(Sports Network) - Veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo aims for his second win over Cleveland of 2010 and the sixth of his career today when the Cincinnati Reds host the Indians in the third and final game of an all-Ohio interleague series at Great American Ball Park.
The Key West, Florida native, a former American Leaguer with the Boston Red Sox, is 5-2 lifetime against the Indians in seven games -- six starts -- with a 3.19 earned run average across 42 1/3 innings.
In his last matchup with Cleveland, Arroyo went 6 2/3 innings while allowing seven hits and four runs with two strikeouts en route to a 7-4 triumph on May 21 at Progressive Field.
Arroyo is 3-1 in six starts since that triumph, including a pair of masterful outings over the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics in which he's allowed just 10 hits and three runs in 15 innings in June 17 and 22, respectively.
The 33-year-old has allowed an opposition batting average of .241 this season over 101 1/3 innings, a full 23 points less than his career opposition clip of .264.
For the Indians, first-year right-handed starter Mitch Talbot faces the Reds for the first time in his 18th major-league appearance.
A 26-year-old Utah native, Talbot has gone three starts without a win since beginning the season at 7-4, including interleague losses to the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies on June 16 and 22.
In those starts, he allowed 17 hits and 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings, swelling his season earned run average from 3.59 to 4.08.
Talbot's last win came June 1 against the Chicago White Sox.
He is 4-3 in seven road starts with a 2.56 ERA in 45 2/3 innings.
On Saturday, Brandon Phillips reached base three times and drove in a run, and the Reds beat the floundering Indians, 6-4.
Drew Stubbs added a hit and two runs scored for the Reds, who have won five straight.
Arthur Rhodes, who rarely makes headlines as a middle reliever, threw one scoreless inning to record his 33rd straight outing without yielding a run, tying a major league record. He's thrown 30 consecutive shutout innings and his earned run average stands at just 0.28.
Daniel Ray Herrera (1-3) earned the win for recording one out and Francisco Cordero earned his 20th save.
Anderson Hernandez drove in two runs for the Indians, who have lost seven straight and 11 of 12. Justin Masterson (2-7) struggled with his control, allowing six runs, six hits and four walks in just five-plus innings of work.
The Reds began the 2010 rivalry by winning two of three at Cleveland in May.