Cincinnati Reds at Colorado Rockies Preview

The Cincinnati Reds are in Denver this weekend for a series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Rockies have dominated the first two games of this series, winning by a combined score of 22-14.

After a strong start to the season, things have not gone well at all for the Reds. Cincinnati is currently in fourth place in the Central Division with a record of 17-19, and they are heading in the wrong direction quickly.

Colorado has now won three straight games, but the Rockies are not expected to be a playoff contender this season. The Rockies have still gone just 15-24 on the season and are in last place in the National League West.

Cincinnati is the betting favorite at -120 on the money line over the Colorado Rockies.

Mahle Needs Strong Outing

If the Reds are going to find a way to pick up a win this weekend, then it all starts on the pitching mound. Tyler Mahle will get his shot on Saturday, and he has been one of the top arms on the Reds staff to begin the season.

Mahle has gone 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA, and he will be focused on keeping the ball in the ballpark in this game. The Reds just can’t continue to give up 11 runs per game and expect the offense to bail them out each time.

The outfielders for the Reds continue to perform at the plate, but the rest of the team needs to catch up. Cincinnati has scored 14 total runs in the first two games of the series, and this could be another big offensive performance. 

Rockies Love Hitting at Coors

The Colorado Rockies have gone 13-10 at home to begin the year, and they look like a completely different offense when hitting at Coors Field. This team has been on a roll of late, and there is plenty of thunder in that lineup when they are all healthy and clicking.

Ryan McMahon leads the team with eight home runs and 24 RBIs, and shortstop Trevor Story is always capable of leading an offense. The Rockies are a top-10 offense, and they have been feasting on Reds pitching.

Pitching does continue to be a problem for the Rockies, but this team simply wants to win games by swinging the bat. 

Time For Reds Offense to Match

Opposing teams typically love hitting at Coors Field, and this style of play should suit this Reds offense well. Cincinnati just has not been able to get the big bats going, and that will be a huge key to this game.

Tyler Mahle also has the ability to take over this game on the mound, and the pitching matchup favors the Reds in a big way. The Colorado Rockies clearly have plenty of momentum at this time, but it should be the Reds that provide the most offense on Saturday.

Look for the Reds to put together a much better offensive performance in support of Mahle, but it will be his job to cool off a red-hot Rockies offense.