Reds vs Brewers: Preview, pitching matchups and prediction

Previewing the pitching matchups: Reds vs Brewers

Right-hander Trevor Bauer (1-0 0.68 ERA) kicks off the series at Miller Park opposing southpaw Eric Lauer (0-0 0.00 ERA) of the Brewers. You can’t ask for any more than what Bauer has given the Reds in his first two starts of the season.

Tossing 13.1 innings, Bauer has allowed just one run while punching out 20 batters. In his last outing, Trevor Bauer hurled a complete game seven-inning shutout of the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader.

Interestingly enough, this will be Bauer’s first-ever start against Milwaukee. Despite that fact, there are some familiar faces on the current Brewers squad from his old American League days with the Cleveland Indians.

Lifetime both Avisail Garica and Logan Morrison have each hit two dingers off the Reds righty.  Garica is slashing .300/.364/.567 while Morrison has produced a .333/.417/.714 slash line against Bauer.

Lefty Eric Lauer is making his first start of the season and if history is any indication, the Reds will have their hands full. During his time in San Diego, Lauer made four starts against the Reds compiling a 1-1 record with an impressive 2.00 ERA. In three of those four starts, Lauer allowed one run or less, while striking out 22 in only 18 innings.

Saturday night fever hits Milwaukee as Anthony DeSclafani (0-0 0.00 ERA) competes against another Brewer southpaw in Brett Anderson (0-0 6.00 ERA). Disco, or T-Bone as he apparently likes to be referred to, was simply awesome in his debut against the Detroit Tigers. Hurling five innings of shutout baseball, he allowed just three hits without walking a batter.

However, Miller Park has been a house of horrors for DeSclafani over his career. In six starts, he’s 1-4 with an eye-popping 5.83 ERA. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, as he does most Reds pitchers, owns Disco.  In 18 at-bats, Yelich is hitting .444 with two homers and three doubles against the Redlegs right-hander.

Anderson is hoping his second start goes much better than his 2020 season debut. Lasting just three innings against the Chicago White Sox, the 12-year veteran allowed two runs on five hits while also hitting a batter. The 32-year-old lefty has been hit hard in four career starts against the Reds. Tossing 21.2 frames, he’s been rocked for 13 earned runs and 25 base hits.

There was much bewilderment around Reds Country earlier this week when MLB TV’s John Smoltz named Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff (1-1 2.08 ERA) as one of his five best starters in the game while leaving Reds ace Sonny Gray (3-0 0.96 ERA) off his list. It looks like this debate will have to be settled on the field in Sunday afternoon’s finale.

Entering this weekend, Gray is tied for the NL League lead with three victories and leads the senior circuit with 28 strikeouts. Hurling 18.2 innings, he’s allowed just two earned runs and eight hits. It may not be enough to impress Smoltz, but I’m sure Milwaukee has taken notice. During a July 3rd start in 2019, Gray matched a career-high with a dozen strikeouts in eight shutout innings against the Brewers.

That’s not to say the 27-year-old Woodruff hasn’t been impressive. Tossing 17.1 innings, he’s whiffed 21 batters. It’s not Sonny Gray impressive, but not too shabby nonetheless. The 2019 All-Star has made five career appearances against the Reds and has been treated rudely by Redleg hitters. He’s surrendered 10 earned runs and 23 hits in 19.2 innings while compiling a 2-2 record with a 4.58 ERA.