The game began well for Cincinnati, but the Dodgers were able to get things going on offense late in the game on Tuesday night. Los Angeles scored multiple runs in the 8th inning to take the lead and held on for a win over the Reds to push them to 0-2 on the day after their earlier loss to the Rockies.
The Highlights
Cincinnati got things started real early. TJ Friedl led off the game with a double and then scored on an Elly De La Cruz single. The Reds shortstop then stole second and scored on a triple off of the wall by Austin Hays.
Chase Petty got the start for Cincinnati on the mound against Los Angeles and with a 2-0 lead he came out in the 1st inning and got ground outs from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, but Freddie Freeman assured the Dodgers wouldn’t be no-hit on the night with a double. Petty stranded him there by striking out Teoscar Hernadez on a 99 MPH fastball on the outside corner. In the 2nd inning Petty would pick up two more strikeouts as he kept the Dodgers off of the board.
Things didn’t quite go as well for the Reds #2 rated prospect in the 3rd. Shohei Ohtani lined a single into right field with one out in the inning, but Jake Fraley came up firing and threw him out as he tried to turn it into a double. That worked out well for Cincinnati because Mookie Betts followed with a home run that cut the Reds lead to 2-1. Petty ended the inning with 92 MPH cutter that locked up Freddie Freeman for his 4th strikeout of the day.
Ladies and gentlemen, Chase Petty! pic.twitter.com/KWwFjFkf9S
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 5, 2025
Cincinnati went to the bullpen from there. Taylor Rogers, Bryan Shaw, and Lyon Richardson all threw a shutout inning of work as the Reds held on to a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the 7th inning the team called on Luis Mey to take the mound and the big right-handed reliever walked one better but struck out the other three that he faced. He also did something that no other Red has done so far this spring – topped 100 MPH, firing a strike at 100.3 MPH and a ball at 100.5 MPH during his outing.
While Cincinnati’s bullpen was getting their job done, another pitching prospect was doing the same thing to the Reds hitters. Roki Sasaki, the prized 22-year-old from Japan struck out five batters for the Dodgers in his 3.0 innings of relief to keep the game close.
When the 8th inning rolled around, the Reds turned the game over to Brandon Kumar and he ran into problems right away as he walked the leadoff batter. He would later give up an RBI double, an RBI single, and watch another run score on a ground out that saw Los Angeles score three times in the inning to take a 4-2 lead. The Dodgers were able to seal the win 10 minutes later as Cincinnati went down in order in the top of the 9th inning.
You can see the box score for the game here.
News and Notes
Elly De La Cruz had two more hits – including another double – and a steal in the game. That somehow lowered his OPS this spring and he’s now hitting .563/.650/1.313 through 20 plate appearances. Six of his nine hits have been extra-base hits.
Austin Hays is 5-16 (.313) this spring. Four of his five hits are extra-base hits.
Chase Petty has allowed one run in 7.0 innings on just five hits this spring.
Wednesday’s Game
Tomorrow’s game will be an afternoon contest with a start time of 3:05pm ET as the Reds host the Texas Rangers. Hunter Greene, Albert Abreu, Yosver Zulueta, Scott Barlow, Chase Burns, Zach Maxwell, Jose Acuna, and Connor Phillips are scheduled to pitch.
When will relief pitchers learn NOT to walk the leadoff batter late in the game with a one run lead? Saw this too many times last season! Hopefully, this will not be a trend that carries over to the 2025 regular season! YES! I hate walks!
If they could choose to avoid it, they would. It’s not a learned skill. It’s a lack of ability to consistently throw strikes.
Good answer.
He certainly wasn’t trying to walk the first batter and, honestly, it was Brandon Komar so who cares. This is not a guy that is going to make the roster, he is certainly not guy that would ever be asked to protect a 1 run lead late in the game in the regular season, and spring training wins do not matter.
Is the question of the day Abbott or Petty as the #5 (or someone else with Lowder sore)?
It might all depend on how things go with Abbott/Lowder/Ashcraft. Chase Petty isn’t on the 40-man roster. If Abbott’s going to be ready in April (if he’s not ready to begin the season), they probably aren’t adding Petty to the 40-man to cover 2-3 starts unless they outright decide he’s going to be in the rotation for the long-term from day 1. If Lowder looks like he could be ready at some point in April, that’s probably another ding against Petty getting the nod. Ashcraft simply being healthy probably keeps Petty from getting the nod unless the team has no faith that Lowder or Abbott will be ready in April at all AND Ashcraft looks beyond terrible all spring. Not being on the 40-man really matters in situations like this.
So You mean even Spiers and Connor Phillips would be ahead of Petty talking about chances of reaching a rotation spot because they are in 40-man roster and doing it well so far this spring…
There are a few people who are on the 40 that Petty can replace. Bowman for one. Zueleta for another.
But that isn’t how teams operate, JB. They don’t add real prospects for a 2-3 start stretch. When they add someone who is a true, real prospect, they do so with the idea that they are bringing this guy up for good.
Thanks, Doug.
Absent about 3-4 SP’s hitting the DL, we won’t see Petty until CIN has can secure an extra year of control of him and it is obvious to remove someone from the 40MR via the IL60 or waivers. Sure liked Petty’s stuff tonight though.
I’ll be an optimist and say that the vast majority of spring training stats and performances don’t matter unless they are thoroughly abysmal AND reveal irremediable flaws. But, an exception always proves the rule, and Petty’s 3 ip in this game are exceptional.
Doug’s point about the 40-man spot is apt, and with others healthy Petty surely begins in Louisville, and unless Lowder falters and Burns is slow to develop, they’re looking at excessive pitching by late June.
Of course, always qualify it with injuries, but it may be better than many realize.
CES had two outs in this game on balls with exit velocities of 110mph and 108.2mph on the heels of a 114mph double on Monday. And if memory serves, he also had a monster HR late last week.
Perhaps he doesn’t need to spend any time at AAA to prove he is healthy and may be the big RH hitting bat the Reds did not acquire in the off season? 😉
CES, McLain, and Hays all look like they could be huge upgrades to the Reds’ offense. A shame we’re not sure if we can count on Steer to also contribute.
I know, I know, “It only bothers him when he throws.”, but still, his shoulder is not fully healthy, so we’re not going to see the best of him. The question is just how much is he going to be diminished.
I hope we’re not looking at another CES situation where Steer struggles through a few weeks before they shut him down and he has season-ending surgery.
Yeah, I’ve always thought it was nuts to want to relegate CES to AAA. He’s hit very well at every level he’s played at when healthy. He won’t need time in AAA to get his timing back; that is what spring training is for.
Hays, CES, TySteve, McClain……you could argue the team is sorely lacking left handed thump because it’s not coming from TJ or Jake. Elly and that’s it.
I’m one of those who thought CES would begin in AAA, but with 2 qualifiers – 1 – if he wasn’t healthy; and 2 – if they acquired a middle-of-the-order power hitter. Looks like 1 – he’s healthy, and 2 – he’s the acquired power hitter.
They still need a power hitting OFer, and as for Steer that may be a dilemma if he’s healthy enough to DH, but needs more than time to regain throwing prowess.
@Sultan – Candy should be able to provide some lefty pop as well.
He looks really good. In great shape and really hitting the ball hard.
I know it’s going to sound negative, but I’m not really trying to be. I am very happy to see CES is healthy, and I do think he has the potential to be an everyday middle of the order bat.
I just want to see how good he looks when pitchers are trying to get him out, and not just working on their pitches. We already know when healthy he can turn around a fastball over the plate.
I’d say the same thing about Benson, both are showing big time power this spring. Honestly if we have the 2023 versions of them in the batting order were going to be in for a fun year.
Did we draft Petty or was he a trade acquisition?
We got him from the Twins in the Sonny Gray trade.
Nice. TY.
Yeah… straight-up, 1-for-1.
I like what I’ve seen of Petty a lot! Dotting 99 mph on the outside corner on Teoscar was impressive.
He’s got a little swagger too, which I probably wouldn’t love if I were trying to be friends with him – just not really my thing, ha – but I kinda love seeing it in a Reds pitcher! 🙂
Petty’s throwing motion looks really loose, he’s got what they call easy gas. His motion and the way he falls to the left off the mound reminds me of Luis Castillo.
Nice outing by Luis Mey. Zero HR’s allowed by him last year in 55IP. Yes, 43 walks are not good and he needs a real test at AAA, but like with Maxwell (just one homer allowed), if no one can square you up then those runners are usually stranded. That’s a trait I value in late inning relievers.
Marte continues to struggle on both sides of the ball—he sat back and let a chopper play him for an error. Seems like his defensive miscues are generally from lack of aggression while offensively he’s not patient enough (just 1 walk this spring). To me that indicates the game is too fast for him right now.
I agree with all of the Marte points, but he did hit a double off the wall vs. Yamamoto last night
2 weeks into spring training as of tomorrow. I know it’s spring, but I also feel spring training in the past 5 years has been more telling than previous decades. So much data now.
-I do think we have some concerns in the starting pitching department. We have 2 pitchers (Lodolo & ashcraft) that can’t locate off speed pitches. Hitters simply sit on their fastball. Even AAAA players can turn around a mid 90’s fastball in today’s game. I think they both need a stint in louisville.
– we have 2 starters slowed by injury that are super important to the 2025 depth (Abbot & Lowder).
– For Ashcraft to still not be able to locate his pitches after this many years is very disappointing.
As long as healthy, I do have confidence in Greene, Martinez and Singer. And this really highlights why Krall went out and got Singer and retained Martinez.
Very nice to see a young and coming Reds starting pitcher (Petty) who can actually locate his off speed stuff in spring. But don’t burn a year of his service time for 5 starts.
I would go sign a mid level starting pitcher (like Brewers just did) if I were Krall. I believe there is one 40 man roster available.
Perhaps Miley will be ready in late May , but can this team afford to give away 5-10 games in March and April due to inferior pitching?
And the Cubs have looked absolutely dominant thus far.
i agree, Lodolo and Ashcraft really worry me. I don’t think Abbott is the answer to our wildest dreams either. I was against trading India initially but it looks like it was the right thing to do
Yes, Lodolo and Ashcraft are proving to be concerning based on these 2 weeks, but they’re really 2 different concerns.
Ashcroft may well begin in AAA, but essentially as preparation for transition to a role as a late reliever, either 8th or closer. It’s been coming for a while and this may prove the time to do so.
As for Lodolo, given the amount of time lost to injury perhaps he’s better suited for a Martinez-like role – forget building up as a starter expecting 140+ ip. Keep him on the 26-man, and use him as the spot starter/long relief/pair with an opener for 3-4 ip. Not ready to move him all the way into single inning work yet, but they do need to solve the time limiting injuries, if possible.
Agree re Ashcraft. Yesterday, he couldn’t locate anything other than his fb, and they pounced on it. What was it? Five straight hits for five runs in one inning? He got pulled, then came back the next inning and dismay alright.
I’ve seen Lodolo twice, and he, too, is a mystery so far. However, he looks far more ready and “fixable” than what I saw from Ashcraft.
P.S. Boy, was Gibaut upset when he gave up that two-out solo shot.
Not “dismay”, “did.”
FWIW, both Ashcraft and Francona said they were pleased with his outing.