The Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers continue their series with Game 2 on Friday, August 10, at 7:10 PM ET at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers are slightly favored to find success as their moneyline is at -145.
The Reds are last in the NL Central by about 10 games (in relation to the leading Brewers) and need every possible win they can get to climb. Luckily for them, the second-place St. Louis Cardinals are roughly seven games behind the Brewers, so the race is still wide open for a Wild Card spot.
This matchup will have Nick Martinez (6-5) on the mound to start, with an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.11. Their team ERA hovers around 3.89, which shows solid pitching even when Martinez is relieved.
Their offense must be aggressive, and they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas. Elly De La Cruz has been driving their offense, leading them in both home runs and batting average. He will need to ensure they are ready to face a tough assignment.
The Reds' batting average has been around .231, which further shows their offensive struggles. They have been keeping opponents around .237, but they have not had enough offense to win games.
The Brewers need to continue claiming wins against divisional foes to stay ahead of the game. While they have a comfortable lead over the Reds, they cannot afford to slip here and allow the Cardinals to close in on them.
They will start Tobias Myers (6-5) on the mound. He looks better on paper than Martinez, with an ERA of 3.02 and a WHIP of 1.14. For the team ERA, it comes in at 3.77 and is slightly more appealing than the Reds'.
They have done well on the offensive but have been streaky at times. Willy Adames, who leads them in home runs and RBIs, will need to help keep the offense alive.
The Brewers have continuously put up nearly .259 at the plate, which should help against the Reds. Defensively, they have been giving up about .242 to opponents at bat.
MyBookie has the betting odds for this showdown, with the Milwaukee Brewers favored to win. Looking at market analysis, the Brewers have a 59.9 percent chance of winning.
The Brewers are on top of the division while the Reds are at the bottom for a reason. Consistency is key, and the Brewers know how to achieve it on both sides of the field. Look for the Brewers to win a tough matchup.
