NEW YORK (Interstat) — The New York Yankees host the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium II, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. The forecast calls for 81 degrees and cloudy skies.

The Yankees (45-28) enter the contest as heavy favorites, installed at -1.5 on the run line, and are coming off a 4-0 shutout of Cincinnati in Friday’s series opener. New York has won three of its last four games and holds a commanding 10-game lead over the Reds. Cincinnati (35-38) has lost seven of its last nine contests, including a 9-1 defeat to the New York Mets on Wednesday.

Right-hander Ryan Weathers is expected to start for the Yankees. In his most recent outing Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, Weathers took a no-decision after allowing one earned run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts in a 5-1 loss. He has been inconsistent this season but showed dominance May 24 against Tampa Bay, firing seven shutout innings in a 2-0 win.

Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Chris Paddack, who has struggled recently. Paddack lasted only 1 2/3 innings in a loss to Arizona on June 14 and gave up three earned runs over two innings at St. Louis on June 7. He owns an 0-4 record in his past four starts, with a 7.30 ERA over that span.

Friday’s head-to-head result marked the second straight meeting between the clubs. The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-4 Yankees victory. The over/under is set at nine runs.

Offensively, the Yankees have been productive in the series, while the Reds have managed just one run in their last two games combined. New York’s Ryan McMahon homered Thursday in the loss to Chicago.

The series continues Sunday before the Yankees travel to Detroit for a three-game set and the Reds head to Pittsburgh.