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Reds set sights on Ohio Cup

Aug 7, 2014 - 2:54 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cincinnati Reds will try to win the Ohio Cup for the first time in four years on Thursday night when they conclude their home-and- home set with the Cleveland Indians.

After the clubs split a pair of meetings in Cleveland to begin the series, the Reds claimed an 8-3 win over the Indians when the series shifted to Cincinnati on Wednesday.

The Reds have not won a season series over the Tribe since taking four of six meetings in 2010. The Indians went 5-1 versus the Reds the following year before the clubs split the season series in 2012 and 2013.

Zack Cozart hit a three-run homer and added an RBI single for the Reds on Wednesday, while Kris Negron finished a triple shy of the cycle. He had a two- run homer and scored three times in Cincinnati's seventh straight win at home over Cleveland.

Mat Latos aided the Reds' cause by taking a shutout into the eighth inning before being reached for three runs in 7 2/3 frames of work.

"It's a beautiful thing, and it is because I know these guys want so badly to succeed," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "I really mean that wholeheartedly."

Danny Salazar struck out five in four innings for Cleveland, but served up both Cozart's and Negron's homers for a total of five runs allowed.

"Overall, I thought he was better than the line score," Indians manager Terry Francona said about Salazar. "But to the bottom of the order, especially, he made two really costly mistakes."

Jason Kipnis had three of the Indians' seven hits, with Yan Gomes finishing 2- for-4 with a solo homer. Gomes has three homers and 11 RBI during a 12-game hitting streak.

Homer Bailey has seen much production out of the Reds' lineup over his last two starts and hopes to win for the first time in six outings tonight.

Bailey has recorded four straight no-decisions since a 1-0 loss to Milwaukee on July 5. The right-hander has not won since a three-hit shutout of San Francisco on June 29 and sits 8-5 with a 3.89 earned run average on the year.

Cincinnati has lost each of Bailey's last two starts by a 2-1 margin, with Bailey giving up a run in each game. The 28-year-old lasted eight innings versus Arizona on July 28 and then logged seven frames in Miami on Saturday.

Bailey is 2-3 with a 6.55 ERA in seven previous meetings with Cleveland, which sends rookie T.J. House to the mound tonight for his first taste of action in this series.

House returned to the major league rotation following the trade of Justin Masterson and faced Texas on Saturday. The 24-year-old southpaw did not factor into a 2-0 win despite five scoreless frames of three-hit ball in which he also struck out seven to just two walks.

"I thought he did good," Francona said of House. "It was an interesting line, the way he got there. So many of the at-bats went five pitches at more. Deep count at-bats, so his pitch count was high. But I think only one ball went to the outfield."

House is 1-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) this year, but 0-2 with a 4.78 ERA in six starts on the road.