The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates will wrap up their 3-game series and their 2021 seasons this afternoon in Pittsburgh. The game will have zero effect on the standings. Cincinnati will finish in 3rd place in the National League Central and the Pirates are going to finish last.
Starting Lineups
Cincinnati Reds
|
Pittsburgh Pirates
|
| Jonathan India – 2B | Kevin Newman – 2B |
| Max Schrock – LF | Yoshi Tsutsugo – RF |
| Nick Castellanos – RF | Michael Chavis – 3B |
| Joey Votto – 1B | Colin Moran – 1B |
| Eugenio Suárez – 3B | Anthony Alford – LF |
| Tyler Stephenson – C | Ben Gamel – CF |
| Jose Barrero – SS | Oneil Cruz – SS |
| TJ Friedl – CF | Michael Perez – C |
| Reiver Sanmartin – SP | Mitch Keller – SP |
Starting Pitchers
Reiver Sanmartin
The lefty is making his second start of his big league career. In his first start he allowed a run in 5.2 innings with a walk and 5 strikeouts.
Pitch usage from 2021 (1 start)
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Change | Slider | |
| Velo | 89.5 | 89.4 | 84.6 | 79.9 |
| Usage | 19% | 23% | 33% | 25% |
Mitch Keller
On the season he’s made 22 starts for the Pirates and has a 6.27 ERA while giving up 128 hits in 97.2 innings. He’s faced the Reds twice in his last three starts. In both of those starts he allowed two runs, once in 5.0 innings and the other time in 5.2 innings.
Lefties are crushing him to the tune of .351/.426/.487 with 27 walks and 32 strikeouts in 224 plate appearances this year. Righties are finding success, too, hitting .298/.377/.468 against him. His home and road splits are severe, posting an 8.16 ERA at home (3.57 on the road) and hitters have a .953 OPS against him at PNC Park this season (.760 on the road).
Pitch usage from 2021
| 4-Seam | Change | Slider | Curve | |
| Velo | 94.0 | 90.1 | 86.2 | 78.6 |
| Usage | 57% | 4% | 23% | 15% |
When and Where
- Game time: 3:05pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 73°, cloudy, 15% chance of rain
Notes Worth Noting
Jonathan India is back
Yesterday before the game manager David Bell noted that Jonathan India may not play again this season. Well, it seems that India talked his way back into the lineup and he’s at second base this afternoon.
The Farm System that wins
The minor league season is officially complete with this afternoon’s contest for Louisville cancelled by rain. This year is the first year that as a whole the Cincinnati Reds farm system has had a winning record since 2011. It’s only the third time since 2005 that the farm system has had a winning record (we can’t go back further than that because Baseball Reference doesn’t have the international complex league records prior to that season). Louisville was the only team of the Reds six farm teams that had a losing record.
Well, here we go. It’s all over but the shoutin’.
Would be great to end with a win, but I’m happy to just watch the ol’ Redlegs one last time before the long, dark winter begins.
Let’s go Reds!
To everyone, a safe, healthy and enjoyable off season. Especially to those who go on hiatus from RLN over the winter, hope I will be seeing you here next spring because it will mean we all made it through.
Amen, Jim.
Enjoyed my time posting this season. I came on late, however enjoyed. While we all may have different thoughts, opinions, we all have 1 thing we want a good Reds team.
Die hard fan through and through. Here’s to a win and a exciting off season. GOD willing see you all next season. Hopefully a good off season in terms of signings and stuff. Be safe everyone
If the Bengals had not played thursday I would have skipped this one…. looking at it now, the former Cincinnati reds pitching staffs… (SFG) will be the NL representive in the WS
Honestly, surprised we got out of there only with one run scored against
nick 100 RBIs
Sadak near aneurysm.
That should hopefully finish him.
BUT BUT BUT….. 99 RBIs does he have one more
I hope so, but a remarkable season regardless.
Sparky used to say a team should be built defensively by their strength up the middle. Today the Reds have all rookies up the middle including the pitcher. Stephenson, Sanmartin, India , Barrera, Friedl. It either speaks well for the future or is bad for the present.
SanMartin through 5 innings on 82 pitches after a nearly disastrous start. Yes, it is vs Pirates in game 162 but it is also the 2nd time they have seen him inside a week. I think he has at the least pitched his way onto the winter 40 man roster and a long look at a bullpen spot in 2022
agreed, we are about to have the too many pitchers problem
As many have said before me, a team can *never* have too much pitching. It is a storage of wealth and medium of exchange if not immediately needed
Sanmartin looks like a shifty lefty who changes speeds and keeps the ball down and hard to square up
Reds have proven they arent paying for bullpen arms.
Sims, Cessa and Garrett will get modest raises and not go to arbitration- say $ 1.25 mil/2 mil/2.25 mil each. Justin Wilson will exercise his player option at 2.3 mil
Santillan,Warren, Moreta, and SanMartin would be MLB minimum -another $2.5 mil combined
Thats an 8 man budget friendly 2022 bullpen at a combined ~ 10 mil.
Givens and Lorenzen will not be back
There will be the usual veteran reliever invites to ST as big money teams release or non tender
This will be a budget bullpen in 2022 to offset the contracts of moose and akiyama
Garrett? Bell really wants to lose. Hopefully, this is Garrett’s last Reds appearance.
Amir Garrett is just so hard to figure but when he throws strikes with both pitches he can and does get guys out as do most pitchers.Often he just can’ throw strikes.I expect him to back next year.Not saying he should be but he is a lefty and hits 95 MPH at times and that is just hard to get rid of.
Well, this is it, ladies and gents. The last ABs of the Cincinnati Reds for 2021.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
Votto just barely missed 100 RBI. Too bad he didn’t have four games instead of three at the end to try to get there. Same thing for India for 100 runs scored.
I’m sure I’m in the minority here but I’d like this to have been Suarez’s last game as a Red. Trade him for something, a SS, a CF, a 1B, even a 3B.
Big Bob will shed that money if he can I’m sure.
Sad but true. Right now, I have more confidence in AA than Senzel, Moose, or Suarez and that is a monstrous shame.
I know I don’t have a leg to stand on considering what he’s done lately but my instincts, gut feeling, or whatever you want to call it tell me counting on AA in a full season would not be a bad thing.
Agree though it’s hard to say. He needs regular playing time to figure that out and that’s just not the way it’s done. Oh well, we have several months to hope for positive change.
Yeah
I’ll pass on AA, he is gong to be 28 at the beginning of next season. and has shown weekly HR power..they can do better
It’s time to trade Suarez with the attractive contract and the Sept. offensive comeback. Don’t wait too long. Centerfield is a major Red’s need.
LOL!
Reds’ bullpen just HAD to give up a few more runs before the curtain comes down.
You know, for old time’s sake.
that might have a silver lining in Givens free agent price coming down. i’d like to have him back at 3-4M$. Rather see him than Amir Garret back.
We also need to sign, or trade, for one decent 9th inning guy. I wouldn’t be comfortable relying on Sims in that role. I like a bullpen of Sims, Santillana, Cessa, Wilson, Moretta, Warren, Givens and a free agent closer. Much more confidence in that bullpen than the one we opened up with this year. As @Oldschool said, a budget bullpen for a budget team.
once again, returning players get it done while the ones departing gives them up…. and that is it….take the L out of Lover, this season is over