Veteran righty Bronson Arroyo makes a third attempt at reaching double-digit wins for the season on Friday night, when the Cincinnati Reds host the San Diego Padres to open a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
The Key West, Fla. native, who turned 36 in February, has reached double- digits seven times in his career, including five times in seven full seasons with the Reds.
He won 14 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2005 and ultimately won a career- best 17 in 2010 with the Reds, who acquired him for outfielder Wily Mo Pena.
Arroyo got to nine wins this season on July 22 after spinning nine complete innings in an 11-0 defeat of the San Francisco Giants, but he's 0-2 in two outings since, allowing 16 hits and 10 runs in nine innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis.
He's 6-7 in 15 career meetings with the Padres.
For San Diego, streaking righty Andrew Cashner goes for a fourth consecutive victory.
He fell to 5-5 after dropping a 5-4 decision to Colorado on July 10, but has since reeled off defeats of Milwaukee, Arizona and the New York Yankees while allowing eight runs in 19 innings.
He's made six career appearances against the Reds - all in relief - and surrendered just two runs on four hits in five innings.
Cashner is 3-3 this season in 13 road appearances.
On Wednesday in San Diego, Chris Davis slammed the tie-breaking three-run homer in the eighth inning, and Baltimore went on to whip the Padres, 10-3, in the back end of a two-game interleague set.
Jedd Gyorko's three-run shot in the sixth was all the offense for the Padres, who have dropped four of their last six.
Luke Gregerson (5-6) was charged with two runs on two hits while not recording an out in the eighth. Eric Stults had worked the previous seven frames, giving up five hits and two earned runs while fanning six.
In Cincinnati, Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer and knocked in three runs as the Reds held off the Oakland Athletics, 6-5.
Corky Miller hit a pair of RBI doubles before leaving with a right quad contusion for the Reds, who swept a two-game set. Devin Mesoraco, who replaced Miller, drove in a run.
"He epitomizes, I think, what we do as baseball players," Bruce said of Miller. "He's been around forever, he's a grinder, he does things the right way. For him to come out and have a big day is awesome."
Cincinnati starter Homer Bailey (7-10) allowed five runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings.
The Padres won two of three from the Reds in a series played from July 29-31 in San Diego. Cincinnati won the 2012 season series, 6-2.
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