Friday, September 10, 1999
Scouting report: Reds vs. Marlins
• Where: Cinergy Field, Cincinnati.
• When: 7:05 p.m. today and Saturday, 1:15p.m. Sunday, 12:35p.m. Monday.
• Records: Reds 82-58, second in NL Central; Marlins 57-82, fifth in NL East.
• Radio: WLW-AM (700).
• TV: None.
At the plate
Though the Marlins have some promising hitters, such as Bruce Aven, Alex Gonzalez, Kevin Millar and Preston Wilson, they rank last in the league in homers and runs. They don't do much to supplement their offense, ranking 12th in stolen bases and next-to-last in walks.
On the mound
• Today: Denny Neagle (5-5, 5.38 ERA) vs. Dennis Springer (5-13, 4.48).
• Saturday: Juan Guzman (5-2, 3.24) vs. Vladimir Nunez (6-7, 3.33).
• Sunday: Ron Villone (7-6, 4.02) vs. Brian Meadows (11-14, 5.71).
• Monday: Steve Parris (8-2, 3.60) vs. Ryan Dempster (6-7, 5.03).
As a knuckleballer, Springer is capable of causing fits, though opponents are hitting .298 against him. Nunez has been used mostly as a starter since joining Florida from Arizona, limiting opponents to a .238 average overall.
Since closer Matt Mantei escaped to Arizona in a trade, Antonio Alfonseca has performed capably as the bullpen ace, notching 17 saves.
Outlook
The Reds, who won two of three games at Florida May 28-30, were 6-0 against the Marlins at Cinergy Field last year on their way to a perfect 9-0 effort. Cincinnati has won nine of its last 10 home dates against Florida. It's a key homestand for the Reds, who play the Marlins and Cubs while the first-place Astros play host to the Cubs and Phillies.
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