After a dominant win on Thursday, the Cincinnati Reds are looking to keep the good vibes rolling as they head to Cleveland for the first game of the Ohio Cup series. The two in-state rivals will square off at Progressive Field on Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:10 PM ET.

The Reds will send left-hander Andrew Abbott to the mound, and fans have plenty of reason to feel optimistic. After a rough month of April, Abbott has looked sharp in his last three starts, tossing 17.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs. He's struck out 14 batters, walked seven, and surrendered only one home run during that stretch—a welcome sign for a team that needs its Opening Day starter to find his groove. His season ERA has dropped to 4.47, and the Reds are hoping he'll keep that downward trend going.

Cleveland will counter with right-hander Tanner Bibee, setting up a classic pitching duel between two promising arms.

The Guardians are playing to their usual strengths this season. They don't hit for much power—their 42 home runs rank 19th in MLB, and their .136 ISO is 22nd—but they excel at working counts. Cleveland walks at a 11.2% clip (fourth in the league) and rarely strikes out, with a 19.9% rate that's the third-lowest in baseball. Their team wRC+ of 96 sits just ahead of Cincinnati's 94, while their pitching staff ranks around 10th in both ERA and xERA.

It's a classic Ohio Cup matchup: two teams that share a border, a rivalry, and a knack for grinding out close games. The Reds will need Abbott to keep dealing and the lineup to build on Thursday's offensive explosion if they want to bring the trophy back across the state line.