After a disappointing loss last night, the Cincinnati Reds (82-78) will get back out there on the field this evening to try to salvage one more series win in 2021 against the Pittsburgh Pirates (60-100). Tyler Mahle is on the mound at PNC Park. First pitch will be at 6:35 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on Bally Sports Ohio or listen on 700 WLW.
Starting Pitchers
| Name | IP | ERA | xERA | FIP | xFIP | WHIP | K% | BB% |
| Tyler Mahle | 175.2 | 3.54 | 3.72 | 3.84 | 3.75 | 1.21 | 27.6% | 8.4% |
| Max Kranick | 34.2 | 6.23 | 4.14 | 4.37 | 5.64 | 1.70 | 18.3% | 10.4% |
REDS
Tyler Mahle has been good on the road all season. He gets one more shot to finish the season with a dazzling road start tonight. He has a sparkling 1.85 ERA in 97.1 innings on the road and has allowed only five home runs all season away from Great American Ball Park. Mahle’s been better on the road, but he’s also coming off a really good start at GABP last Sunday against the Nationals in which he gave up only three hits and no earned runs in six innings. He walked only two and struck out six.
Ben Gamel and Jacob Stallings each have a home run off Mahle. Gamel is hitting .429 in seven at-bats and Bryan Reynolds is hitting .375 in eight at-bats. Colin Moran is hitting .385 against him in 13 at-bats.
PIRATES
Max Kranick, the Pirates #28 prospect, has been shuttled back and forth from Triple-A Indianapolis since the end of June. He’s made eight starts for the Pirates, and he’ll get one more start in 2021 against the Reds, a team he hasn’t faced before. Kranick’s given up at least three runs in every start except two: his first one and his most recent one. Last Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, he pitched five innings of four hit, shut-out baseball while walking three and striking out five.
Kranick throws four pitches: a four-seam fastball, a slider, a curve, and a change up. His fastball has averaged about 94.3 mph, while his slider and his curve range in the high 80s. His curve ball is only about 79.7 mph, but in terms of whiff rate, it’s his best pitch with a 35.1% whiff rate.
Lineups
Cincinnati Reds
|
Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 2B Max Schrock | 2B Cole Tucker |
| C Tyler Stephenson | RF Yoshi Tsutsugo |
| RF Nick Castellanos | CF Bryan Reynolds |
| 1B Joey Votto | 1B Colin Moran |
| 3B Eugenio Suárez | 3B Michael Chavis |
| SS Jose Barrero | LF Ben Gamel |
| LF TJ Friedl | C Jacob Stallings |
| CF Delino DeShields | SS Oneil Cruz |
| P Tyler Mahle | P Max Kranick |
News and Notes
Kyle Farmer’s 2021 season is over, Jonathan India’s may be as well
Prior to the game today it was announced by manager David Bell that Kyle Farmer’s season was over. But he also said that it’s possible we won’t see Jonathan India again this year. He’s out of the lineup today and Bell said he may not play tomorrow, either. Bell spoke about India’s season and why he thinks he should be rookie of the year this afternoon and you can read all about that here.
The minor league season has all but wrapped up. There are a few teams still playing, however, and you can find the results of those games here.
SO quiet room tonight, TS getting the job done though
I suspect most followers have lost interest and have moved on to other projects, but this will be a good opportunity to watch a quite different lineup and see how they perform.
A bit of a different lineup. I’d have preferred to see AA in place of DeShields. But neither have distinguished themselves this year. So does it even matter?
After big wins by Bearcats and Buckeyes, the Reds can make this a perfect day. Oh, and don’t forget the Bengals, who got it started Thursday night!
Desheilds crosses the plate…. making good on his opportunities…. meanwhile crickets for Barrero
7 straight games on base for Barerro. Will we get crickets from you?
Have to admit, this lineup features more speed than previous lineups. Shrock, Friedl, Barerro, and Deshields can all move. And Tyler is pretty fast for a catcher. I much prefer baseball being played with runners who can take extra bases than just waiting on the homer to occur. I’m probably in the minority though.
I agree. “Small ball” is more entertaining.
If I was an owner in a small market, I would build my team to play small ball. Even if you lose it’s an entertaining brand of baseball.
Baseball in the late 1970s and early 1980s was really exciting. I’m not sure why baseball got away from small ball, but I bet a younger audience, who hasn’t seen much of it, would really enjoy it if they would give it a chance.
Thats the problem though….gabp is not a small ball park. THere is a definite reason Seattle might win 90 games with a young team of unknowns. They play in a big park that negates some of the other teams power advantage and they can beat them with small ball. KC back when they had their back to back WS. Same thing
Suarez…. please bring September 2021 Suarez into 2022
Blastianos by Nick.
Hard to believe this team was once 12 games over .500.
Mahle to Bell: “What took you so long?”
Nobody and I mean nobody leaves a pitcher in that allows 6 out of the 7 hitters he faces to reach base.No matter what the situation or what game it is or what year it is or if its little league.Bell is just awful at managing a game and some will get to see him for at least 2 more years. Mahle has had a really good year and to treated that way in game that means nothing when he had nothing left to give is beyond belief.
Extending Bell was nearly it for me. Then I realized I was too old and apparently too stupid to pick a new team. But the next couple of years will likely be brutal.
Count me in on both counts but I won’t follow the Reds next year.Never seen anybody manage a game or a season like Bell in 60 years.No words to describe his way of managing other then my 10 year old grandson is his equal.
If a manager is going to go to long with a starting pitcher it usually occurs when leading in the 5th inning. Finishing the 5th qualify’s him for the win. Have seen this many times in my 68 years.
I saw the score in the top of 5th and was 5-0 leading Reds so I went to have a dinner and after 25 min I came back and the leading vanished… Mahle was dominant thru 4 frames but he was out of gas for the bottom of 5th? I don´t believe it…
Reynolds killing the Reds again. How about an intentional walk next time.
Not watching, but Reds obviously outworked & outhustled AGAIN by a horrible team. All month long they have been outfought and outworked by bad baseball teams while the Reds were the frontrunner for WC2. How Bell gets rewarded for that Idk?
Rhetorical question?
While the Reds are in Pittsburgh Krall should go ask what They want in exchange for Reynolds
The Reds were performing well a few weeks ago, 12 games over .500 and in control of the WC. Bell finally had a cumulative winning record as Reds manager. After tonight, his record will be 7 games under .500. He has a losing record since the extension was announced. Reds fans have a dim couple of years ahead.
I was out this evening. Tuned in to see the 8-6 score with one inning left to compete. Level of optimism pretty low.