The Cincinnati Reds will go for the sweep of the 2-game series in Cleveland tonight against the Guardians. Cincinnati enters the day with four games remaining and they are 1.5 games back for the final wild card spot. Every game seems to be a must-win game at this point. Tonight’s first pitch is set for 6:10pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Cincinnati Reds
|
Cleveland Guardians
|
| Jonathan India – 2B | Steven Kwan – LF |
| TJ Friedl – CF | Jose Ramirez – DH |
| Spencer Steer – LF | Josh Naylor – 1B |
| Christian Encarnacion-Strand – 1B | Ramon Laureano – RF |
| Jake Fraley – DH | Tyler Freeman – 2B |
| Noelvi Marte – 3B | Brayan Rocchio – SS |
| Elly De La Cruz – SS | Myles Straw – CF |
| Will Benson – RF | Jose Tena – 3B |
| Luke Maile – C | Cam Gallagher – C |
| Andrew Abbott – LHP | Shane Bieber – RHP |
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Andrew Abbott | 107.0 | 3.70 | 1.27 | 44 | 119 |
| Shane Bieber | 122.0 | 3.91 | 1.25 | 34 | 100 |
| Links: Andrew Abbott’s Stats | Shane Bieber’s Stats |
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Andrew Abbott
The leash has been short with Abbott over the last two starts as he’s allowed two runs in each game, but was removed in the 4th and 5th innings of each outing. Abbott faced Cleveland on August 16th and allowed two runs in 5.0 innings in a 7-2 Reds victory.
Left-handed hitters continue to sit when Abbott is on the mound – he’s had just 80 of them step to the plate against him this season – but when there is an occasional lefty in the box they don’t do much of anything. Right-handed hitters find more success. They don’t hit for too much average, but righties do walk at a solid rate and they show good power against him.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 367 | 80 | 22 | 1 | 14 | 40 | 91 | .249 | .330 | .455 |
| LHH | 80 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 28 | .158 | .200 | .250 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | Slider | Curve | Change | |
| Velo | 92.6 | 82.8 | 80.8 | 86.5 |
| Usage | 50% | 17% | 17% | 16% |
Shane Bieber
This will be just the second start since coming off of the injured list for Bieber. He missed most of July, all of August, and most of September before returning last week against Baltimore where he allowed four earned runs in 5.0 innings.
Left-handed hitters do a lot more damage against Bieber than righties do. Lefties hit for a higher average, walk twice as much, and hit for a lot more power. Right-handed hitters rarely walk and they hit for next to no power. Not shown below in the splits are the home/road numbers. Bieber has a 3.66 ERA at home and has just allowed four homers in 10 starts.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 256 | 54 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 50 | .224 | .263 | .340 |
| LHH | 255 | 65 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 23 | 50 | .286 | .350 | .489 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | Cutter | Slider | Curve | Change | |
| Velo | 91.6 | 86.9 | 85.1 | 82.8 | 87.5 |
| Usage | 35% | 23% | 25% | 13% | 4% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:10pm ET
- Where: Progressive Field
- Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB.tv (out of market)
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 69°, cloudy, 15% chance of rain
News and Notes
Kevin Newman released
Two days ago the Reds designated Kevin Newman for assignment. He cleared waivers and this afternoon the club gave him his outright release.
Wild Card Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Philadelphia | 88 | 69 | +6.0 | 100% |
| Arizona | 83 | 74 | +1.0 | 88.6% |
| Chicago | 82 | 75 | 0.0 | 41.7% |
| Miami | 81 | 75 | 0.5 | 57.1% |
| Cincinnati | 81 | 77 | 1.5 | 12.6% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | Top 3 Make Playoffs | ||||
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Brewers | 88 | 69 | 0.0 | 100% |
| Cubs | 82 | 75 | 6.0 | 41.7% |
| Reds | 81 | 77 | 7.5 | 12.6% |
| Pirates | 74 | 83 | 14.0 | 0.0% |
| Cardinals | 69 | 88 | 19.0 | 0.0% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
One game at a time. Hope last night was EDLC finding his stroke again. Jim getting hot could be just the thing to help us run the table
Sorry, him getting hot.
Well you might need to get hot too. Every bit helps. 🙂
Mets leading Mia 6-0 in the bottom of the sixth.
Is Stephenson hurt?
I have not heard that. Someone in a previous thread mentioned that Maile has caught Abbott.
At least Maile looked pretty healthy last night. I know he was pretty banged up for a bit.
Maile did have a BIG night last night so I’ve got no problem playing him again tonight…..ssshhhh don’t tell David Bell. 😉
Major hat tip to Francona for his career achievements. And I’m sure his players like playing for him as well … 😀
OK, let’s bear down and knock Bieber around a bit. Have to keep winning and hope for some stumbling of those around us. Last hurrah for the year at the Jake. Let’s make the most of it.
“And I’m sure his players like playing for him as well … ?”
Michael Jordan did. 😀
It’s so needed Abbott could come off as he was in his first outings after debuted. It would be so appreciated something strong quality six or seven innings as better.
I hope the offense could figure Bieber out taking advantage of the case about perhaps he is not at 100% of shape …
Reds have to win every single game…
Broom time tonight…better be. 🙂
Best of luck to Newman but it was well time for the Reds to move on.
Agree. Seems like a good guy but not needed here anymore. Plenty of kids to cover the field.
With 4 games left, this should also be Abbott’s last start of the year, barring an unlikely playoff appearance.
Quite a debut that young man has had.
Pre-game with Brian and Sam said this was his last start. They equated it to having never run a marathon before, but only having done about 70% of it. Now you are at the end and you’ve never done this before at any level.
Not quite … just got under it by a couple degrees.
Bike Helmets!!!! Always welcome.
You ask and you receive
It was a statement after the fact, but mentally I was asking for just that 😛
Love McLain but with his late start and season ending injury, its Friedl and Steer as MVP in 2023. Votto obviously 2017 greatest season in last 6 years. Suarez 2019 2nd best. Castellanos 2021 3rd best.
Steer and Friedl have had enormous years. Id give co-MVP .
There were hard contacts in the 2nd inning by Fraley, Marte & EDLC but all grounders
Dumb 1-2 heater right down the middle. Show them a changeup first. Down 1-0…atleast 1-0
Gonna need the bullpen bigtime again tonight….Abbott does not look good
Get your hook out Bell. AA just doesn’t have it anymore
No time to waste. MUST win even if it means using starters that are available.
That’s why you hit your cut off man. Good job by Friedl.
Reds color guy says, these are bloop hits by Cleveland….what game is he watching
I didn’t see anything cheap.
One of the best moves the Reds could make in the off season is get a new play by play guy. Then the broadcast would be bearable.
Only first double was a blast
Abbott has hit the wall.
Doesn’t throw enough changeups or inside fastballs. They can look middle away and just take the slurve
Well … that was fun … NOT!!!
OK, down by 2. Been there, done that, set the record for comebacks, amiright?
Not terrible, Cleveland ran into 2 of the outs so it could have been a lot worse.
Rotation is a dumpster fire, pen is worn down, and offense is consistently inconsistent. I don’t think we’re good enough to win 6 in a row. Doesn’t help that India is working on .100 since he came back
But bringing up Barrero to make even one start apparently can’t be allowed because it would cost them their designated pinch runner for Fraley (who also appears too hurt to be playing).
Yeah
Low and away stuff is becoming Kryptonite to Benson.
That time Bieber did not even bother going out of thr zone with it at 1-2.
Think Benson might be pressing against the Indians?
That might be possible; but, the Pirates were working him low and away with success to,
Didn’t think this long of a leash on Abbott would happen. The kid is cooked. Makes me wonder what game HDTBell is watching and what math he’s paying attention to in terms of the next couple games. Of course, he’s set for 3 years, so … 😮
7 hits by Cleveland already….not looking good….cannot let this get out of hand
That has to be it. Go get him.
Is the bullpen up?
Need to get Abbott out of there or it’s over
When did Joe Dirt join the Reds?
Lolllllll
can he pitch?
Good to see Abbott with a lot of emotion after that. Nice to see he didn’t walk off indifferent.
Where is Ben Lively? If he is unable to pitch why is somebody not replacing him?
Putting aside the pitching issues, it’s hard for me to take this team seriously with India continuing to lead off and Fraley as the DH hitting fifth right now. That’s just Bell phoning it in.
Or Krall or both. At times in the last 2 weeks they have seemed almost more concerned the Reds might get in than that they wouldn’t.
The way Bieber looks tonight …..3 runs looks like a mountain to climb
Taking a nap again. Worked last night
Bieber is away away away…. any chance we see an adjustment and these guys start looking there and hammering it?
guess i’ll start checking the scoreboard …..maybe the Braves will help again …..Mets helping out so far today….and of course, the White Sox are hot garbage
India has to stop that ball.
In the old days, that’s an easy DP ball…..now everyone has to be shaded one way or another
Yeah. India’s range isn’t the best especially half injured.
Kinda feels like we’re cooked tonight. In the most extreme math, I believe we could only lose 1 of these last 6 games. Even at that, October slim hopes are fading very quickly.
And Bike Helmets to staunch the bleeding.
Have to figure out Bieber if we have any chance of winning on Celebrate Tito night.
Big DP there.
Fraley may be too injured to help.
The heck you say! 😉
Who will they use when the Reds are officially out?
That’s probably the time they will bring up a “hot bat” from AAA who can’t be hot anymore because they’ve had several days off. lol
The game got complicated to win at this moment. The pitching is not good and the offense can’t figure out Bieber… It’s a shame since Miami lost the first game of DH…
What is Fraley doing in the lineup of a must-win game? He looks terrible at the plate…
He’s looking terrible. Seems to me Joey is a better option at this point.
That was probably pressing our luck. I get it. Trying to make something happen and force a really good throw after a bobble. But it stinks that it was the 3rd out.
He might have made it if he started running at the crack of the bat. He kept looking at the 2nd baseman. Why there’s 2 outs.
Because if it was close to the 2Baseman he could stop at 3rd. Once he saw it bounded away he took off.
Catcher made a nice play.
Can’t do that there – down 4-0 in the 5th – cannot do that !!!
A bomb here and it’s a ball game again.
Can’t hit what you don’t swing at. Or stuff that far in the dirt.
The flailing away at Bieber’s junk balls is extremely frustrating.
At least we got one back.
My bad, back to taking strikes and swinging at balls.
Steer and strand didn’t even swing at strikes – pathetic ABs
Stupid Cubs tied the Bravos.
Steer & CES haven´t good ABs… chasing balls in dirt…
Steer at least got a hit among those ugly K’s.
Bieber has maybe thrown 5 pitches on the inside part of the plate all night…..why wouldn’t you just look away, away, away….and hit it the other way
The team is too aggressive at the plate and don’t believe in going with pitches.
Farmer in for his 100th appearance … 😮
Bullpen……where were you when we were up 9-0 the other night?
The Reds have the 4th highest rated BP by WAR for the season in all of baseball. Don’t blame them as much as blaming the Front office for not signing one starter who they could get innings from at the beginning of the year (or obtaining one during the deadline). Why did they think almost an entire staff of starters who were mostly rookies and have not been stretched out over an entire season would last the whole season?? If you look at the last few games by most of the starters, they are gassed.
it’s too bad, because just 1,2 or 3 more wins this season & we could be in the playoffs….that close
Basically you have a gassed bullpen due to young, inexperienced starters who are now also gassed because of too much burden being placed on them. It is a shame that these guys like Abbott, Williamson, etc will now have a negative memory of the last part of the season due to this.
Fraley should not be playing.
Bell continues to demonstrate that he’s out of touch with the reality that is unfolding in front of him.
Maybe he’s an idealist, or a pseudo intellectual or a tea-leaf reader, but he seems to block out many of the obvious things in front of him.
Fraley is hurt. He’s been a solid contributor all season. Of course he wants to play, of course he’s going to say he’s okay.
He’s hitting .059 of late.
Bell: Wake up.
Love the guy (Fraley), but this time of the year you have to be a manager who will step on some toes and bruise some egos if it means winning.
“Bell: Wake up.”
Too late.
These guys looking real uninspired this fame
This game
It’s hard for me to believe that this team would be uninspired at this point. If anything they would probably be over the top with emotion.
So close again. Elly still looking better of late. Was hoping Benson could make it happen.
Stupid Cubs scored anyway, so that makes the math that much harder.
I don’t remember when was the last time the Reds could sweep or win a series against Cleveland
Just heard thirty seconds of Chris Welch’s delusional rhapsody about a pitcher with a 5.51 ERA
Delusional and Welch go together……probably comes from working with you know who
I think it is time to bring in some fresh voices to go along with the fresh team.
+5,000
Nice, aggressive charge by Marte to field that one.
I like Marte a lot. I have a question though for you, Mr. Moore, would you have traded him for a innings eater/proven veteran at the deadline (in hindsight)? Is it worth the gamble?
A couple more baserunners and this gets interesting.
India looking dialed in now. Nice AB by Martini as well.
Hope still floats 😀
India doesn’t look as left for dead as some RLN posters suggest.
Not in this series. Definitely not tonight. He’s still playing through the aftermath of the PF injury and did hide that more than a little. But the results tonight are all we need to see for tonight.
Their sample size is usually what they did their last AB
Productive outs and then we still get a hobbled Fraley? I really don’t get the decisions/non-decisions like this.
My bad. That was the OD circle view. C’mon CES!!
Because they needed Martini to come off the bench late if they were behind.
Buck up here and then get one more shot at cracking this nut.
Wouldn’t it be crazy if Fraley jacks one out against Classe? I assume he is going to close?
Do Guardians have a LH guy in their pen?
need the bullpen to keep it right there for the 9th
That slow hook on a seemingly disconnected Abbott may hurt all winter
He was gassed. The team needed some veteran arms that eat innings and instead put the pressure on the kids.
Keep it right here and then get a baserunner. The pressure will be on then.
Classe has like 9-10 blown saves this year
And still leads the AL in saves
Can Gibault vulture 1 more win this year (tonight)?
NO!!!
Woah! Marte.
safe…but will they overturn?
It looked to me that ge hit marte on the right index finger. I thought he was out. But was hoping I was wrong. He’ck of a throw from RF.
That hurt
There is no point to replay if they always just go with the call the umpire made anyway.
+1000
Yeah. I think they got it wrong, but that “Stands” meaning maybe but not conclusive is kind of a cop-out.
Absolutely. It should only be confirmed or overturned. “Stands” is cowardly.
I thought he was Marte was out. Elly out too:(
Disappointing in the end. Just dug that hole a little too deep to early and then couldn’t find traction until too late.
Tito Celebration Day indeed.
Onward to the WLB Dirty Birds to put a bow on 2023. Really hope the Phish can displace the Stupid Cubs now.
Time to dig around in the cushions and round up all the spare points for the year so I can pass them out indiscriminately this weekend.
Bell letting Fraley bat was ridiculous, when is the last time he had a hit?
At least Votto walks and gets on base. smh
We’ll never get to where our eventual talent will take us with Frank Howard, Gene Mauch in charge.
I like our speed but you need to know the game situation. Too many times we ran into outs at the worst time.
This game basically came down to Abbott having absolutely nothing …..a bad break when the ball in the 9th bounces off the wall perfectly for the right fielder to throw out the runner…..that might happen 1 in 25 hits like that….
The line hit by Marte was not hard and rebounded directly from the wall to the Rightfielder , it was some bad luck too… This game never wasn’t in the Reds way… It’s very hard to win out agains teams that always have been tough to play…
Now just left to sweep Cardinals at Busch Stadium another pesky team to face…
Marte thought is was going to be an easier double than that. He didn’t start busting it until rounding first.
You are correct in saying at least Votto may have lost. Mclain not coming back left a big hole in the #5 spot of the offense. Oh well it was a fun year and next year has great possibilities.
Maybe once in these last few games Bell could experiment with having his best five hitters hitting 1-5 instead of scattering them around the order. Let’s just see what it feels like one time this season.
No issue with Marte hustling there.
Braves got something going in the 7th
Sean Murphy was puchout by Smyly with the go-ahead runs on 3B and 2B and 1 out. Pillar poped out after that.