Diamondbacks visit Reds with Lodolo on mound

CINCINNATI (Interstat) — The Arizona Diamondbacks visit the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at 7:10 p.m. at Great American Ball Park, with left-hander Nick Lodolo (2-1) taking the mound for the visitors. The temperature at first pitch is forecast to be 85 degrees with clouds.

Arizona (34-34) arrives having lost four straight, including a 2-0 shutout at Miami on Thursday. The Diamondbacks are 3-7 in their last 10 games. Cincinnati (32-35) has dropped two in a row, falling 5-4 in 10 innings at San Diego on Wednesday.

Lodolo will make his eighth start of the season. He has not faced the Reds this year. The Diamondbacks have not announced a starter for Friday beyond Lodolo. The Reds’ probable pitcher was not listed.

Players to watch

Right-hander Merrill Kelly is a key arm for Arizona. In his last outing Thursday at Miami, Kelly pitched 6.0 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with one strikeout in a loss. Over his last six starts, Kelly is 3-3 with a 3.91 ERA, including a complete-game win at Colorado on May 15 (9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER).

For the Reds, right-hander Brady Singer has struggled recently. In his last start Wednesday at San Diego, he went 6.0 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts in a loss. Singer is 0-4 over his last five outings with a 4.76 ERA. He has not faced Arizona this season.

Recent trends

Arizona’s offense has been quiet, scoring two runs or fewer in three of the last four games. The Diamondbacks are hitting .221 as a team over the past week. Cincinnati’s pitching has been shaky, posting a 5.40 ERA over the last five games.

The Reds’ bullpen has been taxed, covering 18.2 innings in the last three games. Closer Alexis Díaz has not appeared since June 8.

Betting line

Arizona is a minus-1.5 favorite, according to Interstat’s game simulator, which projects a 4-3 Diamondbacks victory. The over/under is 9.5 runs.

Up next

The teams meet again Saturday and Sunday to close the three-game series. Arizona then returns home for six games against the Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins. Cincinnati hosts the New York Mets for three games starting Monday before a road trip to the New York Yankees.