NLDS Game 1 Preview: San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds

The strength of these two teams is clearly starting pitching. The Cincinnati Reds finished first in the NL with a 3.33 team ERA, meanwhile the San Francisco Giants were fifth in the senior circuit with a 3.68 ERA.

This game is going to be played in the pitcher-friendly stadium formerly or currently known as AT&T Park, of course confusion reigns there.

San Francisco possesses a 48-33 record at home, while the Reds have racked up a .580 record on the road...Strength against strength here.

Let’s take a look at their Game 1 matchup set for tonight in San Francisco. 

Being the ace of the best pitching staff in the NL has to mean something. Cueto led the Reds' rotation in nearly every single category and came one win short of that elusive 20 milestone. More importantly for Cincinnati, all he did was win during what would normally be a Cy Young caliber year. 

Cueto went up against San Francisco just once in 2012, recording six innings in a losing cause. He is equally impressive on the road as he is at home and should be able to handle a lackluster Giants' lineup. 

Cain has been one of the most consistently good pitchers over the course of the last few seasons in the National League. He has taken over as the Giants ace and leads one of the better starting rotations in the entire sport. The veteran, who signed a long-term extension during the season, is even better in San Francisco. 

Cain's career ERA at home is .62 points less than on the road, which is an indication that he succeeds in a pitcher-friend ballpark. Any type of run support here by the Giants and they should be able to take the opener. With that in mind, Cain is 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA against Cincinnati this season in two starts. 

Important Hitters

Joey Votto (Cincinnati): .337/.474/.567 Spilt, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 44 Doubles, 5 SB

Despite missing 51 games due to injury, Votto proved himself to be one of the most valuable players in the National League once again. He accumulated a total of 58 extra-base hits, which represented nearly a half of his total hits. More importantly, Votto led the NL in on-bace percentage with an outstanding .474 clip. 

Votto has hit Cain extremely well in his career to the tune of a .304 average. That being said, he has only knocked one run in over the course of 23 at-bats against Cain. 

Buster Posey (San Francisco): .336/.408/.549 Split, 24 HR, 103 RBI, 39 Doubles

Posey wuill and should end up being the 2012 NL MVP. His presence on the Giants roster makes all the difference in the world as he is both a leader and a trend-setter in the clubhouse. More importantly, Posey has been beyond great on the field. 

He goes up against a Reds team with stellar pitching, but that doesn't show when you look at Posey's seasons stats against Cincinnati. He is batting .336 with a homer and four runs batted in over the course of the seven games. Posey has three hits in just four career at-bats against Cueto. 

Game 1 Prediction: San Francisco Giants