Reds vs. Rockies preview: Sizzling Jonathan India leads Cincinnati

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The recently concluded series with the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals was filled with missed opportunities for the Reds. In Wednesday night's 13-inning rubber match loss, the Cincinnati Reds (51-78) managed to dent the plate only three times despite collecting 14 hits and seven free passes courtesy of a generous Redbirds' pitching staff.

As a result of all the traffic on the base paths and failing to cross home plate, Cincinnati left an unfathomable 19 men on base. If that's not enough salt in the wound, the Redlegs had two men gunned down at the plate in extra innings.

Wednesday's defeat brought a brutal month of August to a close. In a month that saw longtime rotation stalwart Tyler Mahle dealt to the Minnesota Twins, the Reds were saddled with a miserable 11-17 mark.

Can Jonathan India and the Reds continue their dominance over the Rockies at GABP?

However, there's reason to be optimistic Reds Country because the Colorado Rockies (56-76) are visiting the Queen City. The Masters golf tournament is described as a tradition unlike any other and that same tagline could be applied to the Rockies when examining their home and road record splits.

Once the Rockies leave the thin Colorado air, wins are always few and far between. Playing at Coors Field, the Rox are an impressive 36-32 compared to the abysmal 20-44 mark they sport away from home.

Entering play Thursday, Colorado's .261 team batting average was tied for the top spot, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the National League. However, their 115 homers equal the Miami Marlins' paltry total, for the second-fewest among senior circuit clubs.

As usual, the pitching mound has provided nightly headaches for the Rockies faithful. Their 5.05 staff ERA was the second worst mark in the NL, while the Rox 1.46 WHIP resides in the basement of the league, as play began yesterday.

Over the last decade, Colorado holds a razor-thin 31-30 advantage over the Redlegs. Nevertheless, Cincinnati has won five of the last six contests at Great American Ball Park, including a three-game sweep of the Rockies last year.

Previewing the pitching matchups: Reds vs. Rockies

Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Cessa vs. Colorado Rockies starter Kyle Freeland

Tonight's opener has Luis Cessa (3-2 5.36 ERA) on the bump for the Cincinnati Reds as the Coloarado Rockies counter with Kyle Freeland (7-9 4.88 ERA). Cessa will be making his third start since being thrust into emergency duty following a slew of trades and injuries to the Cincinnati rotation.

The right-hander's four innings of work in his last appearance against the Washington Nationals was his longest outing as a starter since he threw 5.1 innings as a member of the New York Yankees in 2018. With an exhausted bullpen following the 13-inning marathon on Wednesday night, don't be surprised to see manager David Bell stretch Cessa to the five-inning mark.

University of Evansville alum Kyle Freeland was brilliant earlier this season at Coors Field when he faced the Redlegs. Tossing seven innings of four-hit, one-run baseball, the southpaw was rewarded with a victory in a Rockies 10-1 rout of the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds starter Nick Lodolo vs. Colorado Rockies starter German Marquez

Reds rookie Nick Lodolo (3-5 4.30 ERA) toes the rubber Saturday night while German Marquez (7-10 4.97 ERA) gets the call for Bud Black's squad.Over his last seven starts, Lodolo has been on quite a roll.

Hurling 40.2 frames, the Cincinnati lefty has fanned 44 and compiled an excellent 3.32 ERA. Even more encouraging is that Lodolo has only issued three free passes in his last 12.1 frames. If the 24-year-old TCU product can consistently find the strike zone, the sky is the limit.

It finally happened. The last time German Marquez faced the Reds, Cincinnati was able to hang a loss on the veteran right-hander. Previous to that June 2021 outing, Marquez had limited Cincinnati to seven runs in 20 innings as he picked up the victory in each of their three meetings.

Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Anderson vs. Colorado Rockies starter Jose Urena

Sunday's matinee series finale will feature Chase Anderson (0-2 27.00 ERA) opposing Jose Urena (3-5 5.80 ERA) of the Rockies. This start can only go better than Anderson's debut for the Cincinnati Reds.

Recording just four outs, the right-hander was torched for four hits and five runs against the Cardinals on Monday night. It should be interesting to see how long he goes Sunday, considering Anderson was saddled with the loss as he worked the final inning of Wednesday's extra-inning affair.

Expect to see a ton of Redlegs on the bases Sunday afternoon. Jose Urena has produced an ugly 1.67 WHIP on the season. However, this is not unfamiliar territory for the 30-year-old veteran. Since the 2019 campaign, he has compiled a WHIP of least 1.48 and owns a 1.40 mark throughout his eight-year career.

Reds second baseman Jonathan India has been on fire of late.

There's no denying that when Jonathan India is healthy, he's one of the most electrifying lead-off men in baseball. Over the last month, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year has reminded Reds Country that he's a special player.

Slashing .292/.370/.425 with 18 runs scored in his last 30 games, India's numbers are comparable to the .269/.376/.459 slash line he produced during his award-winning rookie campaign. As good as the second baseman has been over the last month, he's been ever better the last two weeks.

In his last 55 at-bats, the Florida native has 18 base hits and reached safely via a hit or walk an astonishing 25 times. However, India's offseason could be just as intriguing.

Following the massive deals young superstars such as Atlanta's Austin Riley and Seattle's Jose Rodriguez have received, one must wonder if the Cincinnati front office will open the purse strings with a contract that will keep India in the Queen City for years to come.

While he may not be on the same level as those two budding stars, there's little doubt that Jonathan India is the type of player to build a quality ball club around. The Cincinnati Reds would be wise to lock up their young second baseman for the foreseeable future.

Prediction: Reds sweep the Rockies at GABP

Can the Reds continue their recent domination of the Rockies at GABP? Absolutely. Let's be bold. Look for the Reds to sweep the three-game set and extend their winning streak to eight over Colorado in the Queen City.

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Sizzling Jonathan India and the Reds look to extend their dominance over the Rockies at GABP