Reds open set with Twins
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first-place team in the National League Central meets the last-place club in the American League's version tonight, as the Cincinnati Reds host the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game interleague set at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds come in on the heels of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians, which trimmed their edge in the NL Central to just two games over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In Wednesday's 8-1 loss, starter Bronson Arroyo (3-5) struggled from the outset, tossing 90 pitches in four mediocre innings while allowing five runs and eight hits.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Reds never stood a chance offensively, putting only two baserunners on in the first four innings. Chris Heisey was the runner both times, but was part of a double play in the first and got caught stealing in the fourth.
Cincinnati entered the series with the Indians having won six straight games, including three in a row against Cleveland earlier this month.
Starting for the Reds is Texas-born right-hander Homer Bailey, a winner in four of his last five decisions after starting the season at 1-3.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bailey got the run of success going with a 6-5 defeat of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 19, and has since beaten Atlanta, Pittsburgh and the New York Mets while losing just once - to the Pirates - on June 5.
The defeat of the Mets came in his last start on June 16 in New York, where he pitched eight strong innings and gave up a single run on six hits in a 4-1 triumph.
The 26-year-old has completed two games in 91 big-league starts and has never faced the Twins.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minnesota, which sits nine games in back of the Indians in the AL Central, last played on Thursday and dropped a 9-1 decision to the Pirates in the finale of a three-game series in Pittsburgh.
Ryan Doumit drove in the lone run for the Twins, who have lost six of eight.
Liam Hendriks (0-4) made his 10th career start and remained winless as he was tagged for six runs - three earned - on eight hits with three strikeouts in five-plus innings of work.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Righty Nate Blackburn faces the Reds for the first time in his 137th big- league appearance while trying to continue a modest win streak.
The 30-year-old Oklahoma native began the season with four losses in five starts, but has since gone 3-0 in his next five in spite of an earned run average still at a bloated 7.48 over 49 1/3 innings.
He got to 3-4 on the season with an 11-7 defeat of Philadelphia on June 12, escaping in spite of being touched for four runs on eight hits in five innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings one start later against Milwaukee and got a no-decision in the Twins' 5-4 victory.
Minnesota, which was 0-5 in his first five starts, is 5-0 in the last five.
Blackburn is 1-2 in four road starts this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Twins have won eight of 15 interleague games with the Reds since 1997, including a three-game sweep when they last meet in 2001 in Minnesota, getting wins from Eddie Guardado, Bob Wells and Brad Radke.