What St. Louis and Cincinnati lack in batting right now, they make up for in pitching. The team will pit two of their top arms against one another in a Thursday afternoon matchup as neither should be concerned with the hitting that could take place in this game. With a struggling batting average to start off the season, this game could come down to a good old fashion pitching duel.
The Reds and Cardinals have combined for a .137 batting average in two games with just two runs between them. The Reds are in the midst of a franchise record 17 straight innings without scoring a run, something they wish would change fast. The Reds broke the streak with a walk-off single in the ninth inning.
Pitching will take the spotlight in this game. The Reds put a big $105 million investment in Home Bailey and they remain hopeful the pitcher can continue his improvement streak that started over the past two seasons. His 2013 season saw him go 11-12 with a career-best 3.49 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 209 innings and 32 starts. His history against the Reds is strong. The pitcher is 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA in four starts.
Bailey will face off against Lance Lynn for the Cardinals. He has 33 wins since 2012, tied for the most in the National League. He has been one of the more consistent faces for St. Louis since being placed into the starting rotation. Against Cincinnati last season, he went 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts. The Cardinals are hoping he performs better than the team's leading bats. Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta, Matt Holliday and Allen Craig have combined to go 2 for 30 in the past two games.
The Reds will be starting rookie catcher Tucker Barnhard. He is starting his career in the majors while Devin Mesoraco is on the disabled list after straining his left oblique. The Reds are struggling at the plate as well. Lead hitter Jay Bruce is 0 for 7 to begin his season.
