GABP).
• In Sun’s 4-3 win vs SD recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts, tied for the most by a Reds pitcher this season (Nick Lodolo, 4/8 at Phi)…following consecutive 1-out singles in the first inning retired 15 consecutive batters…allowed only a solo HR to Ha-Seong Kim, his final batter…left leading, 2-1, but was the victim of
  a blown save when Fernando Tatis Jr. tied it with a solo HR off Lucas Sims.
• In his first 6 career apps has stopped team losing streaks of 4, 2 and 3 games…in 4 starts overall following losses is 3-0, 0.71.
• Is 1 of only 4 Reds pitchers since 1893, when the mound was moved to its current distance, to begin his career with 4 or 5 wins without a loss in his first 5 career starts (Mel D. Queen, 4-0 in 1967; Pat Zachry, 4-0 in 1976; Santo Alcala, 5-0 in 1976)

MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:

BREWERS vs. REDS
SUMMARY: Are 213-210-1 all-time, including 3-1 this season…..went 13-6 last season.

at MIL: Are 106-100 all-time, going 96-93 at American Family Field and 10-7 at County Stadium…..went 6-3 last season.

at CIN: Are 107-110-1 all-time, going 87-90 at Great American Ball Park and 20-20-1 at Cinergy Field….. are 3-1 this season…..went 7-3 last season.

Seeing Red
Tonight is the beginning of a 6-game stretch during which the Brewers play only the Reds (3g home/3g road).

Rebel Yeli
Since June 6, Christian Yelich has hit .362 (38-for-105) with 25 runs, 4 HR and 20 RBI in 27 games, including a .451 OBP/.610 SLG/1.060 OPS…..he is on a 6-game hitting streak, batting .440 (11-for-25) with 11 runs, 2 HR and 9 RBI (.517 OBP/.800 SLG, 1.317 OPS).

Take Me To Your Leader
Christian Yelich is among NL leaders in SB (4th, 21), runs (5th, 65), walks (T8th, 45), OBP (9th, .381), AVG (T9th, .287) and hits (T10th, 90)…..Yelich also leads the team in doubles (17), RBI (45), total bases (144), XBH (30), SLG (.459) and OPS (.840).

Better Off Red
Since joining the Brewers in 2018, Christian Yelich has played 79 games against Cincinnati and has hit .297 (86-for-290) with 17 HR and 50 RBI with a .411 OBP/.569 SLG/.980 OPS

TONIGHT’S GAME: Is game 5 (2-2) of a 7-game homestand against Chicago-NL (2-2) and Cincinnati (3g) leading into the All-Star break…..following the break, the team embarks on a 6-game, 7-day road trip to Cincinnati (3g) and Philadelphia (3g).

IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP Jake Cousins (right shoulder), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), 1B Darin Ruf (right knee), LHP Bennett Sousa (left shoulder), OF Tyrone Taylor (right elbow), 1B Rowdy Tellez (right forearm), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Alexander, Ashby, Mitchell, Ruf, Wilson and Woodruff are on the 60-day injured list.

IN THE STANDINGS (99 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 57, SECOND: 40, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently in second place, trailing the first-place Reds by 2.0 games.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 14-13-1 in series play.
Game 1: 13-15, Game 2: 16-12, Game 3: 14-13, Game 4: 4-1
Sweep Wins (4): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14), vs. PIT (3g, 6/16-6/18)
Sweep Losses (3): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4), vs. OAK (3g, 6/9-6/11), at MIN (2g, 6/13-6/14)

AT HOME: The Brewers are 24-20 at home, going 7-6-1 in series play…..the team went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.

ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 23-21 on the road, going 7-7-0 in series play…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.

LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made 19 replay challenges this season, going 7-12…..their last challenge (lost) came on 7/4 vs. Chicago-NL as a collision rule, out at home plate, and out at second base were all confirmed.

TONIGHT’S STARTER: #39 – RHP CORBIN BURNES (17gs, 6-5, 4.00)
BURNES AT A GLANCE: Corbin Burnes, 28, will be making his 18th start of the season and second against the Reds…..Burnes last started last Saturday at Pittsburgh and earned an 11-8 win (7ip, 1h, 2r, 2er, 2bb, 7k, 1hbp, 99 pitches)…..he took a perfect game into the sixth inning…..the team is 9-8 in his starts…..he has made 10 quality starts….. opponents are batting .213 (80-for-375, 13hr)…..Burnes was selected by Milwaukee in the fourth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Mary’s (CA) College….. he is under club control through 2024.

LAST SEASON: Burnes went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 33 starts, finishing seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting after winning the award in 2021…..he was an All-Star for the second straight season and was Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher for the second year in a row…..his career-high 243 strikeouts led the National League and ranked second in MLB behind the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (257)…..he was the first pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in strikeouts…..he was also among the NL top five in starts (T1st, 33), AVG (2nd, .197), K/9IP (2nd, 10.83), H/9IP (2nd, 6.42), innings (4th, 202.0), K/BB (4th, 4.76), quality starts (T4th, 21) and WHIP (5th, 0.97)…..the team went 20-13 in his starts.

CY BURNES: Burnes won the 2021 National League Cy Young Award after going 11-5 with a Major League-best 2.43 ERA in 28 starts…..he became the third pitcher in franchise history to win a Cy Young Award, joining Rollie Fingers (1981) and Pete Vuckovich (1982)…..he became the first pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in ERA.

CAREER: Is 41-24 with a 3.34 ERA in 152 games/91 starts (617ip, 229er)…..is in his sixth Major League season, all with the Brewers (2018-23)…..is 33-21 with a 3.13 ERA as a starter (535ip, 186er) and 8-3 with a 4.72 ERA in relief (82ip, 43er)…..Burnes is a two-time All-Star (2021-22) and was a 2021 All-MLB First Team selection.

CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 20-14 with a 3.58 ERA in 74 games/47 starts (319ip, 127er)…..is 3-2 with a 4.27 ERA in 8 starts this season (46.1ip, 22er).

CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 21-10 with a 3.08 ERA in 78 games/44 starts (298ip, 102er)…..is 3-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 9 starts this season (55ip, 23er).

CAREER vs. REDS: Is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 15 games/5 starts (48.2ip, 15er), including a no-decision this season on 6/2 in Cincinnati (6ip, 2h, 3r, 3er, 4bb, 7k, 1hr)…..the Brewers won, 5-4, in 11 innings…..Burnes is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA in his career against the Reds as a starter (32.2ip, 10er).