Cincinnati was able to win the last two games of the series against the Cubs, earning a split against Chicago. Tonight they welcome in the San Francisco Giants for a 3-game series. The Reds will send Graham Ashcraft to the mound for his second big league start. San Francisco will hand the ball to lefty Carlos Rodon. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm ET as long as Mother Nature cooperates.
Starting Lineups
Here are the lineups for this evening’s contest:
San Francisco Giants
|
Cincinnati Reds
|
| Tommy La Stella – DH | Nick Senzel – CF |
| Mike Yastrzemski – CF | Brandon Drury – 3B |
| Wilmer Flores – 1B | Kyle Farmer – SS |
| Joc Pederson – LF | Tyler Stephenson – C |
| Brandon Crawford – SS | Aristides Aquino – RF |
| Evan Longoria – 3B | Mike Moustakas – 1B |
| Luis Gonzalez – RF | Albert Almora Jr. -LF |
| Donovan Walton – 2B | Alejo Lopez – DH |
| Michael Papierski – C | Matt Reynolds – SS |
| Carlos Rodon – SP | Graham Ashcraft – SP |
An earlier version of the lineup had Tommy Pham batting 3rd as the designated hitter. However he has been scratched from the lineup and replaced by Alejo Lopez, resulting in some lineup shuffling as well.
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Graham Ashcraft | 4.1 | 4.15 | 1.39 | 2 | 3 |
| Carlos Rodon | 44.2 | 3.43 | 1.16 | 17 | 62 |
| Links: Graham Ashcraft’s Stats | Carlos Rodon’s Stats |
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Graham Ashcraft
With only one start under his belt, citing his splits in the big leagues doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. On the season between his time in Triple-A and MLB he’s held righties and lefties to pretty much the same line – one has a .584 OPS against him and the other a .586 OPS against him. He’s only given up two extra-base hits all seasonĀ – both of which were doubles. One came in the minors on May 1st and the other came last weekend against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
Pitch Usage
| 2-Seam | Cutter | Slider | |
| Velo | 96.9 | 97.1 | 84.1 |
| Usage | 42.1% | 28.9% | 28.9% |
Carlos Rodon
In seven of the eight starts made by Carlos Rodon this season he has been dominant. But on May 15th he got beaten around like the Cardinals knew what was coming. St. Louis tagged him for eight runs in 3.2 innings, making up eight of the 17 runs he’s allowed all season.
If you are a lefty, you basically have had no chance this season. While teams have avoided sending left-handed hitters to the plate against him, the ones who have been in the lineup have just two hits this season against him and both of those hits were singles.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 150 | 33 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 48 | .244 | .313 | .363 |
| LHH | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | .074 | .194 | .074 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | Slider | Curve | |
| Velo | 96.4 | 85.7 | 79.5 |
| Usage | 65.1% | 29.7% | 5.2% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:40pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 63Ā°, scattered thunderstorms, 45% chance of rain
News and Notes
Roster moves galore
As you probably could tell already by getting to this point of the article – Graham Ashcraft has been called up from Triple-A. That, however, was not the only move of the day. The team put Justin Wilson on the 60-day injured list to open up a spot for Ashcraft on the 40-man roster, activated Ross Detwiler from the bereavement list, and optioned Jared Solomon and Colin Moran to Triple-A Louisville.
Phil Castellini apologizes to season ticket holders
From Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer:
i like the lineup.
I like Ashcraft getting his shot.
Cant say anything negative about the letter.
Fair enough.
Iām probably going to a game sat or Sunday.
Go Reds.
Iād prefer a lineup with a 2B instead of 2 SS. Haha. Just a joke, nothing against the typo.
Maybe they’ll entertain us with some dueling banjos action
Iām going to the game tomorrow too. Enjoy my friend!
Except maybe some grammarā¦..
āWe are ā stewardsā(not āstuartsā) of the team.ā
Maybe PC error or whoever wrote it for him or for the press.
My problem with the letter is that, evidently, it was written for season ticket holders. I would think it should have been addressed to all Reds fans. And to get picky, “graciously” is a poor word choice, since whether he proves gracious or not is properly determined by the recipients of the letter.
Tough opponent tonight. We’ll see how the line-up produces. Hoping for the best from Ashcraft.
As for the letter … meh. If it’s sincere, then show us. Personally, I’m not convinced. Sounds a little more like being sorry for getting a hand caught in the cookie jar. Regret doesn’t equal remorse.
Not to mention the letter should have come out a month ago. 9,000 people in the stands is why it probably came out now. Apparently Phil found our that there is somewhere to go.
Let’s be honest , this series is hard to the Reds. They will face two pesky lefties and the righ-hander Cobb is not a piece of cake despite his high ERA. Furthermore, the options from the starting pitching aren’t the best even Ashcraft did it well in his first outing against a heavy lineup he is just a rookie in his debut at GABP. Hopefully he could show his great stuff to fight for the win. Gutierrez is struggling and if he has a good performance going deep in the game against the Giants is gonna be a nice surprise. Form Mahle I would expect a bounceback for a quality start.
With all the money management is saving by reducing salary, he should be on tv and on the video board at the GABP making this announcement. Much bigger impact if heās seen visibly than by all of us just reading it. Booooo Phil!!!! You gotta do it better than that.
Interesting that Moran was sent away. Whose spot in the rotation is Ashcroft taking over for? Still would like to see Lopez get a start sometime at least before May. I see the hot hitting Votto is hitting the bench
Ashcraft? The open starter one. Solomon sent down
so overtons? and my bad, your right on the spelling
Overton went on the 60 day IL on the 23rd, so technically yes, for Overton
Rodon is a LH starter. Maybe the thinking is to possibly save Votto for later in the game to go against a RH reliever, since he has trouble against LH’ers………
Resting Votto against a leftie is a positive move by Bell. Iām shocked.
Iām shocked you would point it out
Hey, Iāll give Bell credit when he deserves it. Itās just rare that he does.
Got an ESPN notification, game is delayed
Yep. Don’t see an announced new start time yet.
We’ve had plenty of rain over here today and some wind approaching 30 mph.
oh yea it dumped on us especially this morning. clear skies now. They already have the tarp off the field, i would wager the start time is coming very soon.
Tarp is off. Looks like they are prepping the field for play.
“We are stuarts of that team” doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Have the Reds traded their spell checker for a dictionary to be named later?
+500 š
Was that pc or charlie goldsmith translating a speech ?
I laughed when I read the same thing, but I’m pretty sure this one’s on Charlie. The ‘(inaudible)’ at the bottom would seem to indicate a transcript. I imagine they probably use some sort of voice to text, and didn’t check it.
A day late and a dollar short on the “apology”. Did Phil have a proofreader or is he just confused on the spelling of steward?
Pham and pederson emptied the dugouts in batting practice
Its always fireworks night with the Reds
any backstory?
No idea
Charlie goldsmith twitter has video
Argument over fantasy football
I like how Tommy Pham reminds everyone why he was out for so long during his last contract. Apparently, getting stabbed in a strip club parking lot will hurt your swing.
Phil — Too little, too late. You mention economics, “product,” and “experience” (presumably that of the fans). What about WINNING, CHAMPIONSHIP baseball — or at least COMPETITIVE baseball? You don’t mention that at all. That is what we want. We are not shareholders in a corporation. We are fans of a baseball team in a sport, a league, where the goal is to WIN (or at least try to).
They are showing the Votto 7 Game homer streak… or as I like to call it the But but but parade lol
Fun stuff to remember. It was quite the ride.
Man, and how close he was to the 8th straight game. What a streak.
Yeah. Not sure why he would need a day off already after being out over two weeks unless he’s still weak and not 100% yet. Moose is not an upgrade.
LH starter. See above.
Suck it, Phil.
My sentiments exactly.
Phil is just reaping the benefits of showing his true colors. If he wants us to believe ANYTHING he says, whatever it is, he has to prove it. Not holding my breath. No reason to trust him. Period.
+10,000
It’s humorous actually. I’ll assume that it’s not Phil’s transcription but if it is, the use of ‘Stuarts’ (early British royal family) vs. stewards says it all. Otherwise, he said nothing that sounded credible, i.e., there are no actions to support his claims.
well said
It really doesn’t matter what Phil says, actions speak a lot louder and the actions by the ownership has been to gut and hamstring this team. The best apology would to put a competitive team on the field.
Not looking great to get this one in tonight, or started before my bedtime.
Odd because they were prepping the field before the Votto retrospective.
another rainstorm coming in. Tarp back on field. Betting its 5050 we even get a game in today. Watching some breaking bad, and thinking that the Reds need to get Danny Trejo to announce one game
Machete on the mic would be priceless …
… and AWESOME!!!
in fact that is what Phil can do to prove he is really sorry…. Machette to announce a game…. i am not satisfied with an apology until that happens
Except maybe some grammarā¦..
āWe are ā stewardsā(not āstuartsā) of the team.ā
Maybe PC error or whoever wrote it for him or for the press.
No, he meant “Stuarts” or “Stewarts” as in British royalty. Because “Tudor” would have been too arrogant … š®
Plus, he wouldnāt drive a Tudor. Only a Fordor.
Not an apology: ā I stand before you with a formal apology if I offended any one of the people in this room.ā
It concerns me when I hear Phil Castellini say he believes in what Nick Krall is trying to do.
What does he mean by that exactly?
Does he believe in Nick Krall for trading away almost 100 home runs during one off season?
Does he believe in Nick for giving away Wade Miley?
Does he believe in Nick when he traded Amir Garrett for a broken down veteran who has yet to pitch this year? The same guy who has an era above 5.00 the past two seasons.
Does he believes in Nick for signing Collin Moran after he was released by the worst team in baseball?
Does he believes in Nick for wasting $9 million dollar on a hot head who apparently is on a ārevenge tourā and is currently hitting .230? After he hit .239 last season and .219 the season before that.
Does he believe in Nick for signing a free agent infielder who we likely will never see in a Redās uniform?
When Phil Castellini says he believes in what Nick Krall is trying to do, my question is what exactly is he trying to do?
Bottom line from where I sit, Nick did exactly what Phil told him to do. Either directly or indirectly.
Mark, I think that is true when it comes to slashing payroll, but the Minor, Pham and Moran acquisitions cost the Reds money.
For Nick Krall to fit these players into the budget, he had to cut payroll deeper than needed.
Bob and Phil are ultimately responsible for the plight of this franchise, but that doesnāt excuse the terrible decisions Nick Krall has made within his own purview.
This. Amazing part of this season is how little money they are saving to be this bad. I realize some of the moves were about future payroll obligations, but watching Gray, Miley, and a few others do well for not that much more than they paid for their replacements makes me wonder if the front office knows what it is doing.
845 first pitch
Thanks. Weather Channel forecast still makes that a little iffy. If they play, they play.
Thanks. Any good advice on bets for tonight’s game?
a time machine…. the delay already closed the window for bets for me. with Ashcraft I still need to see more before pegging it one way or the other
Where do you bet that it doesn’t allow live betting? I agree on Ashcraft.
my bookie… i checked in after the delay was announced and it was off the board. If you are using a cite that is still active get player bets on farmer and renyolds odds should be good and both are hitting above their weight
OK … about time to Kick this Pig!!!
Pham scratched, Lopez in lineup as DH
Tough looking lineup for the Reds tonight. I do love to root for Lopez though.
WLW team is saying it MIGHT have to do with the pre-game stuff that went on. No details as of yet.
Pham get scratched because of what happened earlier? Whatever it was?
Incident, shenanigans, kerfuffle … apparently something like that. A comment above said a video made it to Twitter. I don’t Twitter, so I didn’t see it.
you forgot Brewhaha
7 pitches for 3 outs … I’ll take that to start his first outing at GABP. Especially against a lineup like the GI-ants can run up there.
Is our starter actually throwing 100 mph?
Yep. Another one that does that.
An 8 pitch inning? Donāt let DJ see that.
I missed one. Thought it was 7. Oh well … š
If I just watched games and followed stats, Iād think Ashcraft would be the Reds #1 prospect. Heās not even top 5?
101 mph sinking cutters? Wow!
Think of the possibilities if he, Greene, and Lodolo mature together. Like lightening in a bottle.
Maybe the best reason yet to see what we have with these position players we have this year and next.
Not to mention the guys they have in the minors. They are pitcher rich if those guys pan out.
was right on farmer
He worked the count and got his pitch.
Feels like it’s gonna take the boys firing on all cylinders tonight to pull this off.
Came to say congrats on that one.
i would have added lopez if i knew he was in the lineup
He is a little wild with his offspeed stuff…. looks great just needs a little polish
Charlie Goldsmith deleted twitter video of Pham.
Reds doing what Reds do.
Controlling the message.
Very very sad
Bob Castellini and Phil Castellini are literally creating a state controlled media . Russia and China. They cancel news. They cancelled news tonight and benched Pham.
Per Thrall/Cowboy, MLB is investigating the pre-game bit between Pham and Pederson.
Pham night be an idiot
That doesnt mean you cancel the news.
That’s where Farmer lacks a little bit defensively. It should have been a double play.
Guy really booked it down the line, but I tend to agree. Not sure if a flip to Reynolds would have made a difference or not. Just missed getting him.
No damage in the end. Onward and upward.
Moustakas is a nightmare at first.
Little bit
It’s called “Trouble with the Curve”
Great little movie. Amy Adams raises my BP a bit.
Moose shouldn’t have a glove or bat against a lefty but that was a good take to get a walk.
+250
Weird though because ball 3 and 4 have been called strikes tonight.
My wife said the same thing. Inconsistency gets under my skin.
Raining really hard. I wonder how long it will last
It’s going to do that most of the night.
Lopez getting his hits in for the next week.
Oh look at that Lopez got another hit…. and a steal
But … but … but … he’s not supposed to be playing tonight
and there is renyolds…. cleaned up for tonight. Wish I had known about lopez as well
+1000. Appreciate the tips tonight.
did you get your bets in?
Bottom of the order coming through
Drawing first blood on a night that may not see 9 is always a good thing. Manufactured a run!!
And Lil Nick can’t catch a break …
Tough break for Nick again….but love the approach
Yep just keep doing it.Lots of hits over there on the right side.Hit it where its pitched.
Amen and +1,000
AA hit it hard too.
There we go… that is never happening again but I will take it
We did NOT just see that!!!
Talk about a manufactured run. Way to go Reynolds.
Wendelstadt may have been snoozing there … hope it gets overturned.
Good challenge by the Reds.
SF cheating cheaters
ok the word is that Pham wanted to reenact the Will smith Chris rock incident with Peterson, with Joc Peterson being Chris rock…. there is a suspension coming I think
If he did that, it’s a colossally stupid move and deserves a Time Out.
OK, bear down and get this out.
Cowboy entertaining Thrall with tales of his days in Mississippi on the farm.
4 innings at about 60 pitches. I’d call that a good outing. Let’s play some add-on before the skies open up.
Minor threw an “immaculate inning” tonight for the Bats
How does Minor figure into future plans?
Lopez making his case for some playing time. Will it fall on deaf ears?
Probably
I see — or maybe wish — some Jose Altuve in the making with Lopez. A pity there is no obvious spot for him in the lineup but DH right now.
Maybe 2nd or 3rd with India getting first choice, go back to his original position or stay at 2nd. Odds are Lopez outhits Drury, Reynolds, Moustakas, Solano, and Farmer, all of whom are too old to be factors on the Reds next competitive team. Maybe Schrock outhits him but heās nearly 28. And thereās a lot potential in the system on the way.
Lopez 2 for 2. He can’t hit though. š
Soft contact, donāt you know? Aināt that right Indy? But at least itās contact and on the Reds, that could be viewed as a rare skill.
And a switch-hitter to boot
You mean getting on base is a rare skill? š
I meant contact but on most days youād be spot on.
The pitcher on the mound tonight is part of the Reds’ future. I am impressed.
I like Lopez.
He made that one hesitation play last week. I attribute that to him NOT playing regularly and having to “think too much” in a rushed situation.
But I’m in the camp of “I like Lopez”. He’s the kind of versatile utility player you can leverage in multiple positions. Just a solid player.
Cruising … now let it pour the rest of the night.
A three ground-out inning for Ashcraft.
We haven’t seen that often enough.
Refreshing, ain’t it?
Inside Bell’s head: “Third time around the order..” “Pitch count for Ashcraft….” “Heart of Giants’ order coming up….”
I imagine a hamster running on a wheel
Wow … talk about a blown call. Not even remotely close.
Perhaps it’s “time” for Mr. Wendelstadt …
Drury says, “Don’t bother to call this pitch. I got it.”
Senzel Robbed Drury not
I don’t see how Drury is not permanently part of this roster this year. He’s earned it.
He is not going anywhere unless he is traded.
Iām guessing we see Cessa in the 6th or 7th. Got to give SF a path to get back in the game. Whatās the line tonight?
It’s weird. Drury is producing just about what I was expecting from Moustakis when they signed him.
Mahle could learn a few things from Ashcraft
Like go after hitters, throw strikes, K’s aren’t all they are cracked up to be?
My wife is not impressed with Mike Yaz’s stache and soul patch.
Talk to her about it. Say what you will about the man’s soulfulness…that’s Yaz’s grandson. Let that sink in a little bit.
i hate inconsistent zones
Hunter W. is really bad tonight. I think it may be “time” for him. He won’t learn and adjust. He’s the poster child for the robo-ump on nights like this.
Thrall called that one a “Nick Senzel strike”
Punisher defensively punishing
I’m very much pulling for that young man to succeed.
That’s a TOOTBLAN on Lil Yaz!
Nice outing for Graham Ashcraft. And in front of his Mom … š
Don’t forget Dad!
Don’t forget Dad.
Tootblan. Haven’t seen so many this year with the Reds. Last couple of years it was almost every game.
Votto is not in the lineup.
6 scoreless for GA!!! love it!
Hopefully the pen can preserve it
haha That’s like playing catch for Aquino. No problem double play.
OK, Wendelstedt is only 50, so maybe my “it’s time” references are misplaced. Still, it looks like he’s mailing it in on a bunch of these calls tonight. Just makes it hard all the way around.
Rodon has to be on a very sort leash here.
I’ve been hard on Aquino in the past but he is putting the ball in play and hitting better since going down. I don’t know what they did to him in Louisville but he needs to stay away from Zinter.
Walked Moose twice. hahaha
What is this hitting behind the runners ? Who are these guys.
are you kidding me…. Lopez robbed… what is worse that was not called on the Giants
This guy is all over the place. Senzel and now Lopez.
Worst home plate umpiring Iāve seen all year
Would love to get another inning out of GA.
GA making quick work in the 7th, this is great to see…lol
update on Pham situation, there was evidently an issue with fantasy football. GA throws a quality start a great start
Ashcraft a keeper. Pretty sure Mahle is as good as gone.
This umpire is blind
I’m surprised that ball in the dirt wasn’t called a strike.
We going to see Diaz in the 8th?
Do we pull Diaz
I gotta agree with the pull, Diaz looks a little off and this game is too close to be messing around if his.wheels are off
And are we expecting anything different with runners on and Warren on the mound?
Time to bring in Chapman with the bases loaded…..ooops. Should have done that with Posey up in 2012.
i swear we better not have a bad Warren night
Nice job by Warren
Big outs there … Freaking HUGE outs.
Warren got lucky of getting out of that inning. Bullpen again is our weakness. Our rotation getting stronger with young pitching
That will do Warren.
Letās add on
When we needed an insurance run in the 8th, we got two ! Almora Jr. came thru with a big double ! Reds are playing better ball !
Okay Bell….lets try this again! Do not put in H Strickland in the 9th. Go with Tony S or Jeff Hoffman!
hahahahahahahaha I have seen it all now….I am terming this an Administrative Ejection lol
This is beyond bizarre. I’ve never heard of this happening. Completely embarrassing move in a close game. Got to feel a little bad for whoever gets tagged to come in and pitch now with only 8 warm-up pitches and a cold start.
With that mohawk, I wouldn’t let him pitch either.
Haha just imagine the comments on here if Bell did that. It would be crazy. Sadak needs to take a breath and settle down.
It’s a dumb move and, yes, we’d crucify Bell for doing it. Cowboy is saying normally the Bench Coach is keeping track of that kind of thing. But it falls on the Manager regardless. And puts the “emergency” pitcher in a tough spot.
Its Farmer insurance…. through the agent almora
There’s just something about a gap shot that makes me smile. Even more than a home run.
Lopez on base three times tonight
If Reynolds runs into one, I do believe I can call it a night. It’s getting pretty tired here in my chair.
So Wendelstedt got the job via the legacy program, right? The old man was an NL umpire back in the day.
old man runs the umpiring school where 50 % of the umpires come from
OK – now I remember that.
Albert Almora, back in 2019 , fouled a ball into the stands and fractured the skull of a 2 year old. Almira was upset and crying in that game. He wasn’t the same they said after that. Hard to see thst knowing it was you and now she has some permanent brain damage. Maybe he just needed a change in scenery or just needed time to get over it. Either way it’s just a terrible thing for him to go through as well as the child and parents.
Can’t even imagine. It won’t ever be far from his mind.
Nick is like…. dont even need to hit it
+500
And yet another oddball play. We get another cushion run.
I guess I’m sticking for the 9th.
Warren with a clean start gives me a little more confidence. Especially when Longoria does that.
warren is the only one now who can qualify for a save. He is there until the giants score or the game is over
Little surprised that they sent Warren out for the 9th but I like it.
only one who can qualify for a win now
Long night, but a good result. That’s the way to start a homestand against a good team.
3 in a row… the 20 game win streak watch is back on
You know it’s “You Gotta Believe” time
Right now, the Reds are now 12-12 for the month of May. With the way the season started, .500 ball for the month of May is not so bad.