Cincinnati Reds at Colorado Rockies

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CIN	5	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	9	10	1
COL	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	1	6	8	0

Hunter Greene takes the mound for the Reds looking to close out the series, and his 6.06 ERA is badly lying to you — he just needed one dominant start to remind everyone why Cincinnati built around him, and he delivered exactly that his last time out, striking out 12 Cubs over seven scoreless innings. Ryan Feltner starts for Colorado, with first pitch at Coors Field set for 1:10 PM MT.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Reds(44-53)

LWLLW

9

-1.5-104-153o10.5-127

Rockies(40-60)

WLLLW

6

+1.5-100+150u10.5+122

Best BetReds -169

Postgame

Reds won 9-6 outright — Greene's swing-and-miss stuff, on display in that dominant last start, carried the day and cashed the moneyline pick.

Pregame

The Reds were locked in at -159 on the moneyline, and that price held up as fair value. Hunter Greene's ugly ERA masks a strikeout arm that was filthy in his last outing, and the Rockies remain one of the worst teams in the sport on paper. This was a bet on the name and the stuff over the surface-level numbers.

Feltner's overall line is rough, but he's been a genuinely different pitcher at altitude, working to a considerably better ERA at home than on the road this year — a wrinkle that matters against a Reds lineup still adjusting on the fly. Matt McLain just rejoined Cincinnati after using the All-Star break to rehab a calf issue in Arizona, and the rotation is thin behind Greene with Nick Lodolo (blister) and Brandon Williamson (shoulder) both still shelved.

Hunter Greene

(2-2)·6.83 ERA

Jul 10 vs Cubs

W

7.0IP

0ER

12K

1BB

93P

07/19 Lineup

Ryan Feltner

(4-5)·5.75 ERA

Jul 9 @ Giants

L

4.1IP

4ER

3K

4BB

92P

07/19 Lineup

None of that has stopped the gap in the standings from widening. The Reds enter the finale in the middle of what's been called a season-long spiral, with an offense and a pitching staff both sitting in the league's bottom 10 — struggles that have fueled trade rumors as the deadline nears. The Rockies, meanwhile, own one of the worst records in baseball, though Coors Field has a way of making any team look competent for a night.

Cincinnati Reds

(44-53)

Jul 18L@ Rockies3-10

Jul 18W@ Rockies7-2

Jul 12Lvs Cubs4-8

Jul 11Lvs Cubs3-5

Jul 10Wvs Cubs4-0

Colorado Rockies

(40-60)

Jul 18Wvs Reds10-3

Jul 18Lvs Reds2-7

Jul 12L@ Giants1-3

Jul 11L@ Giants2-4

Jul 11W@ Giants4-3

Saturday's doubleheader was a perfect snapshot of how erratic both clubs have been lately — Cincinnati crushed Colorado 7-2 in the opener before getting run off the field 10-3 in the nightcap. Terry Francona has stuck with Elly De La Cruz at leadoff through the swings, telling reporters this week he's not interested in tinkering with the top of the order regardless of how the offense as a whole is trending.

Cincinnati Reds

(6)

• 10-Day-ILBlake Dunn (CF) — Dunn (elbow) has shown improvement and hit off a tee July 11, MLB.com reports.07/18
• 10-Day-ILMatt McLain (2B) — McLain (calf) rejoined the Reds after spending the All-Star break at the team's training complex in Arizona, MLB.com reports.07/18
• 15-Day-ILTony Santillan (RP) — Santillan (oblique) received a PRP injection July 9 and is undergoing further treatment, MLB.com reports.07/18
• 15-Day-ILNick Lodolo (SP) — Lodolo had his blister drained and began throwing with a Plyo ball, MLB.com reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft (RP) — Ashcraft (elbow) is on a throwing program, which will have him throw from 105 feet beginning July 20 at the Reds' training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson (SP) — Williamson (shoulder) injured his finger while working out, and his rehab program has been pushed back by about 10 days as a result, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.06/28

Colorado Rockies

(12)

• 10-Day-ILBrenton Doyle (CF) — The Rockies returned Doyle (oblique) from his rehab assignment Sunday, but he remains on the 10-day injured list.07/05
• 15-Day-ILJeff Criswell (RP) — The Rockies recalled Criswell from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.07/18
• 15-Day-ILSeth Halvorsen (RP) — Halvorsen (shoulder) threw live batting practice Thursday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.07/17
• 15-Day-ILBlas Castano (RP) — Castano (pectoral) is expected to begin a throwing program next week, MLB.com reports.07/03
• 15-Day-ILJaden Hill (RP) — Hill (shoulder) resumed playing catch Wednesday, MLB.com reports.07/02
• 60-Day-ILJose Quintana (SP) — Quintana (elbow) is scheduled to play catch Monday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.07/05
• 60-Day-ILChase Dollander (SP) — Dollander underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow Monday, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.06/23
• 60-Day-ILWelinton Herrera (RP) — Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer announced Monday that Herrera (elbow) has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and will miss the remainder of the season, Jack Janes of MLB.com reports.06/02
• 60-Day-ILMcCade Brown (SP) — Brown (shoulder) had been scheduled to throw a live bullpen session this weekend, MLB.com reports.06/01
• 60-Day-ILRJ Petit (RP) — The Rockies transferred Petit (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILPierson Ohl (RP) — The Rockies placed Ohl (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILKris Bryant (DH) — Bryant said Tuesday that the ongoing pain in his back continues to prevent him from participating in baseball activities, though he's still consulting with doctors and trainers for potential rehab options, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.05/08

Colorado's pitching staff is dealing with its own attrition — Jeff Criswell was only just recalled from Triple-A, and multiple relievers are still rehabbing shoulder and elbow issues, while Kris Bryant remains out long-term with back pain that hasn't even let him resume baseball activities. Cincinnati has its own list to manage, but McLain's return at least gives Francona a fuller bench to pull from as this series wraps up.

By the time the dust settled, Cincinnati had the series win it came for, pushing its record to 44-53 while Colorado dropped to 40-60. Neither club is going anywhere in the standings this summer, but for one Sunday at altitude, the Reds got exactly the finish they needed.