Today at 4:15 p.m. ET, the Cincinnati Reds (2-4) and St. Louis Cardinals (3-3) kick off a three-game series against each other live from Busch Stadium in St. Louis for the Cardinals 2014 home opener. The game can be live streamed here. Cincinnati fans can hear all of the action on WLW 700 while St. Louis fans can do the same on KMOX 1120.
Tony Cingrani takes the ball for Cincinnati after throwing seven scoreless innings in his 2014 debut and allowing just two hits while Michael Wacha toes the rubber for St. Louis after he pitched 6.2 shutout innings last time out in his season debut. These two opposed each other in last week's outing.
"They were coming out swinging and weren't putting too many good swings on it. It helped me out a little bit," Cingrani told MLB.com about his success against St. Louis last time out.
The defending National League Champion Cardinals will raise the banner at home in their first game at Busch Stadium since Game 5 of the World Series.
"It's definitely an honor," Wacha said per MLB.com. "Just like all the other starts last year, I'll just try not to let the moment get too big."
In his brief career, Wacha has held the Reds scoreless through 16.2 innings. Cards manager Mike Matheny doesn't think the pageantry of Opening Day will distract his pitcher.
"[Distractions] can always be an issue, but he's had distractions and he's handled them well," Matheny said via MLB.com. "We've had distractions all season long, whether they're rain delays or Opening Days. It's just one thing after another. I think he's prepared for it, and I think he'll do just fine."
These teams clashed during the Cardinal's home opener in 2013, which saw the Reds walk out with a 13-4 victory.
St. Louis took two of three from Cincinnati last week with all three games being decided by one run. Cincinnati is 1-8 in its last nine series against the Cardinals.
The Reds will hope that Billy Hamilton (jammed-finger) will be back in the lineup.
These two N.L. Central rivals go head-to-head in the Cardinals home opener today against the Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
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