Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets 7/30/21 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The Cincinnati Reds open a three-game series on the road in the Big Apple on Friday against the New York Mets. Cincinnati is 53-49 following an 8-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Joey Votto hit two home runs for the second straight day and has homered in five consecutive games. Cincinnati is second in the National League Central seven games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

Nick Castellanos is batting .329 to lead Cincinnati and the right fielder is leading the Reds in RBIs with 59. Outfielder Jesse Winker is the leader in home runs with 21 and hits with 113, while third baseman Jonathan India is the leader in on-base percentage at .401. On Friday, Cincinnati will send Sonny Gray to the mound. The right-hander is 2-6 with an ERA of 4.50, 89 Ks and 38 BBs.

The New York Mets improved to 54-46 following a 2-1 victory on Wednesday over the Atlanta Braves. Brandon Drury hit a pinch-hit home run to break a tie in the seventh inning, while Michael Conforto threw out the tying run at the plate during the ninth inning, preserving the Mets victory. New York is first in the National League East four games ahead of second-place Philadelphia.

Pete Alonso is batting .262 to lead New York and the first baseman has team highs in home runs with 22, RBIs with 60, hits with 85 and on-base percentage at .339. Dominic Smith is second in home runs with 11 and RBIs with 44. On Friday, the New York Mets will send Carlos Carrasco to the mound. The right-hander will be making his debut with the Mets after being on the injured list since the start of the season.