The Cincinnati Reds welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to Great American Ball Park on Friday, September 4, for a 6:10 PM ET first pitch. Rhett Lowder gets the ball for Cincinnati against Milwaukee left-hander Shane Drohan in what shapes up as an intriguing pitching matchup late in the regular season. With September baseball carrying real weight in the NL Central standings, this home game matters — and the Reds have the lineup in place to make something happen against a Brewers club that has been a thorn in Cincinnati's side all season long.

Pitching Matchup: Rhett Lowder vs. Shane Drohan

Rhett Lowder draws the start for the Reds. The young right-hander has been one of the more closely watched arms in Cincinnati's rotation, and getting him at home against Milwaukee is an opportunity the Reds will want him to seize. Lowder's ability to control the strike zone and generate weak contact will be tested against a Brewers lineup that makes pitchers work.

Shane Drohan gets the nod for Milwaukee. The left-hander will face a Reds lineup that is stacked with right-handed and switch-hitting threats, which could cut into his effectiveness early. How Drohan handles the heart of the Cincinnati order will likely define the game's outcome.

Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup

• 1. Dane Myers — CF
• 2. Elly De La Cruz — SS
• 3. Sal Stewart — 1B
• 4. Tyler Stephenson — C
• 5. Eugenio Suárez — DH
• 6. JJ Bleday — LF
• 7. Matt McLain — 2B
• 8. Héctor Rodríguez — RF
• 9. Edwin Arroyo — 3B

Keys to Watch Against Milwaukee

Elly De La Cruz Sets the Tone

Batting second, De La Cruz is the engine of this offense. His combination of speed and raw power gives the Reds a dimension that few teams can match. If De La Cruz is getting on base and creating chaos on the basepaths, Cincinnati is a different team. Drohan will need a plan for him from the opening at-bat.

Stephenson and Suárez Protect the Middle

Tyler Stephenson at cleanup and Eugenio Suárez sliding into the five-hole gives this lineup genuine run-producing depth. Suárez, a veteran presence, knows how to punish pitchers who work around Stephenson. If Drohan has to navigate both of them with runners on base, the Reds have a real chance to put crooked numbers on the board early.

Lowder's Command in the Early Innings

September starts carry extra weight, and Lowder will need to be sharp from the first pitch. Keeping Milwaukee off the bases in the first two or three innings will allow the Reds offense to settle in and build a cushion. Any early trouble from Lowder shifts pressure onto a bullpen that will already be managing workloads down the stretch.

Prediction

This is a winnable game at Great American Ball Park, where the Reds have a built-in advantage with a crowd behind them on a Friday night. Lowder holding Milwaukee to two or fewer runs through five innings is the realistic path to a Cincinnati victory. Look for De La Cruz and Stephenson to do damage against Drohan, and for the Reds to take this one at home, 5–3.

Catch the game on Reds.TV or on WLW 700 AM if you're listening across Reds Country.