CINCINNATI (Interstat) — The Houston Astros visit the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. under clear skies with a temperature of 61 degrees.

Houston (15-23) will start right-hander Mike Burrows (1-4). The Reds (20-18) counter with left-hander Nick Lodolo.

Reliever Enyel De Los Santos is a player to watch for the Astros. Over his last three outings, he has allowed just one earned run in 3 2/3 innings, including a scoreless frame Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For Cincinnati, reliever Jose Franco has allowed no earned runs in his last two appearances, covering three innings.

The Astros are coming off a 12-2 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday, dropping two of three in that series. Brice Matthews homered in the loss. Houston has lost four of its last five overall.

The Reds lost 8-3 at Chicago on Thursday, their sixth loss in eight games. Blake Dunn homered and drove in a run in the defeat. Cincinnati’s offense has struggled, scoring three runs or fewer in seven of those eight contests.

Friday begins a three-game weekend series. The Astros return home Monday to start a six-game homestand against Seattle and Texas. The Reds host Washington after this set.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 5-2 Astros victory. Cincinnati is a minus-1.5 favorite on the run line. The over/under is 9.5.