Reds vs. Diamondbacks, Game 3: Preview and Predictions Thread

Cincinnati Reds @ Arizona Diamondbacks

The Reds will try to take the rubber game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday at Chase Field. If the Reds win, they have an opportunity to improve on their 21 games back deficit in the NL Central. If the Diamondbacks win, at best they'll be 8 1/2 games out of the NL West; their best playoff hope. At least we can't fault the Reds this year for continuing to have delusional playoff aspirations.

Starting for the Reds on Sunday will be Anthony DeSclafani who will be making his first career start against the Diamondbacks. Tony Disco has strung together 3 quality starts in a row after being shellacked against Cleveland on July 18. In his most recent outing, he went 6 innings, striking out 9 and giving up 2 runs in a win against the St. Louis Cardinals. On the season, DeSclafani has assembled a 7-7 record and his ERA has dropped to 3.71 over his past three starts with a SO/W ratio of 2.07 and a SO9 of 6.8

Patrick Corbin will start for the Diamondbacks on Sunday; his seventh start since coming back from Tommy John surgery after missing all of 2014 and the first half of 2015. Since coming back, he has assembled a respectable 3.99 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched striking out 30 and walking 7. Perhaps most alarmingly for Arizona, he has given up 6 home runs. However, he has had success against Reds batters in the past. Jay Bruce is 1 for 10 with 5 strikeouts against Corbin in his career. Likewise, Brandon Phillips has only collected 1 hit in 10 at bats. While Joey Votto is 0 for 6 lifetime against Corbin, Marlon Bryd has a double and a triple in 5 career at bats against Corbin.

If the Reds win, they still will be better than the Brewers, Phillies, and Marlins. That's high praise for a team that is forced to go with 5 rookies in their starting rotation. Hopefully, this bodes well for 2016; 30 inning scoreless droughts notwithstanding.

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Bullpen Log

Reliever	8/4	8/5	8/6	8/7	8/8	5 day totals
Aroldis Chapman	1.0, 12p	1.0, 15p			3.0, 18p	2.0, 45 pitches
Ryan Mattheus		0.2, 10p		1.0, 17p		1.2, 27 pitches
Manny Parra		1.1, 19p		1.0, 15p		2.1, 34 pitches
Burke Badenhop	1.0, 10p	1.0, 12p	1.0, 8p			3.0, 30 pitches
Dylan Axelrod		1.0, 14p	2.0, 21p			3.0, 35 pitches
Pedro Villarreal			1.0, 23p			1.0, 23 pitches
J.J. Hoover	1.0, 15p	1.0, 20p			1.0, 14p	3.0, 49 pitches
		2.0, 32p			1.0, 15p	3.0, 47 pitches