Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Cleveland Guardians by 2Well, slap my hat and call me Sally - we've got a juicy one here. The Cincinnati Reds are trotting over to Progressive Field to try their luck against the Cleveland Guardians.
Right out of the gate, on the mound we’ve got Andrew Abbott for the Reds. Boy, that Abbott - he's been one mean machine this year with an ERA of 2.37 and over 10 strikeouts per nine innings in his ten show-ups. The Guardians are countering with their own flavor of heat-thrower, Slade Cecconi, who has performed like a fish on a bicycle this season, boasting an ERA just short of 5 in four appearances. Not exactly the number you want to brag about in the locker room, if you catch my drift.
As for their batting lineups, the Reds' big guns are TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer, and Elly De La Cruz. Friedl and Steer are both hitting like it's a video game with averages over .290, while Cruz is missing more than he's hitting with a shaky .263 average, but Donkey Kong gloves for hands with a whopping 18 RBIs and 7 homers.
The Guardians, on the other hand, are relying on the booming bats of Jose Ramirez, who is smashing the ball at a head spinning .394 average, and old reliable Carlos Santana who’s been staying above water with a .300 average. Young buck Bo Naylor is still finding his feet with a less than stellar .188 batting average, but I think the kid has spirit!
If you’re into history, might want to note that our friend Reds seem to have the upper hand in past encounters, wining three out of five recent skirmishes in this all Ohio standoff.
However, let’s not forget where we're rounding up these cowboys. Progressive Field, that place has the consistency of an old-fashioned rollercoaster, sometimes favoring the batters, sometimes throwing bones to the pitchers. All considered, it seems to be more on the friendly side for the pitchers today.
Going by the books, both teams are holding a pretty close records this season with the Reds at 34-33 and the Guardians keeping their noses just above water at 34-31. Recent form has been a mixed bag as well, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles in this beautiful, unpredictable game of baseball.
One thing’s for sure, this match won't be free of fireworks, folks. When the dust settles and the grass stains are scrubbed off, I'm seeing a certain team leaving the field with the bigger grins.
Albert’s Prediction: Cleveland Guardians by 2.