Phillies to keep Reds reeling?
The Phillies are reaching heights they haven’t sniffed in years. As for the Reds, their ineptitude is striking in a different way.
Philadelphia (22-15) aims for a series sweep today, with a 1:35 p.m. ET first pitch at Citizens Bank Park. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI lend their full support to the host team. Cincinnati, meanwhile sits as a -102 underdog.
With last night’s 4-3 triumph, Pete Mackanin’s club improved to seven games above .500 for the first time since winning 102 in 2011. Nobody’s expecting this group to challenge for the pennant, but at least the pitching staff’s performing at a level reminiscent of the Roy Halladay-fronted crew of several seasons ago. Philly’s rotation boasts a 3.26 ERA over the past 17 contests.
One of the biggest positives of late, Adam Morgan (1-0, 3.94 ERA), receives the ball in a few hours. The lefty allowed just one run and four hits over a career-best seven innings in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at Atlanta. Now, he tangles with a Cincy squad that’s batting .227 during a road stretch in which it has dropped 12 of 14.
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Dan Straily (1-1, 3.47) may well post his fourth consecutive quality start for the Reds (14-22), but betting on Bryan Price’s troops requires a sizable leap of faith these days. Joey Votto remains mired in a terrible slump, and shortstop Zack Cozart isn’t getting much help in the offensive department. The one exception to that rule is outfielder Adam Duvall, whose .364 mark since May 4 comes with eight extra-base knocks. He could be the individual to turn the tide this afternoon, as Cincinnati desperately needs a boost before continuing their road trip at Cleveland.
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