We're back safe and sound with another riveting matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and the Miami Marlins. As the fish play host in their home waters of loanDepot Park, they conform to the old saying, "home is where the strikeouts are," thanks to the park's apparent preference for pitchers. Isn't Mother Nature a sweetheart to the mound's elite?

A young Brady Singer will be climbing the hill for the Reds. This season the kid is boasting about a 3.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and an impressive 10.2 K/9 over four appearances. Not too shabby, eh? But then there's Miami's offering, Sandy Alcantara, who's currently sitting somewhat comfortably on a 7.68 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 7.1 K/9. Guess we all have off days, huh, Sandy?

Now if we cast our gaze onto the Reds' dugout, we'll find the likes of Austin Wynns, with his 0.455 average, Austin Hays bringing his 0.371 average, and Gavin Lux, who's having himself a respectable 0.316 season thus far. On the fishy side of things, Miami's boasting a somewhat soft-spoken lineup that consists of players like Javier Sanoja, batting a sturdy 0.341, and Kyle Stowers, who's sporting a 0.307 average.

Scanning through the annals of history, which in my profession means looking back on these teams' past five meetings, I unearth that the Marlins have taken the W more frequently, with 3 wins to Cincinnati's 2. Pretty even competition, if you ask me.

As we head into today's match, the regular season numbers suggest it's basically a coin flip game with the Reds at 11-13 and the Marlins just slightly better at 11-12. So much for being a lopsided affair, eh? The recent results endorse the same sense of equivalence, with both teams showing the baseball equivalent of a bipolar mood disorder.

Having said that, my crystal ball, utterly influenced by unmentionable data, divines a more searing day for the Reds. So here it is, folks, chalk this one up for Miami.

Albert’s Prediction: Miami Marlins by 2