Back at the .500 mark, the Cincinnati Reds will open up a home stand against the San Francisco Giants tonight at 6:40pm ET. The Giants currently have the best record in the National League and a big part of that is due to a rotation made up of former Reds.
Starting Lineups
San Francisco Giants
|
Cincinnati Reds
|
| Mike Tauchman – CF | Jesse Winker – LF |
| Buster Posey – C | Nick Senzel – 3B |
| Mike Yastrzemski – RF | Nick Castellanos – RF |
| Darin Ruf – 1B | Tyler Naquin – CF |
| Brandon Crawford – SS | Eugenio Suárez – SS |
| Wilmer Flores – 3B | Kyle Farmer – 1B |
| Alex Dickerson – LF | Tucker Barnhart – C |
| Mauricio Dubón – 2B | Jonathan India – 2B |
| Logan Webb – SP | Sonny Gray – SP |
Starting Pitchers
Sonny Gray
After a rough start against St. Louis on April 23rd, Sonny Gray has been very good in the three starts that followed, giving up just three earned runs in 17.1 innings with 24 strikeouts to the Dodgers, White Sox, and Pirates.
This season he has dominated left-handed hitters, holding them to a .192/.300/.308 line with 22 strikeouts against them in 60 plate appearances. Right-handed hitters, though, are having plenty of success against Gray. Righties had hit .313/.377/.500 against him in 53 plate appearances this year with 14 strikeouts.
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Slider | Change |
Curve | |
| Velo | 92.7 | 93.0 | 82.6 | 85.6 | 80.1 |
| Usage | 21.7% | 28.9% | 14.2% | 4.0% | 31.2% |
Logan Webb
In a rotation that’s gotten the job done in a big way, Logan Webb has had more struggles than the others. His ERA sits at 4.74 (81 ERA+) as he’s been hit around a bit. He hasn’t been stingy with the walks, but he has struck out plenty of batters this season and he’s coming off of a 10-strikeout performance against Texas where he allowed just one earned run. When the Reds were in San Francisco in April they faced Webb, but it was only for one inning and came in his only non-start of the year. He threw a perfect inning with a strikeout.
The splits on Logan Webb this season are pretty big. He’s dominated right-handed hitters, holding them to a .189/.286/.270 line with 7 walks and 26 strikeouts in 84 plate appearances. Left-handed hitters have crushed him this season to the tune of a .352/.425/.549 line with 9 walks and 17 strikeouts in 80 plate appearances. Lefties make more a lot more contact and they have hit for a lot more power.
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Slider | Change |
Cutter | |
| Velo | 93.0 | 92.2 | 82.1 | 85.6 | 90.8 |
| Usage | 14.5% | 31.5% | 21.1% | 30.9% | 1.9% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:40pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio (formerly Fox Sports Ohio), MLB.tv
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 66°, Cloudy, 10% chance of rain
News and Notes
Mike Moustakas remains out of the lineup
With a pitcher who gets crushed by lefties, Mike Moustakas absence in the lineup may be felt tonight. He hasn’t played since he injured his feel in Colorado.
Roster Move
Michael Feliz, who the Reds picked up on waivers over the weekend, has officially been added to the 26-man roster. Reliever Art Warren has been optioned to Triple-A Louisville.
Hunter Greene struck out 10 on Sunday
103 MPH fastballs. 93 MPH sliders. 10 strikeouts in 6.0 shutout innings. Hunter Greene was feeling it yesterday for Double-A Chattanooga. His performance helped earn him the Double-A South Pitcher of the Week honors. Over at RedsMinorLeagues.com I wrote in more detail about his start on Sunday, the change he’s made since spring training, and just how dominant he’s been in the early parts of the minor league season.
NL Central Standings
Playoff odds via Fangraphs
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff % |
| Cardinals | 23 | 18 | 0 | 39.5% |
| Brewers | 21 | 20 | 2.0 | 51.9% |
| Reds | 19 | 19 | 2.5 | 19.5% |
| Cubs | 19 | 20 | 3.0 | 17.8% |
| Pirates | 17 | 23 | 5.5 | 0.3% |
Big Sal electing free agency. I hope he signs with the Mets, reportedly his childhood team. Salud, Sal. Godspeed.
Hope he finds a home and rights his ship.
Give Warren a chance. Perez walks too many batters and should’ve been optioned.
I hope Suárez can keep his bases loaded at -bats alive long enough for the passed ball score like last game!
That has to be why he leads the team in at bats and games played
Reds shaky defense again? Should’ve turned 2 on Posey then Gray put a 1-2 pitch right in the middle of the plate for the cleanup hitter. India follows that by booting another dp? Maybe only 1 though?
Winker is much taller/longer then Farmer. If they gave him a shot at 1B they turn 2 on Posey
And TySteve is taller than Winker. Sure hope they give him a shot at first soon.
I get that they haven’t played 1B, but obviously Farmer is a beginner there too. Atleast they only got one there.
Let’s leave India and Stephenson alone. As rookies they have enough offensive adjustments without including a position change.
I hope India cleans it up with respect to consistency. Brilliant one play, throwing it around the diamond the next.
Is Joe West flying on plane with Reds. At least second maybe third straight series.
Joe West should ride off into the sunset
+1
That must be Manfred interfering in umpire scheduling.
Sonny really needed that 9 pitch inning.That resets his outing and now lets get him some to work with and take this opening game.Time for this team to make a move the next 8 or 10 games.Division can be had.Might as well be the Reds.
I really dislike pitcher’s batting.
With any luck, this will be the last year of that.
Sure hope so.
Wink swung at atleast 4 pitches that were inside on that at-bat. Problem is they would’ve been close and “always late for dinner” umps would’ve rung him up sooner or later. He’s got to get the ball out over the plate though?
Joe West always seems to call the inside pitch to lefties strikes. That being said, Jesse was never going to do damage on those up and in pitches
Wasted a good chance there. Would like to get some off this starter, before he is yanked or his pitch count is reached.
Wow! This umpire.
Whats the timeline on Moose now? They’re not giving Castellanos much lately.
Personally I think I’d go India>Shogo or Naquin>Senzel as far as finding a spot in the lineup. I just don’t see what some of you see in Senzel? He’ll be 26 next month. Idk?
With every Castellanos hit, I can only think, opt-out and the end of this year. Unless of course we have a special year.
hes opting out 100%. Hoping he has a career year in spite of that.
Suarez has to be bottom 5 in stranding risp. He just absolutely has to be. He might be the worst in the game.
It just has to stop at this point
Intervention for the manager
Lol
Farmer’s whiff. Geno into a DP. Sloppy fielding. Weak grounder by Winker.
Somehow it feels lucky we’re only down 1 at this point.
And, yes, Joe West needs to go West and hang up his gear.
i wish I were 26 next month.
Consolation prize. Maybe you can run 60 feet without going down and staying down. You don’t have to actually catch anything because he doesn’t either
This team is sooo hard to watch sometimes .
Thanks Geno. You’re a true 2-way threat!
My issue with Geno is he wasn’t a great 3b defensively except for 1 year.
Offensively, he just doesnt give a consistently good at bat
Hes going to hit a hot streak-88 forecast at gabp this week and then Wrigley . Suarez will get his HR and OPS up by july. He will have value especially in AL and trade moose who will have value to a mega budget team like the Giants and go with india and senzel at 2b/3b and take the money and sign Castellanos and find a center fielder.
Clearly Kyle Farmer is playing the wrong infield position tonight.
It’s crazy that 1st is his weakest position.
Giants level of talent is no greater than Reds but they possess a winning mentality. This team didn’t seem to have one even last year sneaking into the playoffs.
Unforced error after unforced error
Can’t assume a dp so their 1st inning run was earned, but we actually blew 2 doubleplays in the 1st. 2 complete gift runs!
Getting really ugly really fast here …
Good teams find ways to win, even if it means overcoming defensive errors/lapses. Bad teams, well?
They won yesterday like that, but nobody overcomes dumb lapses when they happen this often.
Another error leading to a run. The Suarez experiment has to end. Farmer needs to become the full time SS as that’s the teams only option. Moose can go back to 2nd and Suarez to 3rd.
The Mets may offer something for Shogo. They are desperate.
Bring up Rodriguez and see what he has. I was counting on Gary Clements being right and the Reds rocking this pitcher. Alas, doesn’t seem that’s happening. It’s time for dramatic changes.
2 of the 3 runs because of shoddy defense.
And who knows, maybe Gray doesn’t get tagged with a HR, if he’s pitching from the windup.
Butterfly effect.
Exactly!
Following up on my previous comment and looking at the box score, Giants have 3 runs on 4 hits while the Reds have 4 hits and 0 runs. Hitting with RISP is, shall we say, lacking! Good news is there’s a lot of time left and this current edition of the Reds has a tendency to score in the late innings!
How much of Gray and/or Castillo’s struggles are based on the D that they know they have behind them (IE Suarez)
With the exception of the HRs, the shoddy D extends the innings and runs up the pitch count!
Nick senzel with the Scott Rolen play at 3b
Kinda hung that one … quick bat speed, at least it looked that way to me.
Wheels = fallen off
Can’t keep throwing the same pitch in the same spot against a power bat.
Sonny and Tucker say, “Wanna bet?”
Don’t take that bet
Giants +1 1/2 lookin real good right now.
Sonny hasn’t had the curve working for 2 starts in a row now. Not good.
This team? Everytime you start feeling a little positive (.500) they have to immediately and I mean immediately remind you who they are.
Ole Looey goes tomorrow and they’re 1-7 with him on the hill and have to be 2-20 before they do anything about it.
Are any of these other sub-par hitters even watching Winker? Or is our illustrious hitting coach? Maybe HE could learn something.
I’ll be Cleteing if they don’t score something here.
I want to feel better about the Reds.
Where are all the optimistic commenters that get mad at the negative posters?
Seriously I miss you guys you keep me steady!
Senzel needs to be leadoff or down in the order. Hits way too many ground balls.
Need a little more wheels Senzel, inning ending DP
Night all. Perhaps if I do this we’ll mount a comeback like we did out at Coors.
Ok SS is not in Suarez’s wheel house. His range is too limited. Bring up Rodriguez, and move Suarez back to 3B.
*move Suárez to the bench
Won’t let a man come out of a slump? Look at his game logs, he’s obviously been coming around offensively. He’s just not rangy enough to play SS.
Last in every category except games played, strike outs and at bats?
They’ve waited long enough
And OPS (except Shogo and the pitchers)
I suspect we just said our goodbyes to Mark Moore 🙂
Okay, I am on Roku streaming, so Mark bid adieu before I saw the homer.
Oh yeah …
This team looks so awful at times sheesh.
I am remembering why I stopped watching Reds baseball for 20 years. Just came back in the fold last season. Have been a fan since 1987.
Looks like they are heading to 2-101 in games trailing by 5. Don’t see SF acting like the Rockies yesterday. Time for changes.
2.5 out? Nah. They’ll have to be 8-9 out before they do anything much. That may happen, but it might take awhile since the division is watered down
And that will be too little, too late.
Which perhaps was precisely your point
Fulmer sucks too. I went back and watched Warren’s inning yesterday. That guy has much much better stuff then Fulmer, DeLeon, and Romano. I’m not saying he’ll have better results, but Moe Fulmer, Curly DeLeon, Larry Romano have never been good either.
Indy, you forgot Shemp Perez.
I call him Moe
And now we get 4 innings of the Little Sisters of the Poor, starting with Carson Fulmer.
+1000 for that image. And no, I’m not watching.
No homer.No score.Giants don”t beat themselves.
Like Jekyll and Hyde, this team.
Little jet lag for anyone not named Winker and Castellanos?
Suarez….lolllllllllllllll. Takes the 1-1 right down the middle and then Ks on a foot outside. I’ll come back in the 4th tomorrow and see if Looey Looey Kissitgoodbye hasn’t put us in a huge deficit again
Watching the Reds is bad for my health. I gotta go.
The 2 best Reds pitchers are Mahle and Antone . The 2 best hitters are Winker and Castellanos.
Thats not likely to change soon.
Reds are 4 weeks away from some major organizational decisions.
This team is old with bad contracts.
Why procrastinate? Make some moves now. Fire Bell and most of the coaching staff. Trade Suarez for a SS. Push minor league development as hard as feasible. Do some call ups even if they don’t work, e.g. Rodriguez. But these problems aren’t going to solve themselves with “more time to work things out”. If only the Reds could play the Pirates each week.
They won’t
not sure why we’d trade Suarez now, you’d hust get back a farmer type anyway. I’d bench him if we had a clearly better option but we really dont. drop him in the lineup if anything, and maybe take away some of his playing time but i wouldnt overreact.
lol this team isnt old
Votto 37, Doolittle & Miley 34, Shogo 33, Moose 32, Several are 30. The youngest, Stephenson & India are 24, Senzel 25. Everyone else is at least 27. Not a young team. Definitely some really bad contracts, like Votto.
so 1 bad contract and the same number of plus 30 guys as other teams, got it
Watched Geno for years rarely make that charging barehanded play at 3rd that Senzel just made.
Again! Reds making other teams pitchers look like Cy Young and All Star Pitchers! Really getting tired of this!
to be fair, thats what the Giants pitcging has looked like all year
Suarez is stinking at the plate and the field. Time to sit him for a few days. And since Votto and Moose are both injured, let’s get an all-younger lineup the rest of this series:
Senzel 3B
Winker LF
Castellanos RF
Naquin CF
Stephenson 1B
Barnhart C
India 2B
Farmer SS
Ive seen enough
Trade suarez this year once he hits a hot streak
My infield on Opening day 2022 is Senzel 3b , garcia SS india 2b and Stephenson C .
This just in
Jesse winker hits ball hard
Wink battles and if not for him and Casty we would be in big trouble
Trade? Maybe if we can get a case of bubble gum. Otherwise cut ties. Too much
Reds score! Thank you sir, may I have another?!
Nick S., you disappoint me.
Whats Spanish for Nuke Laloosh?
Muy malo
Carne
Why does Perez have to pitch every day? Even better, why is he still on the big league team?
What does it say when your relief pitchers lead the team in appearances and then get DFA’d ?
Sal Romano #1
Cionel perez will be #2
This pitching staff is bad
Perez now “pitching”! Wave the white flag! But let’s walk a batter first!
Again I say, since folks refuse to follow the belly aching game threads, why not affect change and bring the positive spin to keep us hopeful?
Beuhler? Beuhler? Anyone?
Win or lose, tomorrow is another day. And it is good to be alive.
How’s that?
… He says as the Giants score another run. Gotta watch home plate, guys.
Arrghh
Positive spin on tonite? They get a guy in the pickle and don’t even LOOK at the guy scoring? Ridiculous little league stuff.
Positive spin? Ok. That was a crazy road trip and those last 2 in Denver were draining. They’ll have more energy tomorrow
Hey Senzel (barely) survived watching a double….same as you and I))))))
How about McFly, McFly?
positivity would for sure be good for this blog!
(ducks from things being thrown at me)
Did I mention that Farmer’s playing the wrong position today?
2 days in a row of little league baseball with giants scoring a run on 1/3 situation and runner scoring from 3b
Yes- repeated cue the benny hill music little league plays absolutely reflects on David Bell and is a legitimate criticism
Sorry OS, but Naquin is 100x better hitter then Senzel.
Senzel is a 3b imo.
Naquin is a top 15 pick and finished 3rd in ROY and has talent. Happy to have him and lucas Sims on the roster for Adam Duvall????!
“Clete naquin “ hits a lot of meaningless home runs . I was at the st louis 12-1 win when he hit a 3 run bomb up 7-1 against the back of the bullpen . My ears still hurt from the crack of that bat
He went for 2 more meaningless bombs and 7 rbis against the Pirates in a 14-1 win
Another clete shot tonight
He had a legit meaningful hit yesterday against the Rockies but I dont dislike Naquin.
Hes a solid roster guy and not incompetion with Senzel imo
Howd that zach cozart 3/42 deal work out?
Indy
I disagree
they played the Giants yesterday?
Naquin!
Can we pull another rabbit out of the hat?
GENO!
Do you believe in miracles?
The scoreboard operator needs to replace the “1” for the inning with an “8” since that seems to be when the Reds offense gets into gear lately
Yes, quite.
Crowd seems to be helping a little. If the Reds don’t fall apart by then, they’ll have fairly nice crowds in June!
Only one more chance left for late heroics.
Really wish this team would nail things down early once in a while!
India would’ve walked with a decent ump and put that much more pressure on their pitcher. The world went automated for a reason and its time mlb joins the 21st century and quit letting blind men determine baseball games.
yes, robo umps please. really tired of guys like west, especially west, calling strikes/balls wrong
Add Angel Hernandez and CB Buckner to the list
theyre on that list, 100%
Welcome to the Reds. Here’s your locker! If you want to fit in then walk the leadoff man like everyone else!
OK, guys. Do or die time. TySteve then top of the order. Make it happen!
Tyler Stevenson came through. Somehow this young guy should be in the regular starting eight either at 1st. base or catching.
Senzel is definitely limping after he caught the infield pop. He was gingerly walking around after his dive attempt on the ball down the line.
How’s this for a positive comment? Nice job Feliz!
ooof
Rare error by Giants. Make em pay!
Give away 3 runs and lose by 3. Thats about how it usually works. If they’re serious about hanging around then tomorrow night needs to be it for Castillo. Either show some improvement like 5-6 ip 3 er or less or get replaced. They’re 1-7 in his starts. Enough is enough!
“ If they’re serious about hanging around”
I think the off season of dumping salary and not obtaining a major league shortstop gives the answer in advance, does it not?
replaced with who?
No miracles tonight.
Tomorrow is another day. Still good to be alive (though frustrating to be a Reds fan).
It IS good to be alive
And baseball is only a game and doesn’t decide whether or not we live or die.
Praise be for that!
frustrating depending on your perspective. This team isnt in as bad a spot as most here seem to think.
That’s what often makes them so frustrating. They aren’t bad at all. But as a team, they don’t play well consistently.
fair enough. i think its more how the teams constructed (defense is terrible, i. e.) than how theyre playing, but thats just a difference in opinion at that point
Country Joe West is 68. No way he should still be umpiring in MLB. I agree with robo umps. It should be tried out at the minor league level to shake the bugs out. It might take a little time but at some point it needs to move forward. As well as the DH in the NL.