Reds at Brewers
Eric Thames owns the first month of the season, and his power is keeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the win column. Thames will try to continue another solid April when the Brewers host the Cincinnati Reds for the rubber match of a three-game series on Wednesday.
Thames clubbed 11 home runs in the first month of the 2017 season after spending the previous four years playing in Japan but tapered off the rest of the way and finished with 31 homers. The 31-year-old is hoping that doesn't become a pattern after getting off to another hot start in 2018 that includes his sixth home run on Tuesday - a two-run blast that provided the difference in a 2-0 triumph and came after he sat out Monday to rest a groin injury. The Reds snapped an eight-game slide with a 10-4 victory in the series opener, but that offensive performance looks like the outlier for a team that is averaging 3.2 runs. Cincinnati will try to get the bats hot on Wednesday against struggling right-hander Zach Davies while countering with Tyler Mahle.
TV: 1:40 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Tyler Mahle (1-2, 5.63 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (0-2, 6.75)
Mahle worked six scoreless innings and struck out seven while surrendering one hit against the Chicago Cubs on April 2, but wasn't nearly as sharp in his last two outings. The 23-year-old was roughed up for a total of 10 runs and 18 hits over 10 innings by the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. Mahle is making his first career start against the Brewers and will try to keep the ball in the yard after surrendering two homers in each of the last two turns.
Davies sandwiched a quality start on April 7 around a pair of losses and was reached for five runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings at the New York Mets on Friday. The 25-year-old is struggling with the long ball as well and served up a pair of home runs to the Mets to bring his season total to four in 16 innings. Davies was solid in four starts against Cincinnati last season while posting a 1-1 record with a 3.20 ERA and two home runs allowed in 19 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reds C Devin Mesoraco left Tuesday's game with a bruised right wrist and is day-to-day.
2. Milwaukee activated OF Christian Yelich (oblique) from the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday but he did not get into the game.
3. Cincinnati RF Scott Schebler (right ulnar nerve) is on a rehab assignment but could rejoin the team as early as Wednesday.