The set-up: The Cincinnati Reds opened the season 3-15 before firing manger Bryan Price and while they've been more competitive under Jim Riggleman, Cincy still owns the NL's worst record (18-34) and finds themselves 14 games out of first place in the NL Central. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez crushed a two-run HR in Friday's 5-4 loss at Colorado and is 6-for-15 with two HRs and eight RBI during his four-game hitting streak. He is the National League's surprise leader in RBI with 40 runs. All that, despite missing 16 games last month due to injury. Meanwhile, Colorado's All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado homered in the first inning. It was the first time Arenado had done so since May 5 at the New York Mets. The home run was Arenado's ninth this season and came after he went 64 at-bats without one. Colorado was a wild card team in 2017 (87-75) and its 27-24 record in 2018, has them in first place in the NL West, a half-game ahead of the Diamondbacks.

The pitching matchup: Tyler Mahle (3-6, 4.53 ERA) takes the mound for the Reds and squares off against Colorado lefty Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.74 ERA). The 23-year-old Mahle was a seventh-round draft pick of the Reds in 2013 and is considered a rookie this season, after just four appearances in 2017. He has an impressive 52 strikeouts over 53 2/3 innings but has also served up 13 HRs, including three in his last outing (he has allowed multiple HRs in five of his 10 starts this season). Mahle lost his second straight start last Sunday, allowing four runs over six innings a 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. He has never faced the Rockies. Anderson hopes to bounce back from a tough outing against San Francisco on Sunday, when he allowed five runs over 5 1/3 innings. He comes in struggling, having given up 13 runs (12 earned) on 19 hits over 16 innings in his last three starts (6.75 ERA). Anderson earned the victory in his only previous start against the Reds, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts over six innings on May 19, 2017.

The pick; The Rockies are in first place, despite Arenado having just ended a streak of 16 consecutive games without a HR last night. Arenado hit 42 HRs with 130 RBI in 2015, followed by seasons of 41-133 and 37-130 but said pitchers seem more inclined to walk him this season. Hard to imagine Arenado not "breaking out" soon or that the Rockies will continue to struggle here in Coors (just 8-11). Mahle seems ill-equipped to get in the way of a Colorado win. Make the Rockies an 8* play.