Leading up to game four of this National League battle, the Diamondbacks (68-62, 34-32 home) will send Slade Cecconi to the mound to take on the Reds (68-63, 37-29 away) and Graham Ashcraft. Find out who I like to come out on top in this Cincinnati Reds vs. Arizona Diamondbacks matchup in Phoenix.

CINCINNATI REDS VS ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -123

This game will be played at Chase Field at 4:10 ET on Sunday, August 27th.

WHY BET THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:

  • In their previous ten games, the Diamondbacks have a record of 8-2.
  • The Diamondbacks have gone 4-1 in their five games at home.
  • Graham Ashcraft has given up four home runs across his last three starts.

CINCINNATI REDS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN NL CENTRAL

The Reds enter today’s game with an overall record of 68-63 which includes going 34-35 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 3rd in the NL Central. Across their 41 series, Cincinnati is 19-17-5 and have records of 37-29 and 31-34 on the road and at home, respectively.

The Reds will turn to starter Graham Ashcraft, who has a 7-8 record this season. Through 24 appearances, his ERA stands at 4.84 and he has 6.72 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His FIP is 5.15 and opponents have a .330 on-base percentage against him.

Graham Ashcraft earned a quality start and a win in his last outing against the Angels, as the Reds emerged victorious with a 4-3 scoreline. The right-hander surrendered three runs on five hits over seven innings of work.

This season, the Reds are 9th in the league at 4.8 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .242 (12th) leading to 6.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.4 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Cincinnati’s on-base percentage of .326 has them 6th in the MLB.

Over the Reds’ past five contests, Spencer Steer has been the team’s top hitter, batting .344. This season, Steer is hitting .272 and has recorded 71 RBIs.

WILL THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

This season, the Diamondbacks have played a total of 43 series and are above .500 at 23-16-4. On the road, Arizona is 34-30 and 34-32 at home. Their overall record of 68-62 has the Diamondbacks sitting 2nd in the NL West.

Slade Cecconi is still searching for his first win of the 2023 season, having made four appearances thus far. His ERA stands at 2.94, while opponents have managed to hit just .211 against him. Unfortunately, two home runs have been surrendered by the right-hander, resulting in an OPS of .690.

In his most recent outing against the Texas Rangers, Slade Cecconi allowed one run on three hits over five innings of work. Although he did not factor into the decision, Cecconi’s performance was instrumental in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 4-3 victory.

For the season, the Diamondbacks’ offense is averaging 4.7 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 6th in the league in scoring, with a total of 30 runs. Overall, Arizona’s team batting average is .254, putting them 8th in the MLB.

Christian Walker of the Arizona Diamondbacks is the team’s home-run leader in 2023, with 28 long balls. He has also driven in 86 runs and boasts a .527 slugging percentage for the season.