Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds Series Preview

When the Braves take the field Monday in Atlanta against the Reds, they will do so sitting atop the NL East by themselves.

Thanks to the Joey Votto's walk-off grand slam against the Nats and with the Braves walking into St. Louis and sweeping the World Series champs, Atlanta has sole possession of first place in the NL East. It's the latest in the season the Braves have had first place since September 6, 2010. The Reds are 2.5 games out of first in the NL Central with a 17-16 record and arrive in Atlanta for a brief two-game series.

Votto is Cincinnati's 225 million-dollar man, signing a 10-year extension right before the season, but he and Jay Bruce headline a Reds offense that has been disappointing. For a team that plays its home games in a hitter's park, Cincinnati's .236 batting average is 13th in the NL with an OBP right at .300. Votto and Bruce have 15 of the team's 27 home runs, while Brandon Phillips has not had the kind of production one would expect out of the cleanup spot, hitting only .252 with a .650 OPS overall. Third baseman Scott Rolen is on the DL with a shoulder strain, but Todd Frazier has proved to be an adequate substitute thus far, hitting .310 in 14 games.

The pitching, on the other hand, has been more respectable with a 3.34 ERA and has issued the third-fewest walks in the NL with 91. With their free-agent closer Ryan Madson requiring elbow surgery, Sean Marshall was asked to fill the void and has recorded five saves despite a 4.50 ERA in 12 innings. Johnny Cueto has been the ace of the staff, posting the NL's second-best ERA at 1.12 although his FIP sits at 3.01. One of the newest Reds, and former Braves minor-league pitcher J.J. Hoover had done well so far out of the bullpen, allowing only one run in 7.1 innings since his debut April 25.

Pitching matchups and Reds roster after the jump.

Monday May 14, 7:10 p.m. ET

Randall Delgado

#40 / Pitcher / Atlanta Braves

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 09, 1990

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2012 - Randall Delgado	2-3	6	6	0	0	0	0	33.2	32	17	17	3	15	31	4.54	1.40

Homer Bailey

#34 / Pitcher / Cincinnati Reds

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 03, 1986

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2012 - Homer Bailey	1-3	6	6	0	0	0	0	34.2	40	23	19	6	13	24	4.93	1.53

Tuesday May 15, 7:10 p.m. ET

Tim Hudson

#15 / Pitcher / Atlanta Braves

Height: 6-1

Weight: 175

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 14, 1975

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2012 - Tim Hudson	1-1	3	3	0	0	0	0	18.0	17	10	9	1	5	13	4.50	1.22

Johnny Cueto

#47 / Pitcher / Cincinnati Reds

Height: 5-10

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 15, 1986

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2012 - Johnny Cueto	4-0	7	7	1	0	0	0	48.1	39	7	6	2	8	31	1.12	0.97

REDS BULLPEN

R - Jose Arredondo
L - Aroldis Chapman
R - J.J. Hoover
R - Sam LeCure
L - Sean Marshall (closer)
R - Logan Ondrusek
R - Alfredo Simon

REDS STARTERS

C - Ryan Hanigan
1B - Joey Votto
2B - Brandon Phillips
3B - Todd Frazier
SS - Zack Cozart
LF - Ryan Ludwick
CF - Drew Stubbs
RF - Jay Bruce

REDS BENCH

IF - Miguel Cairo
3B - Mike Costanzo
OF - Chris Heisey
C - Devin Mesoraco
IF - Wilson Valdez