Guardians vs Reds Picks and Prediction – 5/17/2025

The Cleveland Guardians play the second game of a three-game series on the road Saturday versus the Cincinnati Reds. Cleveland is 25-18 following its 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. Cleveland had its two-game winning streak snapped by the loss. The Guardians are second in the American League Central, 3 ½ games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers. Keep up to date with all the MLB action with our MLB predictions.

Steven Kwan is batting .325 to lead Cleveland and has team highs in hits with 55 and on-base percentage at .384. Kyle Manzardo is the leader in home runs with 10 and RBI with 25. Cleveland is batting .233 with a .388 slugging percentage. On Saturday, Cleveland will send Luis Ortiz to the mound. The right-hander is 2-4 with a 4.78 ERA, 49 Ks, and 21 BBs.

The Cincinnati Reds improved to 21-24 following Thursday’s 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Matt McLain, Will Benson, and Elly Da La Cruz each hit home runs for Cincinnati, while Nick Martinez threw seven scoreless innings. Cincinnati snapped a three-game losing streak with its victory. Cincinnati is 4th in the National League Central, 4 ½ games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs.

Gavin Lux is batting .291 to lead Cincinnati and has a team-high .383 on-base percentage. Elly De La Cruz is the leader in home runs with eight, RBI with 31, and hits with 45. Cincinnati is buying .239 with a .385 slugging percentage. On Saturday, Cincinnati will send Chase Petty to the mound. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 21.94 ERA, 7 Ks, and 8 BBs.

Cleveland has won 10 of its last 15, while in contrast, Cincinnati has lost nine of its last 12. Cleveland has won four of the last five head-to-head versus Cincinnati. Cleveland starter Luis Ortiz is coming off a strong effort in which the right-hander allowed one run across six innings. Cincinnati starter Chase Petty has been hit hard in two outings, allowing 13 runs on 13 hits across 5.1 innings. Final Score Prediction: Cleveland Guardians win 6-3.