We have reached the final week of the 2023 MLB regular season, and there are still some great playoff races taking place. The Cincinnati Reds are in the middle of the race in the National League Wild Card standings, and they are in Cleveland on Wednesday night.
It was the Reds that won the series opener on Tuesday night as they rallied for a huge 11-7 victory. Cincinnati is still on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff race, but they have time to get back on track.
Cleveland had a couple of tough months in the middle of the season, and that is going to keep them from reaching the playoffs. The Guardians come into this game with a record of 74-84, and it was a pretty disappointing season for Cleveland.
The Cleveland Guardians are the moneyline betting favorites at -130 over the Reds on Wednesday night.
Reds Need Some Pitching
If the Cincinnati Reds are not able to rally and reach the playoffs this season, then they can look back at a lack of pitching that did them in. The Reds are coming into this game with a team ERA of 4.78, and they gave up seven runs on Tuesday despite winning the game.
Andrew Abbott will make the start in this game, and the Reds are counting on him to win this game but to also be a part of their future. Abbott has gone 8-5 with a 3.70 ERA this season, but he is facing a ton of pressure in this one.
The Reds were able to break out and score 11 runs in the series opener, but this team hasn’t always put up a ton of runs. Cincinnati will need some of their young talent to show up big in this matchup.
Guardians Finding Some Offense
Scoring runs hasn’t always been easy for the Cleveland Guardians this season, but they broke out a bit on Tuesday night. Despite not having a ton of team success at the plate, Jose Ramirez continues to have a big season for this team.
Ramirez leads the way with 24 home runs and a .281 batting average, and he is good enough to impact any game in which he plays. Even though the Guardians are not one of the better offensive teams in the AL, they are better than the Reds overall.
Veteran Shane Bieber will make the start on Wednesday night, and he has gone 5-6 with a 3.91 ERA this season. Bieber has been one of the best pitchers in the American League over the last five years, and he will be tough on the Reds.
Cleveland Rocks Cincinnati
Even though this game doesn’t mean anything to the Guardians in terms of the playoff race, there is still a matter of pride at play. Cleveland would love nothing more than to spoil the playoff chances for the Reds, and that should happen on Wednesday night.
The Guardians have the edge in starting pitching with Shane Bieber taking the mound, and the Reds haven’t been pitching the ball well of late. Cleveland should be able to have another big game at the plate, and this time, they get the outs that are needed.
Bet the Cleveland Guardians -130 as they roll over the Cincinnati Reds in the series finale on Wednesday night.
