Giants Try to Avoid Third Loss in Row
The Cincinnati Reds try to avoid an eighth straight loss when they begin a three-game weekend series with the host San Francisco Giants on Friday night. Cincinnati is coming off a home sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers and sits in last place in the National League Central standings.
San Francisco has dropped two straight and is in third place in the NL West, 5½ games behind the first-place Dodgers. The two teams had a competitive series in their first meetings this season, so make sure you read our in-depth preview of this contest before you make any bet online.
Check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports and MLB odds for Reds vs Giants. There are plenty of MLB predictions.
Reds Mired in Seven-Game Slide
The Cincinnati Reds come into Friday night’s series opener on a seven-game losing streak thanks in large part to allowing 7.2 runs per game over that span. Cincinnati scored at least two runs in each of those losses, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Hoping to turn things around on Friday will be rookie right-hander Graham Ashcraft, who will make his seven start in the majors. The 24-year-old is 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA, striking out 19 in 33.1 innings. After posting a 1.14 ERA over his first four starts, Ashcraft has struggled in his last two outings, allowing a total of 10 runs over 9.2 innings, including six to the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start on Saturday.
Shortstop Kyle Farmer has been the most consistent Cincinnati player at the plate, leading the team with a .286 batting average and 38 RBIs. Farmer has 16 doubles, five home runs and 26 runs scored. He is batting .400 with a home run and three RBIs against San Francisco this season.
Third baseman Brandon Drury is pacing the Reds with 14 home runs and comes into Friday on a four-game hitting streak. Drury is batting .270 with 13 doubles, 36 RBIs and 43 runs scored.
Giants Coming Up Just Short in Losses
The San Francisco Giants tried to rally from an early 7-1 deficit against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, but came up a run short, which is the losing margin in each of their last five losses. Four of those losses have come in the last five games, so San Francisco is hoping to turn things around with an eight-game homestand starting on Friday night.
“It felt like we were an inning short,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said after Thursday’s loss. “They made one more pitch, made one more play, advanced one more base than we did. I personally don’t take a lot of satisfaction in being close in games.”
Right-hander Alex Cobb will be on the mound for the series opener. Cobb is 3-2 with a 5.62 ERA in nine starts, striking out 49 in 41.2 innings. Cobb took a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds on May 29, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out eight and walking three. He’s pitched just once since then due to a stint on the injured list with a neck strain.
Outfielder Joc Pederson had his second home run in three games in Thursday’s loss, and he could be a storyline during this series. His off-the-field dust-up over fantasy football with Reds outfielder Tommy Pham will certainly be talked about in this one, with Giants fans likely giving Pham a not-so-warm reception. Pederson is batting .271 with five doubles, 16 home runs, 38 RBIs and 31 runs scored.
Reds vs Giants Head-To-Head
Despite their overall records, the Cincinnati Reds are actually ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the season series, having taken two of three in the first matchup this season. Cincinnati has already surpassed its win total against San Francisco from a year ago, when the Giants won six of the seven matchups.
The Reds have at least one win in San Francisco in 18 straight seasons that these two have played (they didn’t square off in 2020). The MLB lines don’t see that annual win coming on Friday night, however, as the Giants are heavy favorites.
Reds vs Giants Game Information
- Game: Reds (23-46) vs Giants (38-31)
- Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco
- Day/Time: Friday, 10:15 p.m. ET
- Reds vs Giants Live Stream: MLB.TV
Reds vs Giants Giants Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Cincinnati Reds
G. Ashcraft -R |
+1½ -125 | +175 | 7½ Evo | 2½ -145o
2½ +115u |
| San Francisco Giants
A. Cobb -R |
-1½ +105 | -205 | 7½ -120u | 4½ Evo
4½ -130u |
Reds vs Giants Prediction
The Cincinnati Reds have had trouble keeping opponents off the scoreboard, and now they take on a San Francisco Giants team that needs to get things going at home. Ashcraft could be in for another rough outing as the Giants pick up the series-opening victory.
When doing your MLB betting, take San Francisco to pick up the win at home.
