San Francisco Giants by 2
If I could ask for anything better than a Giants-versus-Reds matchup on a (likely) chilly Tuesday evening in Cincinnati's own Great American Ball Park, I might come up blank. I mean, baseball in a 'better for batters' park? Sign me up.
Now, let's dive into the meat and potatoes of this. On the mound, the Giants have Robbie Ray, an illustrious starting pitcher whose 4.95 ERA this season certainly raises a few eyebrows. He's been ringing them up with a substantial 11.9 K/9, but I sure wouldn't mind seeing his looking-glass twin from last season on the mound instead. He had an astronomical 8.710 ERA in his single appearance then, so you can see where apprehensions live.
The Reds have their rising ace Carson Spiers, whose numbers are a smidgen more palatable than Ray’s this season. He's holding steady with a 3.56 ERA and 8.0 K/9. He's got some moxie, I'll give him that. Plus, he's made a whopping 11 appearances! One could almost say he enjoys his job.
On the Giants side, take notice of Tyler Fitzgerald, Mike Yastrzemski, and Matt Chapman. Fitzgerald has been combusting with a .333 batting average while Yastrzemski and Chapman, well, could perhaps remind the baseball it's their friend. Special mention to Heliot Ramos, who is, not ironically, burning rubber with 15 RBIs and 4 homers.
The Reds counter with their own dazzling lineup. Santiago Espinal has been shelling the ball with a .432 batting average. Jake Fraley and Tyler Stephenson are holding their own, while Spencer Steer needs some grease in that .215 batting average. But who knows, baseball is a funny old game!
Looking back, the Giants and Reds have had their talons locked in the past match-ups. But, if we dig into the overall records, both teams haven’t exactly set the world on fire with their performances this season. Yet, with the recent victories against each other along with a couple tears in the fabric for each in their previous games, it could go either way.
Now, just between us, friends, I see a San Francisco victory, but I believe it's not going to be a cakewalk. And if you're looking to point the scale of blame, you might want to look at Robbie Ray’s ERA. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Albert’s Prediction: San Francisco Giants by 2