Cleveland Guardians vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Predictions September 24th 2024

Cleveland comes into this interleague matchup vs. the Reds as the heavy favorite, with their money line odds sitting at -163 compared to the Reds at +139. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland, with the forecasted temperature being 76 degrees and cloudy.

First pitch is currently scheduled for 6:40 PM ET, and BSGL will be televising this one. Cincinnati is 76-81 and they have Jakob Junis on the mound, while the Guardians are starting Tanner Bibee. Cleveland is currently on a two-game losing streak, and they are leading the AL Central. The Reds are 4th in the NL Central.

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland Key Information

Cincinnati is sending right-hander Jakob Junis to the mound today as he faces the Guardians on the road. Junis has made 23 appearances this year to go along with five starts. He has a record of 4-0 and an ERA of 2.61. Opposing batters are hitting .197 off Junis this year, and he has a WHIP of .84. One of Junis’ 23 appearances was a quality start, and he is averaging 6.97 strikeouts per nine innings. Junis has not taken a loss since August 20th.

Elly De La Cruz has been one of the Reds’ most consistent hitters this season, as he is batting .261 with a team-leading 25 home runs and 74 RBIs. De La Cruz has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/30 in his last seven games. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario are also tied for 2nd on the team in homers, but both are batting under .230 for the season.

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As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been pretty consistent at home and on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game in both situations. Cincinnati’s team batting average of .233 is 19th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts.

Cleveland is sending Tanner Bibee to the mound today vs. the Reds, and he will be looking to build off his last outing, in which he finished with a no-decision. Against the Twins, Bibee went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and he allowed one homer in the outing. Looking back further, he has given up at least one homer in three straight starts. Bibee’s ERA for the season is 3.56, along with a record of 11-8. Out of his 30 starts, he has 11 quality starts and is averaging 9.72 strikeouts per nine innings.

Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been the Guardians’ most consistent power threats this season, as Ramirez’s 37 homers are 6th in the league, and Naylor’s 31 long balls are 10th in the MLB. Ramirez is also 3rd in the league with 112 RBIs, while Naylor is 6th at 105. Ramirez is batting .274 for the season, and Naylor comes in at .240.

Andres Gimenez has been hot of late, going 8/20 in his last five games with a home run and three RBIs. This has pushed his season average up to .256. Josh Naylor has struggled in his last six games, batting just .130 with two homers. Jose Ramirez has also gone deep twice in his last six games, batting .292 over that stretch.

Look for the Guardians to come out on top as they host the Reds today, and we are leaning towards taking them on the money line. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 7th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. These teams are also projected to have the 6th most hits and 4th fewest combined strikeouts.

Guardians Still Chasing Goals as Reds Embark on New Era

Even though the Cleveland Guardians have already clinched the American League Central title, they still have plenty to play for in the final week of the regular season. The Guardians (90-67) will look to solidify their playoff seeding when they open a two-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

Cleveland is aiming to finish with one of the top two records in the AL, which would earn the team a first-round bye into the AL Division Series.

“Our focus right now is trying to get a one or two seed,” Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff said. “We’re thinking about how we play these next (five) games, hopefully get some help from other teams to where we can start planning as early as possible for only a Division Series.”

Despite dropping the last two games of a three-game series in St. Louis, Cleveland has won five of its last six games at home. The Guardians are still motivated to close out the season strong.

Tanner Bibee Looks to Finish Strong

Cleveland’s scheduled starter, right-hander Tanner Bibee (11-8, 3.56 ERA), will focus on fine-tuning his performance heading into the postseason. Bibee has been solid in September, posting a 3.04 ERA in four starts this month. In his last outing, he pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits in a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Bibee’s last appearance against Cincinnati came on June 12, when he allowed two home runs to Jeimer Candelario but still managed 11 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 4-2 loss.

Reds Begin Transition with Managerial Change

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds (76-81) enter the series in transition after firing manager David Bell on Sunday. Bell, who went 409-456 in six seasons as the Reds’ skipper, was let go following a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds have endured a disappointing season, failing to secure a second consecutive winning campaign after injuries and underperformance plagued the team.

Bench coach Freddie Benavides will serve as interim manager for the final week of the season.

“David provided the kind of steadiness that we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in a statement. “But we have not achieved the success we expected, and we need to begin focusing on 2025.”

Jakob Junis Set to Start for Reds

Cincinnati’s Jakob Junis (4-0, 2.61 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds. Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline, Junis has been a bright spot for Cincinnati, particularly in his four starts, where he has allowed just two earned runs over 20 innings. The right-hander could play a pivotal role for the Reds in the 2025 season.

However, Junis has struggled historically against Cleveland, posting a 3-9 record with a 6.41 ERA in 18 career appearances (15 starts) against the Guardians. He hasn’t faced Cleveland since 2021.

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Key Matchups to Watch

Cleveland slugger Jose Ramirez has had success against Junis, with two home runs off the right-hander. Ramirez has also been dominant against the Reds overall, batting .365 with six homers and 23 RBIs in his last 18 games against Cincinnati.

For the Reds, rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz has been a mixed bag recently. While he’s batting .300 (12-for-40) over his last 10 games with two home runs, he has also struck out 16 times in that span.