Tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET, the Cincinnati Reds (66-73) and Baltimore Orioles (81-57) close out their three-game interleague set live from Camden Yards in Baltimore. The game can be live streamed for free here. Cincinnati fans can hear all of the action on WLW 700 while Baltimore fans can do the same on WBAL 1090.
Cincinnati closes out a six-game trip through Pittsburgh and Baltimore that it is 1-4 on thus far while Baltimore finishes up an 11-game homestand it has an 8-2 mark on and searches for its third straight win. The Orioles topped the Reds 5-4 in the series opener on Tuesday and collected a 6-0 shutout win on Wednesday as it now seeks the series sweep.
Baltimore holds a commanding 9.5-game lead atop the American League East and will continue to build toward a playoff berth while Cincinnati is in fourth place in the NL Central, 10 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals and seven games out of a wild-card spot.
Mike Leake (10-11, 3.33 ERA) toes the rubber for the Reds while the Orioles counter with Chris Tillman, who is 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA this season and owns a 2.50 ERA at Camden Yards, which if it holds up will be a franchise single-season record for the ball park.
While the Orioles sit comfortably with their 9.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the division, manager Buck Showalter is doing everything but laying back.
"Not now," Showalter told MLB.com when asked when he would begin resting players in preparation for the playoffs. "We're not there. ... Whenever it is, it's not tonight and it won't be tomorrow night and it won't be the next night. And it won't be the next day, either. I'll tell you what, for the next nine days, it's not a thought."
The Reds, meanwhile, have had a rough second half that has seen them fall out of playoff contention and below .500. Second baseman Brandon Phillips returned to the lineup last month, but he's batting just .138 since his comeback and the team has continued to struggle.
"I think it all comes down to the inactivity, I don't think there's any question," Reds manager Bryan Price said on Wednesday per MLB.com. "You take six weeks off and he jumps right back in like he did. That's on us."
Phillips is hitting just .253 in 101 games this season with seven homers and 44 RBI.
While the offense has mostly struggled, third baseman Todd Frazier and Rookie of the Year candidate and outfielder Billy Hamilton have been bright spots in a rough year for Cincinnati.
Frazier leads the Reds with a .275 batting average, 23 homers and 70 RBI while Hamilton ranks second in the NL with 55 stolen bases and is batting .267/.304/.684 with six homers, 46 RBI and 71 runs.
Baltimore responds with a lineup that has been flanked by outfielder Nelson Cruz, who leads the MLB with 36 homers and ranks fourth in the AL with 266 total bases and tied for fifth with 91 RBI. Centerfielder Adam Jones leads the Orioles with a .286 batting average while adding 24 long balls and 81 RBI.
The Orioles look to pad their AL East lead while the Reds hope to salvage the final game of this series when these two teams take the field at Camden Yards tonight in Baltimore.
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