CINCINNATI – Baseball fans at Great American Ball Park held their breath Wednesday afternoon as the series finale between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies was delayed due to heavy rain. The tarp was rolled out over an hour before the scheduled 5:10 p.m. ET start, signaling impending storms.
Phillies Look to Clinch Series
The Phillies and Reds have split the first two games of the series. Philadelphia took the opener 4-1 in a dramatic comeback, while Cincinnati responded with a decisive 6-1 victory on Tuesday, powered by Brady Singer's stellar pitching and Spencer Steer's three RBIs.
Pitching Matchup: Sánchez vs. Greene
Philadelphia is set to start Cristopher Sánchez (11-3, 2.36 ERA), who has been in excellent form this August with a minuscule 0.64 ERA in his two starts. Sánchez also boasts one of the best ground-ball rates in the league. The Reds will counter with Hunter Greene (4-3, 2.72 ERA), making his first appearance since June after recovering from a groin strain. Greene is expected to be limited to around 80-85 pitches.
Harper's Hot Hand?
All eyes are on Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, who carries a three-game hitting streak into the matchup. Despite a recent dip in average, Harper has shown power with extra-base hits. He also historically performs well against high-velocity right-handers. With Greene's fastball-heavy approach and the Reds' potentially vulnerable bullpen, Harper's potential for extra-base hits is high.
Looking Ahead
The Reds have a scheduled day off on Thursday, while the Phillies will travel to Washington to face the Nationals. Stay tuned for updates on the game's rescheduled start time.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Phillies -1.5 (+134)
- Reds +1.5 (-162)
- Under 8.5 (-120)