The top two teams in the National League Central are set to square off on Friday. This is the first of a three-game series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. The two teams are separated by just a single game in the standings. Cincinnati is 50-41 on the season, while the Brewers come into the game with a 49-42 record. These two teams played just before the All-Star Break, and the Brewers won 2 out of 3 at home.
The Brewers are small favorites in this game. You can grab the Milwaukee Brewers at -115, or the underdog Reds at -105. The total for the first game of this series is set at 9.5 runs.
Pitching Matchup
The pitching matchup for this affair features Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers and Graham Ashcraft of the Cincinnati Reds. Burnes comes into the game with a 7-5 record, and a 3.94 earned run average. Burnes has 102 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched this season. In his last start before the break, Burnes struck out 6 Reds in 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits and 2 runs in the win.
For the Reds, Ashcraft did not pitch in the series against Milwaukee. In fact, he has not pitched since July 5th at Washington. The 25-year-old is 4-6 on the season, with a 6.28 earned run average. Ashcraft was 61 strikeouts, but has walked 35 batters in 81.2 innings this season.
De La Cruz is the Talk of the Town
Elly De La Cruz has been the talk of the town since coming up for the Reds. In 30 games this season, De La Cruz is hitting .325, with 4 home runs and 9 doubles. De La Cruz is most famously known for his three stolen bases in two pitches last week. He has helped lead an offense that has moved to 5th in all of baseball with 5 runs per game. The Reds are two home runs shy of 100 on the season.
Yelich Still Raking for Brewers
31-year-old Christian Yelich continues to hit the baseball at a high clip for Milwaukee. Yelich leads the team with a .284 batting average, and has added 11 home runs and 19 doubles. The 19 doubles leads the team. Willy Adames is the top home run threat for Milwaukee, with 12. Joey Wiemer and Rowdy Telez both have 12. The Brewers as a team, are one of the worst offensive units in the league. The Brewers team’s batting average is .232, 25th in all of the league.
Brewers Even National League Central
Corbin Burnes is going for the Brewers, and that’s enough for us to take Milwaukee. This guy and his stuff are still nasty. Look for Burnes to be sharp and the Brewers to get enough offense. Sure, the field in Cincinnati is ready for runs, but good pitching will slow that down. Take the Milwaukee Brewers -115 over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, tying the standings in the National League Central.
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