The Cincinnati Reds return home from a disappointing road trip to host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a four-game series on Monday. Cincinnati completed a 2-6 trek with a 3-2 loss at Texas on Sunday as Mat Latos was outdueled by Rangers ace Yu Darvish. The Reds dropped four of the last five games on their trip, scoring a total of 11 runs and being shut out twice in that stretch.
San Francisco halted a lengthy skid by posting a 5-2 victory at Colorado on Sunday. The Giants had lost six straight games - including the first five of their 10-game road trip - and eight of nine before Madison Bumgarner limited the Rockies to one run and four hits over seven innings. Buster Posey and Hunter Pence homered for San Francisco, which also halted a seven-game losing streak on the road.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, Comcast Sports Net Bay Area (San Francisco), Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Mike Kickham (0-2, 10.57 ERA) vs. Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (6-6, 3.61)
Kickham still is searching for his first win as he makes his third major-league start. The 24-year-old was tagged for six runs - five earned - and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in a road loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Kickham lasted only 2 1/3 frames in his debut at Oakland on May 28, when he yielded four runs and four hits.
Arroyo is coming off his shortest outing of the season, a four-inning performance at Oakland on Tuesday in which he surrendered seven runs and seven hits. The 36-year-old failed to record a decision in his previous three starts despite allowing fewer than three earned runs in each. Arroyo owns a 3-5 record and 3.13 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arroyo's last start marked the first time he failed to last at least five innings since July 16, when he allowed five runs in three frames against Arizona.
2. The Reds are 26-14 at home, their best start after 40 games in their own ballpark since they went 29-11 at Riverfront Stadium in 1994.
3. San Francisco is 25-12 when scoring first, something it hadn't done in eight games prior to Sunday.
PREDICTION: Reds 6, Giants 3