The Cincinnati Reds will go for a 3-game sweep this afternoon as they take on the Washington Nationals. Cincinnati will send lefty Nick Lodolo to the mound as the rookie looks to keep his solid season going. The Nationals will turn to their own lefty, Patrick Corbin, as he looks to get things going in the right direction in the second half. First pitch is set for 1:35pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Here are the lineups for this afternoon’s game:
Cincinnati Reds
|
Washington Nationals
|
| Jonathan India – DH | Cesar Hernandez – 2B |
| Alejo Lopez – 2B | Joey Meneses – RF |
| Kyle Farmer – 3B | Luke Voit – 1B |
| Donovan Solano – 1B | Nelson Cruz – DH |
| Aristides Aquino – RF | Lane Thomas – LF |
| Stuart Fairchild – LF | CJ Abrams – SS |
| Austin Romine – C | Riley Adams – C |
| Jose Barrero – SS | Ildemaro Vargas – 3B |
| TJ Friedl – CF | Victor Robles – CF |
| Nick Lodolo – SP | Patrick Corbin – SP |
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Nick Lodolo | 60.0 | 4.35 | 1.52 | 28 | 77 |
| Patrick Corbin | 121.2 | 6.81 | 1.81 | 44 | 108 |
| Links: Nick Lodolo’s Stats | Patrick Corbin’s Stats |
|||||
Nick Lodolo
Teams still aren’t testing how good their left-handed hitters can handle Nick Lodolo as he’s faced a lefty just 35 times all season long. And that seems like it’s for good reason, too – they are hitting just .179 and slugging just .214 against him. And that’s coming from the hitters who are deemed good enough to play every day and not sit. Right-handed hitters are finding some success against Lodolo. They hit for a good average and they draw a solid amount of walks. They aren’t hitting for a ton of power against him, though.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 238 | 58 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 65 | .282 | .378 | .442 |
| LHH | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | .179 | .343 | .214 |
Pitch Usage
| 2-Seam | Change | Curve | |
| Velo | 94.3 | 88.2 | 81.9 |
| Usage | 57.4% | 14.0% | 28.6% |
Patrick Corbin
Teams are certainly stacking their lineups with righties against Patrick Corbin, and for good reason – they are putting up MVP-ish numbers against him this season. But left-handed hitters are doing just about as well against him. They make plenty of contact and are hitting .333 while slugging .500 against him.
Not shown below is the fact that Corbin has pitched significantly better at home than he has on the road. That said, he has still pitched poorly at home, posting a 5.24 ERA in 13 starts and opponents are still hitting .289/.355/.489 against him when he takes the mound in Washington. Also worth noting that in six starts in the second half his ERA is 11.05 and hitters are hitting an absurd .404/.461/.664 against him.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 458 | 138 | 24 | 2 | 20 | 34 | 86 | .330 | .385 | .541 |
| LHH | 125 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 22 | .333 | .392 | .500 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 92.0 | 92.8 | 81.8 | 82.3 |
| Usage | 21.0% | 40.0% | 30.8% | 8.1% |
When and Where
- Game time: 1:35pm ET
- Where: Nationals Park
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv (out of market)
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 87°, cloudy, 15% chance of rain
News and Notes
Happy Anniversary Johnny Bench
August 28, 1967: Johnny Bench makes his MLB debut at age 19, playing in the first of 2,158 games during his Hall of Fame career in Cincinnati. #RedsVault pic.twitter.com/1r5dOUVRgP
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 28, 2022
Lou Pinella’s birthday today. Manager the last time the Reds won the World Series. In the 20 years since the destruction of Riverfront, the Reds have led the division on twice and finished 5th 8 times, not counting what may happen yet this year. Coincidence? Maybe not. Bring back Riverfront. The Reds were better back then.
Is Senzel hurt?
Nothing like getting excited while reading a headline, “Moustakas unlikely to return in 2023”
Only to them realize the headline was mis-read, and it instead said he was unlikely to return in 2022
🙁
Bear in mind that he’ll have an incentive to show up in shape next year unless he’s ready to retire.
You really think his guaranteed pot of gold contract is incentive to show up in shape? I’m thinking it isn’t. He’s getting paid no matter what. Frankly, I think he’s shown that this season. To me, it looks like he doesn’t put in the work. Compare his look to Joey.
Not sure about the incentive to be in shape. He has just to show up, not declare himself retired, and go through the motions to get the remaining sunken cost in his contract ($22m counting the 2024 option buyout).
It could be quite a zoo at spring training. If Votto is there, it will be because he believes he will be able to play at least sometime during the season. However what if he and the team aren’t on the same page on when, as if he wants to play before the team doesn’t want him to?
People seem to be misinterpreting. What I meant was that he’ll have an incentive to be in shape next year unless he expects next year to be his last in major league baseball. He’s 33, so it doesn’t seem ludicrous to imagine he’d like to play beyond next season.
I got ya J. Contract year for Moose. Come in shape hoping to hit and have some sucker give you a contract for 2023. The Reds will be buying him out for 2023. To expensive.
I’ve never read a player contract, but in the “real world” the corporate attorneys I’ve known would be after Moose for breach of contract. As for ST 2023 being a zoo, that’s because the Reds organization lacks the ability to manage. Votto has earned the privilege of a goodbye tour, but not the right to play every day. And Moose sadly hasn’t earned anything and should be cut loose. Not doing so is a perfect example of the sunk cost fallacy.
@J> Baseball Reference says he will have $77m in career direct contract salary earnings when his current contract is paid out, let alone whatever endorsements and side money has come his way over the years. That may be a lot of disincentive at age 33 (going on 40 based on the wear and tear plus his apparent conditioning issues).
As I said, Spring Training could be a real zoo.
Happy Birthday Sweet Lou!
Happy Johnny Bench Day!
Hoping Senzel is just still a bit off. Otherwise, I really don’t like playing short with an already limited talent roster.
Almost time to Kick this Pig for a Sweep!!
Last blackout game of the year for me. Good thing my computer is in Canada so I can see it 😀
Oh Canada, your VPN stands on guard for you.
I got to do a survey for MLB.tv … blasted them for the “out of market” and money-grubbing garbage “partnerships” with Peacock and AppleTV that rob me of games I paid to see. So that was fun 🙂
I just checked the 40-man and those on the roster but in the minors amount to our 2 catchers (neither of which is better than Chuckie or The Lettuce Guy from what I can see), Schrock, and Cerda. That certainly plays into who got called up vs. any of the prospects. I have to expect some of this changes once the calendar turns to September. I’m expecting 3M goes to the 60-day IL and we see some other shuffling that results in a couple prospects filling out the then 28-man.
Schrock is on 60 day IL; but, it is the MiLB IL, not the MLB IL so the funky Reds page just says “minors” then the Louisville page says 60 day IL. Go figure.
I think it will require some bloodletting for them to get additional people to the 40 man roster. It could start Monday with Chase Anderson being the announced starting pitcher but not yet on the 40 man roster, let alone the 26 man active. Moose could take the 60 IL day fall for him to get on the 40 man but who goes to get him active?
Thanks for the reminder about Schrock. Makes it even more evident why Moran got the nod.
I’m right with you about squeezing more guys onto the 40-man. Though they will have some decisions to make there to protect talent from the Rule 5 draft at some point.
Moran was not on the 40-man roster until yesterday, so it still doesn’t make sense. They could have called up anyone. They chose the guy hitting .176 in August at Triple-A.
Hoping they call up Williamson and let Anderson take his spot at AAA.
Thanks, Doug. I thought he wasn’t, but guessed that he was given the call-up. Now it’s even more baffling. Decent results yesterday, but still …
Moran did hit a HR yesterday. He also had a 10 pitch AB. I don’t mind him at 1st for now vs righties.
I’d almost bet that Anderson takes the Lopez spot.
Two possible expln on Moran
1: when he was signed, they gave a handshake guarantee that Moran would be brought up to play in case votto and moustakas got hurt. No guarantee on how long he stays…
2: some teams are bringing up their stashed AAA veteran depth this August to play a little to showcase, then release them to give them a chance to sign on to playoff contender on minor league contract. Teams can’t make trades any more so this is just doing right for a vet, and build up rep that the team tries to take care of its players at nominal cost, and help attract AAA free agent depth in the future. Team may have cleared with player or agent first. The Nats just did this with Tyler Clippard.
When did 1 oclock games start being started at 130. Also looking for a new “country” for my computer
Probably since a “1lb” can of coffee got reduced to 12oz (or less) 😉
Or a pint of beer comes in a 12 oz can/bottle 😀
Or a half gallon of ice cream became 1.5 liters.
l have been out-of-town for a week . ls Senzel injured or is Bell just not playing him these days ?
Lopez playing today. Expected Friedl to be sitting after yesterday.
2x so with a LHSP on the mound. Short rosters make you do funny things.
Good grief those booths are WAAAAY up there. I keep hearing Cowboy and Thrall talk about it, but I just took notice of the perspective behind Sadak and Welsh as I switched audio feeds. Cowboy’s biggest complaint is lack of food service 😀
11-game hit streak. RoY wasn’t waiting until his last AB today.
Bell finally moved Lopez up in the order. He’s a pesky guy!
Nice, efficient inning for Lodolo. Now let’s light up Corbin for a few more runs.
Kind of like that …
As Cowboy says, that was a big boy homer right there
How can you put Friedl 9th? He’s tearing the cover off the ball. Should be slotted 3rd to 5th. Hottest hitter. More ABs? Hello? The wonderful world of Bell.
There are a lot of things happening with the Reds that make no sense, so I always try to look at ways that they MIGHT make sense. In this case, Friedl being a lefty facing a lefty and having some speed MIGHT make him a “second leadoff” hitter.
I look at it as he feeds the top of the order and breaks up the others who aren’t really performing right now.
Lodolo just looks like a veteran near top of the rotation starter mowing through folks until he doesn’t.
His task learning task is to limit the damage when adversity comes calling. Once he does that, barring injury, he is ready to roll on.
Agreed. I see the path and progression for him to be a top-half of the rotation starter.
@Tom
+500 Top Half. That’s the phrase that wasn’t popping for me. Thanks.
Fairchild is a strong kid! 430+ feet! Has to actually make contact though
It is amazing that Fairchild was hitting for power before he was called up to the Reds previously but scuffling after he got sent back then but now has MLB 2HRs in a week or so.
And at AAA he didn’t look like the high K rate risk he has been at MLB.
Fairchild may look like a 12 year old but when he hits them they stay hit.
And it is another Sunday oops for me. That’s my comment above. The email select list did the jitterbug just as I clicked!
I thought that dog looked familiar
Stuart Fairchild hit…….puberty….. and a HR.
+500 😉
CJ Abrams might be younger than Fairchild. 10 maybe
Anybody but me rooting for Pujols to get 700 HRs? Hate the Cards, but AP might be the greatest hitter of this generation! He’s got 8 with the Reds in September and closes with 6 vs the Pirates. He’s at 693 but hasn’t been playing every day
I’d love to see Albert go out with 700+
Me too. Why not?
Pujols vs Chase Anderson, Dunn, and Minor at Gabp? He better get 2 there
I would like him to keep playing and pass Bonds.
Hal McCoy, longtime DDN Reds baseball writer, said Albert was the best hitter he ever covered.
99% of the lefties throw that back foot slider like they’re taught, but Lodolo’s slider is so good that I’d love to see him work it way outside and bring it back over the outside corner like Chris Sale. Hitters just give up on it
Cowboy stating what we’re all thinking … first pitch strike from Lodolo is always the better plan.
OK, who placed an order of “hot mess” for delivery in the 4th inning?
what is it when you create your own accidents to fix your own accidents
This is something Lodolo has to overcome. Last outing he had a no-hitter through six and everything fell apart in the seventh. He has displayed that he can be cruising along and then suddenly things fall apart.
Pathetic call
Yeah, no kidding
Next batter he calls same pitch a strike.
Cruz was struckout clearly…
And then he misses another strike inside. Smh
Well that half- inning was a little bit off everything.
Lodolo is just rolling along then immediately falls apart. Rookie struggles I guess, but its frustrating. The ump did him no favors, but you can’t hit guys back to back either. Voit was clueless up there with a 0-2 count
Jon is heating up.
Seeing the graphic about the Reds having the most OF assists this season made think after kudos to Aquino, Pham, et al, the sobering thought that the Reds total is partly because the pitching has presented the OF with a plethora of great opportunities!
My thoughts exactly when I saw that. One look at the Reds pitchers ERAs explains a lot.
If it’s not walks it’s HBPs that lead to cheap runs! Gotta be better than that!
I get that Lodolo needs to battle through this stuff. I also get that if you are wild, calls don’t go your way. But is anybody else way beyond tired and frustrated with these wretched HP Chumpires who can sit right on top of a call and still blow it … then make a different call when it’s even less close?
Robo-zone time as far as I’m concerned. This is a human element I can do without.
Today’s realization … you get booze commercials when you are “in Canada”
Is that where you are? We just got back from there yesterday evening. Spent a week in the mountains north of Montreal.
no, we cannot watch today’s game due to black out restrictions in eastern North Carolina, he has VPN’d to Canada
Ah! 🙂
What BoR said … ridiculous MLB market rules. None of our systems even carry the Nat’s (or O’s) network. They aren’t even available for purchase.
We start hot, run into pitching trouble (of our own making), and the bats go ice cold (because we’re facing a Cy Young pretender).
I was really hoping for a sweep today. Now I’m just hoping I can stay awake.
As I was sitting here, I somehow came to the realization that I am watching two wretched teams. A good team would have knocked Lodolo out of the game in the fourth inning. Now I’m just hoping the Nationals take out the 5-17 pitcher who has “found his groove” and is holding the Reds offense in check.
And they did just that … but we still couldn’t do anything.
Incredible, Corbin was 4-17 with 6.70 ERA and the opponents hitting .333 against him before this game. But he is pitching against the Reds so he could be 0-20 20.00 ERA although he becomes Sandy Koufax to kill them one more time…Even he could start trailing but always something happens so the Nats arises and take a lead and he leaves winning
All-in-all a good game for Lodolo. Some growth opportunities. HT to DTBell for running him back out there for the 7th.
Can his teammates pick him up here? We shall see. At least I won’t slip off to nap land just yet …
Nice outing for Lodolo. As many have mentioned, he needs to clean up the inning he looks lost after he’s been breezing along. But, his “stuff” is good and he doesn’t look overmatched at all. Hunter Greene headed to a rehab stint and could be back in the rotation in 2 weeks. The 3 young SP and Diaz are bright spots in a dark year for pitching development.
Reds have to leading the majors in strikeouts! Countless innings this year when the leadoff batter gets on base and the following hitters fail to advance the runner due to a very high rate of strikeouts! Put the ball in play please! Sometimes good things happen when you simply make contact and put the ball in play!
Running out of chances. Sadly, Lodolo is in line for the loss now.
Nats starters haven’t won a game in 43 consecutive starts
Do we really have to host the WLB’s and their horde of annoying fans for the next three days? Really?
See you around tomorrow. At least I can throw it up on the TV screen since it isn’t the Nat’s or O’s.
Have a great rest of your Sunday, friends. Y’all are what make this journey manageable.
Another pitiful performance. Should have swept the Nats.
alas a sweep is not meant to be
The Reds couldn’t sweep either this series… It is unbilievable how easy they lost today. They have no ofense after the 2nd inning practically and suddenly Lodolo had his control crisis in company of the ump miscues and an unexpecting homer given up 3 runs that were enough to the Nats…
Game wrapup post is live: https://www.redlegnation.com/2022/08/28/reds-miss-chance-to-sweep-series-lose-3-2-to-nationals/