• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brewers-Reds Preview

Aug 30, 2010 - 12:02 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Milwaukee (61-68) at Cincinnati (74-55), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Dusty Baker is eager for his Cincinnati Reds to increase their growing lead in the NL Central. A visit from the Milwaukee Brewers could help make that happen.

The Reds look for a fourth consecutive home win over the Brewers on Monday night.

Ramon Hernandez and Drew Stubbs each had three hits as Cincinnati (75-55) scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Chicago 7-5 on Sunday.

The Reds have a five-game lead over St. Louis in the Central and have won 11 of 15 since being swept at home by the Cardinals.

"Let's try to make it six and get as many as we can," Baker said. "We're playing the way we can. Let's try to get greedy."

Cincinnati, which is trying to go 21 games over .500 for the first time since 1999, is 4-1 against Milwaukee (62-68) and outscored the Brewers 22-6 while winning the last two.

Though the Brewers will try for a fourth straight win after sweeping Pittsburgh, they have lost eight of nine to Cincinnati. Their only victory came with Randy Wolf (10-10, 4.74 ERA) on the mound.

The left-hander is 9-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 17 starts against Cincinnati, including 4-0 with a 2.30 ERA over his last seven since a loss April 12, 2004. He gave up two runs in seven innings but did not factor in the decision of a 3-2 win over Cincinnati on July 26.

Despite giving up four runs in five innings of a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Wolf is 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA in his last six starts.

"You have to focus on each start," Wolf told the Brewers' official website. "I've been throwing the ball well lately. I need to go out there in my next start and do a better job. That's what I need to concentrate on."

Jay Bruce is batting .368 versus Milwaukee this season and is 3 for 10 against Wolf. The Reds outfielder went 5 for 10 with four home runs and six RBIs against the Cubs.

It's uncertain when All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips will return after missing three straight games with a bruised right hand. He is 7 for 20 with a home run and six RBIs versus Milwaukee in 2010.

Cincinnati's Homer Bailey (3-2, 4.83 ERA) takes the ball looking to bounce back after he allowed five runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 12-11, 12-inning win at San Francisco on Wednesday.

Despite that outing, Bailey is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in three starts since missing almost three months with shoulder inflammation.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 6.56 ERA in four starts against the Brewers but allowed two runs in seven innings of a 5-4 home win May 18.

Though Ryan Braun is batting .167 versus Cincinnati this season and 2 for 11 with a home run against Bailey, he went 7 for 12 against the Pirates. Braun was 4 for 4 with a homer in Milwaukee's 8-4 win Sunday.

Milwaukee's Trevor Hoffman has a chance to record his 600th save after earning No. 599 on Sunday. Though Hoffman lost his closer's job earlier this season, he's been called on to finish games with leads of three runs or more in recent weeks.

"I had aspirations of this happening a little quicker," said Hoffman.

The right-hander has 29 saves in 36 chances against the Reds.