you're right it is goin down.
After enjoying a winning home series against a first-place team, the Cincinnati Reds hope to avoid a letdown and continue their success over the club at the bottom of their own division.
The Reds try for a third straight victory overall and against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night at PNC Park.
One-half game behind NL Central-leading St. Louis, Cincinnati (59-47) fared well against another division leader by taking two of three from Atlanta over the weekend. Brandon Phillips hit a tying triple and scored the go-ahead run in the Reds' 2-1 win Sunday.
"Things seem to be clicking our way," pitcher Bronson Arroyo told the Reds' official website. "We play hard, keep it close and give ourselves an opportunity to win."
Cincinnati has won four of five and now heads to Pittsburgh, where it swept a three-game set from the Pirates (36-68) on May 10-12. The Reds have allowed 10 runs while winning six of seven against the Pirates, who look to avoid a fifth consecutive loss.
"We're going back on the road where it's always tough, no matter who you are playing," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.
Phillips is 8 for 23 with seven RBIs in his last five games.
Joey Votto went 1 for 8 with four strikeouts in the last two games against Atlanta, but is batting .426 in his last 11 overall. The NL MVP candidate is 6 for 15 with a homer and five RBIs in his last four games versus Pittsburgh. He is 4 for 7 with a double, triple and home run versus Pittsburgh's scheduled starter Ross Ohlendorf (1-8, 4.35 ERA).
The right-hander appears set to make this start after being hit in the head by a line drive in the first inning of a 6-2 win at Colorado on Wednesday. Ohlendorf was able to walk off the mound on his power and maintain his regular routine between starts.
"(He's) very lucky, very lucky," manager John Russell told the team's official website.
Ohlendorf, 0-2 with a 4.20 ERA in four starts since beating Philadelphia on July 2, has not been so lucky against the Reds. He is 1-2 with a 4.09 ERA in four starts versus Cincinnati, including 0-2 with a 3.60 ERA this season.
The Reds counter with Travis Wood (1-1, 2.87), who looks to build on his first career victory. In his sixth career start, Wood allowed two runs and struck out six in five innings of a 10-2 win at Milwaukee on Wednesday.
"It feels good," Wood said.
The left-hander will make his first appearance against the Pirates, who were swept at St. Louis after falling 9-1 on Sunday.
Rookie Jose Tabata and Lastings Milledge each had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has been outscored 30-5 during its four-game skid.
Budding Pirates star Garret Jones is 2 for 15 in his last four games, and 6 for 36 against the Reds this season.
Acquired in a five-player trade with Arizona over the weekend, catcher Chris Snyder could be in the Pirates' lineup. Snyder is batting .231 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs.
After enjoying a winning home series against a first-place team, the Cincinnati Reds hope to avoid a letdown and continue their success over the club at the bottom of their own division.
The Reds try for a third straight victory overall and against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night at PNC Park.
One-half game behind NL Central-leading St. Louis, Cincinnati (59-47) fared well against another division leader by taking two of three from Atlanta over the weekend. Brandon Phillips hit a tying triple and scored the go-ahead run in the Reds' 2-1 win Sunday.
"Things seem to be clicking our way," pitcher Bronson Arroyo told the Reds' official website. "We play hard, keep it close and give ourselves an opportunity to win."
Cincinnati has won four of five and now heads to Pittsburgh, where it swept a three-game set from the Pirates (36-68) on May 10-12. The Reds have allowed 10 runs while winning six of seven against the Pirates, who look to avoid a fifth consecutive loss.
"We're going back on the road where it's always tough, no matter who you are playing," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.
Phillips is 8 for 23 with seven RBIs in his last five games.
Joey Votto went 1 for 8 with four strikeouts in the last two games against Atlanta, but is batting .426 in his last 11 overall. The NL MVP candidate is 6 for 15 with a homer and five RBIs in his last four games versus Pittsburgh. He is 4 for 7 with a double, triple and home run versus Pittsburgh's scheduled starter Ross Ohlendorf (1-8, 4.35 ERA).
The right-hander appears set to make this start after being hit in the head by a line drive in the first inning of a 6-2 win at Colorado on Wednesday. Ohlendorf was able to walk off the mound on his power and maintain his regular routine between starts.
"(He's) very lucky, very lucky," manager John Russell told the team's official website.
Ohlendorf, 0-2 with a 4.20 ERA in four starts since beating Philadelphia on July 2, has not been so lucky against the Reds. He is 1-2 with a 4.09 ERA in four starts versus Cincinnati, including 0-2 with a 3.60 ERA this season.
The Reds counter with Travis Wood (1-1, 2.87), who looks to build on his first career victory. In his sixth career start, Wood allowed two runs and struck out six in five innings of a 10-2 win at Milwaukee on Wednesday.
"It feels good," Wood said.
The left-hander will make his first appearance against the Pirates, who were swept at St. Louis after falling 9-1 on Sunday.
Rookie Jose Tabata and Lastings Milledge each had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has been outscored 30-5 during its four-game skid.
Budding Pirates star Garret Jones is 2 for 15 in his last four games, and 6 for 36 against the Reds this season.
Acquired in a five-player trade with Arizona over the weekend, catcher Chris Snyder could be in the Pirates' lineup. Snyder is batting .231 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs.
