Ryan Vogelsong and Homer Bailey will pitch in Game 3 in Cincinnati on Tuesday. (AP) |
The Giants' season is on the right shoulder of Ryan Vogelsong, as the two teams will face off in Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday in Cincinnati with the Reds holding a 2-0 series lead.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, since the advent of the wild card, 90 percent of the teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in the division series have gone on to win (38 of 42). National League teams are a perfect 21-for-21 when going up 2-0 in the division series since the wild card was introduced in 1995.
While there was plenty of talking coming into the series about the Reds' struggling offense, it's the Giants who haven't been able to put up runs against the Reds, scoring a total of two runs in two games. San Francisco is hitting just .143/.250/.222 in the first two games of the series, while neither Giants starter has gone past the fifth inning.
Game 3 will be Vogelsong (14-9, 3.37) for the Giants against the Reds' Homer Bailey (13-10, 3.68).
Bailey vs. the Giants
Bailey hasn't liked pitching much at Great American Ball Park this season, going 4-8 with a 5.16 ERA in 17 starts at home and 9-2 with a 2.32 ERA in 16 starts away from home, including his no-hitter in Pittsburgh. Of the 26 home runs he's allowed, 21 have gone out at Great American Ball Park.
Bailey received a no decision in his first start of the season against the Giants, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in 6 1/3 on April 26 at Great American Ball Park. In five career starts against San Francisco, he's 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA.
No current Giant has hit a home run off of Bailey, and only Hunter Pence and Joaquin Arias have extra-base hits off of Bailey, both with a double each. Arias has faced him just three times and has two hits. Ryan Theriot, a former Cub, is 4 for 14. In six career plate appearances against Bailey, Buster Posey is 0 for 5 with two strikeouts and a walk.
Vogelsong vs. the Reds
Vogelsong, 35, was 14-9 with a 3.37 ERA for the Giants this season. In two starts against the Reds, he gave up six earned runs over 13 innings. He did not have a decision in either start.
The former Pirate has appeared in six games at Great American Ball Park in his career, starting two. He's 1-0 with a 4.57 ERA at Cincinnati. Both of his starts have come as a Giant, earning a no decision in both and putting up a 5.25 ERA.
This season he's pitched much better at home, putting up a 2.86 ERA at AT&T Park and 3.87 away. He actually gave up one more home run at home than on the road.
Brandon Phillips has faced Vogelsong more than any other Red and has seven hits (six singles) in 15 at-bats. Scott Rolen (4 for 10), Jay Bruce (4 for 12) and Todd Frazier (2 for 4) have all touched Vogelsong for home runs. Vogelson, though, has had his way (more or less) with Joey Votto. Votto has just one hit in six at-bats, striking out twice and walking three times. Drew Stubbs has struck out five times in 13 plate appearances against the Giatns starter.
For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook.