The Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals: A Three-Game Series Preview

The Cincinnati Reds (60-61) and Kansas City Royals (66-55) will face off in a three-game series starting Friday night at Great American Ball Park. The Reds are currently tied for second place in the NL Central, while the Royals sit in third place in the AL Central.

On offense, Cincinnati is led by Elly De La Cruz. The 22-year-old shortstop has an OPS of .839 to go along with 56 extra-base hits and a league-leading 59 stolen bases. Kansas City is led by superstar shortstop, Bobby Witt Jr. The young shortstop has an OPS of 1.009 on the season to go along with 68 extra-base hits and 25 stolen bases.

Nick Martinez will take the mound for the Reds on Friday night. The right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.16 ERA on the season. He has been dominant over his last two starts, throwing 12 scoreless innings while only allowing five hits and not walking a batter. The Royals will turn to former Red, Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen is 5-6 with a 3.79 ERA on the season. He was acquired by the Royals at the trade deadline. In his last start, he pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits in an 8-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Series Outlook

The Reds and Royals are both in contention for a playoff spot, so this series is crucial for both teams. The Reds have won four straight games, while the Royals have lost two of their last three. The Reds will be looking to continue their winning ways, while the Royals will be looking to get back on track.

The pitching matchup in the series opener is a good one, with Martinez facing Lorenzen. Both pitchers have been solid this season, so it should be a close game. The Reds have a slight edge in the series, but the Royals are a dangerous team and could easily win the series. It should be a fun and exciting series to watch.