Reds Host Cardinals in National League Central Showdown

A National League Central showdown will be played out on Wednesday when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Cincinnati Reds. The current line has St. Louis favored at -135, Cincinnati on +125 and the over/under run total sitting on 9.

Entering this game, St. Louis has a record of 56-50 overall and 31-20 on the road. The Cardinals are 4-6 over their past 10 games played. Cincinnati entering the game is 43-62 overall and 25-28 at home. Over their past 10 games played, the Reds are 7-3.

St. Louis will send Michael Wacha to the mound on Wednesday. The Cardinals right-hander is 6-7 with an ERA of 4.38 on the season. Cincinnati will counter with Cody Reed. The Reds right-hander is 0-5 with an ERA of 7.07.

Wacha has a string of 7 unbeaten starts. His most recent outing was six innings where he allowed four hits and three runs against the Dodgers July 22. Wacha is 5-1 with an ERA of 1.84 in his career versus Cincinnati.

Reed has not shown why he should remain in the Reds starting rotation. In his last outing, he gave up 6 runs with 5 earned on 9 hits in a loss to San Francisco. He has yet to win a major league game.

The Reds did not need much time to find a good sign for trading outfielder Jay Bruce. On Tuesday, Scott Schebler was called up from Triple-A to take the spot of Bruce and hit a three-run, walk-off home run to beat the Cardinals, handing St. Louis its third straight loss.

Schebler has three hits on the night. Adam Duvall also hit a home run for the Reds and now has a team leading 26 on the season. St. Louis hit four homers in the game and leads the NL with 147 on the season. Tommy Pham hit a pinch-hit home run for the Cardinals giving the team 11 on the season.

The Cardinals have given up 23 runs over their three losses.

Joey Votto has 4 hits in 4 at bats during the first game of this series to extend his current hitting streak to 16 games.

St. Louis rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz is on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right thumb.

Cincinnati’s bullpen has given up a homer to the first batter it has faced on 21 occasions with Blake Wood and Ross Ohlendorf surrendering one each.

Prediction: Reds are going backwards while the Cardinals are struggling. Lean toward the visitor.