The Reds will start right-hander Jeff Hoffman (1-0, 1.80 ERA) against Arizona right-hander Riley Smith (0-0, 3.60 ERA). Gametime is set for 8:10 pm ET at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Reds Offense is Cruising
The Reds start Hoffman on Saturday, his second start of the season. Last Sunday, he beat the St. Louis Cardinals with one run allowed over five innings as the offense put 12 runs on the board. Hoffman struck out six, and more than 50 percent of his pitches were fastballs.
The offense has been a huge part of the Reds’ 6-1 start, as they have scored 63 runs and lead baseball in runs scored and run differential (+32). They also lead the league in batting average (.316), OPS (1.002), and home runs per game (2.33) and have the fifth-fewest strikeouts (8.30).
Naquin leads MLB in home runs (five) and RBI (14) after going deep again Friday night. Rookie infielder Jonathan India is batting .400 with 10 RBI, while Nick Castellanos has four homers and a .407 average.
Outfielder Jesse Winker was 3-for-3 on Friday to raise his average to .545, but he left the game early with a leg injury.
Arizona Goes with the Unknown
Saturday’s turn in the rotation is an open spot with Caleb Smith demoted and Zac Gallen on the injured list. In their place, the Diamondbacks will give Smith his first career MLB start. The 26-year-old made his season debut last weekend with five innings of relief work, and he allowed three runs on five hits.
Arizona is batting just .209 as a team so far this season, with 30 runs scored in eight games. Ketel Marte leads Arizona with a .462 average and five RBI after getting Friday night off. Eduardo Escobar broke out Friday with a homer and a double, while Kole Calhoun also drove in two.
Through the first week of the season, Arizona ranks in the bottom five in the league in average, OPS and runs scored while striking out nearly 10 times per game. The pitching staff has an ERA over 5.50 and ranks in the bottom five in hits allowed, runs allowed and home runs allowed.
Of the Arizona batters who could be in the lineup Saturday, David Peralta has hit Hoffman the best, going 6-for-10 with a homer. Asdrubal Cabrera, Josh VanMeter and Christian Walker also have homers against the right-hander.
Betting Analysis
The Reds have the advantage in offense and starting pitching in this matchup. They are playing with a ton of confidence right now despite a blip on Friday night in blowing a big lead.
The bullpen has struggled for Arizona as well, and it is tough to see them bouncing back against the Reds after failing to seal the deal Friday night.
Free Pick: Reds to win
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