Cincinnati at Los Angeles

Cincinnati has quietly won four of five, including a 5-2 win over the Cardinals as a dog. The last five games they've scored 31 runs and the Reds are 10-4 against the NL West. Starter Luis Castillo (0.92 ERA) has been outstanding, allowing only five hits in 19+ innings with 25 strikeouts. The Reds are 7-1 when he starts Game 1 of a series. While the Reds are up, the Dodgers are down, on a 1-6 skid and losing five times as chalk. The Los Angeles pitching staff has yielded 39 runs the last eight games, dropping to #18 in the league with a 4.71 team ERA. The Dodgers are 4-9 at home versus a team with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Clayton Kershaw makes his season debut after recovering from inflammation in his left shoulder, and the Reds have won six of seven against Los Angeles, including four in a row at Dodgers Stadium. Play Cincinnati.