Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke comes into Saturday's matchup with the Reds riding a six-start winning streak. Cincinnati's Mat Latos is coming off his first complete game of the season.
These two playoff contenders will meet in the second of three games at Great American Ball Park.
The Dodgers enter Saturday with a magic number of 11 to clinch the NL West, while the Reds, who are coming off a 3-2 win last night, hold the second wild card spot. They are also two games behind Pittsburgh for the lead in the NL Central.
Greinke allowed one run on two hits, while issuing two walks and striking out seven over seven frames in a win against San Diego on Sunday. The right-hander hasn't lost since July 25 against the Reds when he faced Latos at Dodger Stadium.
In that game, Latos had the Dodgers on their heels over 7 2/3 innings, scattering eight hits and striking out four while allowing two runs -- one earned. Greinke yielded six hits and four runs over seven frames in the 5-2 loss.
That's the only defeat for Greinke over his last 14 starts. The Dodgers have gone 19-4 in his 23 starts. He is 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA in seven career starts against the Reds, including a 4-0 mark at Cincinnati.
Another win would be a career-high for Latos, who won 14 in 2010 with San Diego and the same number last year with the Reds. His complete game was against the Cardinals on Monday. Latos is 3-6 with a 2.32 ERA in 10 starts when facing the Dodgers.
Joey Votto hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning and Mike Leake retired 13 of the final 14 Dodgers he faced to lift the Reds to Friday night's win.
Votto came into the game in an 0-for-13 slump.
"I was not very happy with the results during the stretch," Votto said. "This is one game. You're only as good as your last at-bat. I'm not going to get ahead of myself."
Leake (12-6) shook off an early two-run homer from Hanley Ramirez and allowed just five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings to keep the Reds inching toward a postseason berth.
The Dodgers were forced into emptying their bullpen after Chris Capuano exited in the second inning with a groin injury. Manager Don Mattingly used six relievers, and J.P. Howell (2-1) took the loss after serving up Votto's homer.
"To me this is the hardest time of the year to win games," Mattingly said.
If the Dodgers falter Saturday it will mark their first three-game losing streak since June 8-10.
Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has an 11-game hitting streak.
The Dodgers won a four-game set versus Cincinnati from July 25-28.
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