Cincinnati right-hander Brady Singer and Arizona righty Zac Gallen will meet for the second time this season on Sunday afternoon in Phoenix.
Their first matchup, in June, could be called a turning point for both teams, especially the Reds.
Although Singer was not around for a decision, the Reds beat Gallen and the Diamondbacks 4-2 on June 8 to finish a three-game sweep in Cincinnati.
The win evened the Reds’ record at 33-33 and came at the midpoint of a five-game winning streak. The Reds have not been under .500 since while making a slow, steady climb into the National League wild-card race.
When Singer (11-9, 4.18 ERA) and Gallen (9-13, 5.28) meet again in the finale of a three-game series in Phoenix on Sunday, the Reds have the better playoff odds.
The D-backs have won the first two games of the series, beating Reds ace Andrew Abbott 10-1 on Saturday. Arizona can become the first team to sweep the Reds in their 41 series this season.
“We’re not scoreboard watching,” said Abbott, who fell to 8-4. “We’re just trying to go out each day and play as well as we can. We are not going to win them all, we know that, but we are going to try to control what we can.”
The Reds, who have lost three games in a row, are 2 1/2 games behind the Mets for the third and final NL wild-card berth. The Diamondbacks, who have won four straight games, are 5 1/2 games behind New York and have not been above .500 since July 2.
Singer set a career high in wins his last time out, a 4-1 victory at the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in a game in which he gave up one run on six hits in six innings. His ERA is skewed because of two games in which he gave up seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
“We love this,” Singer said after beating the Angels. “This is what you play for. I played a few seasons when you weren’t in it and it’s not very fun, I can tell you that. Being in this wild-card race is a blast, and guys have been tremendous with it.”
Singer, who spent his first five seasons in the American League, is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts against Arizona. He beat them with quality starts in 2022 and 2023, giving up one run each time, before getting a no-decision June 8.
Corbin Carroll is 3-for-5 with a double and a triple against Singer, while Alek Thomas is 3-for-6, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 3-for 7, and Ketel Marte is 0-for-7.
Gallen will look to hit double-digit victories for a fourth straight season in a year that has not lived up to his standards. He has a career high in losses and has given up 26 homers, second-highest total in the NL.
He has turned it around recently, making quality starts in three of his last four while going 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA. He has walked only 12 in his last 11 starts.
“He’s putting balls on the plate, not trying to be too fine,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “The stuff has been very crisp. Pretty much the same mix. There is no pitch that has been created. Maybe a little different sequencing.”
Gallen is 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA in five career starts against the Reds, who touched him for three homers in the previous meeting this year, the 4-2 Reds win on June 8. Elly De La Cruz is 0-for-5 against him.