The Cincinnati Reds are heading into Sunday afternoon’s game looking to complete a sweep against Cleveland. The Guardians are will attempt to salvage one win in the 3-game series of the Ohio Cup that takes place in the Queen City. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40pm ET. Today’s game is FREE on MLB.tv and also available on MLB Network.
Starting Lineups
Cleveland Guardians | Cincinnati Reds |
| Steven Kwan – LF | TJ Friedl – CF |
| Jose Ramirez – DH | Santiago Espinal – 3B |
| Carlos Santana – 1B | Elly De La Cruz – SS |
| Gabriel Arias – SS | Austin Hays – DH |
| Jhonkensy Noel – RF | Gavin Lux – LF |
| Angel Martinez – CF | Tyler Stephenson – C |
| Will Wilson – 3B | Will Benson – RF |
| Daniel Schneemann – 2B | Matt McLain – 2B |
| Austin Hedges – C | Connor Joe – 1B |
| Luis Ortiz – RHP | Andrew Abbott – LHP |
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Andrew Abbott | 30.0 | 2.10 | 1.07 | 12 | 38 |
| Luis Ortiz | 43.1 | 4.78 | 1.36 | 21 | 49 |
| Links: Andrew Abbott’s Stats | Luis Ortiz’s Stats | |||||
Andrew Abbott
After missing the first few weeks of the season, Andrew Abbott has been kicking butts and taking names since he got back on the mound. He’s got an ERA of 2.10 through his six starts. In five of those starts he has allowed zero or one run.
This season the splits against Abbott aren’t as big as they have been in the past, but that’s because he’s just been much better against right-handed hitters this season than in the past. He’s also been better against lefties this year, but by a much smaller amount. Right-handed hitters are hitting for a little better average and that difference carries over into the slugging percentage. Righties are also walking a bit more than lefties.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 93 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 28 | .193 | .280 | .313 |
| LHH | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | .160 | .222 | .280 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | Cutter | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 91.9 | 87.6 | 80.0 | 82.3 | 84.5 |
| Usage | 50% | 1% | 9% | 18% | 22% |
Luis Ortiz
It’s been an inconsistent season for Luis Ortiz. When he’s been on, he’s been really on. But he’s had some clunker starts mixed in there, too. In May he’s made two starts. The first saw him allow five earned runs in 5.1 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. In the last start he allowed one run to the Phillies and struck out nine in 6.0 innings.
The splits are interesting for Ortiz this season. Right-handed hatters are walking significantly less often and striking out more, but they are hitting more than 50 points higher than lefties, but also hitting for less power. Left-handed hitters are walking a ton, but they are hitting just .202 with solid power.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 89 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 23 | .256 | .315 | .378 |
| LHH | 99 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 26 | .202 | .313 | .405 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | 2-seam | Cutter | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 96.2 | 95.1 | 90.8 | 85.3 | 89.7 |
| Usage | 31% | 15% | 18% | 24% | 11% |
When and Where
- Game time: 1:40pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park
- Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, MLB.tv, MLB Network
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 70°, cloudy, 0% chance of rain
News and Notes
Rehabbing pitcher updates
While we wrote about the struggles of Rhett Lowder after his outing with Louisville last night when it happened, two others also rehabbed with the Bats later in the doubleheader that we didn’t cover in that story. Ian Gibaut threw a perfect inning with a strikeout. He has now given up just one hit in 3.0 innings with a walk and five strikeouts during his week-long rehab assignment thus far.
Sam Moll pitched in the second game and threw a shutout inning with a walk and a hit. He has been on rehab assignment with Louisville since April 22nd and hasn’t exactly pitched well. He’s given up 13 hits, six walks, and seven runs (6.52 ERA) to go along with 10 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched. Wednesday is the final day he can be on rehab before Cincinnati will have to make a decision on whether to activate him, option him, or put him back on the injured list.
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Chicago | 27 | 19 | 0.0 | 70.8% |
| St. Louis | 26 | 20 | 1.0 | 36.7% |
| Cincinnati | 23 | 24 | 4.5 | 7.3% |
| Milwaukee | 21 | 25 | 6.0 | 9.3% |
| Pittsburgh | 15 | 31 | 12.0 | 0.5% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
Big day, shot at .500.
Hope Ortiz won’t be on today…
Two of the Reds best hitters in 2025 (Trevino and Wynns) are available off the bench.
Reds need the sweep here today and a bit of help from the other teams playing Central Division opponents. Need to narrow the gap between themselves and the Cards & Cubs. Can Benson make it 4 in a row? Probably not, but you never know. Can CJ get another hit or has his flash fizzled out? I’m not optimistic on that count. I think a big EDLC game is more likely. We’ll see.
Cards are the Cards, but TBH they’re on the way down. Cubs on the way up – 6 games vs. them in the next two weeks will be very important.
Probably so
Francona did McLain a solid by dropping him down and taking some of the pressure off and the kid is starting to respond. Since May 6 he has a .370 obp with 2 doubles, 2 HRs, and 4-0 steals. The Reds need him to get going and move back up sooner then later.
Francona manages the Reds and my Pacers have Rick Carlisle running the show. Feels good to have a world champion calling the shots!
Lucky man you are. I am Knicks fan but with Indy being a neighbor, I am going to try hard to be neutral in this series and just enjoy watching playoff bb. Best of luck
Knaw. Just go ahead and root for the Pacers. 😉 I root for the Reds because I’m a neighbor in Indy. 🙂
Let’s go Reds! Hoping for some more clutch hitting. It’s going to be interesting if Benson can keep this up and continue to reduce his strikeouts. Wish Hinds was getting more consistent playing time.
Hopefully Abbott continues to shine. Let’s get this sweep!
Hinds will get his chances he just has to produce.At some point Fraley,CES,Candy and Marte will return and all of them were pretty much starters.Somebody now playing will not be playing when all of this unfolds.Got to believe the 3rd catcher is one of them but who else gets sent down?Infield gets really crowded again.
Let’s get Abbot 3 runs. It’s up to him to keep Cleveland in check and get the W. Let’s go. Want to see Mey pitch again today.
Are the Reds wising up and wearing white in the hot days instead of the heat attracting Red? 🙂
Let alone black on 95 degree days.
Yep. Red and black not cool if you want to STAY cool. 🙂
Three on, none on hits. Gotta limit the damage.
Two walks and a HBP by Abbott! NOT a good start!
A lot of pitches already. Bullpen will probably be needed for sure to pitch several innings.
Nice job by Abbott getting out of that, but he’s on his typical high-pitch-count pace. It would be a good idea for the Reds offense to put up a big number today.
Now we will get the obligatory pitch count report of 28 by somebody.
You’re welcome!
You never disappoint!
Dodged a HUGE bullet there! Good news is NO RUNS! Bad news is it was a 28-pitch 1st inning for Abbott on a day where he needs to go deep into this game as the Reds used 6 RPs yesterday
Okay he survived. Let’s hope this will be his worst inning of the day. As for Fraley, Candelario, Marte, and CES coming back and starting? CES should spend a lengthy period in Louisville. Fraley and Candelario? Won’t someone please take them and their lousy contracts? Marte may or may not continue where he left off or he may revert to last year’s lousy performance.
Maybe Abbott can get some quick outs and get that pitch count back in line.Very very lucky to get out of that without giving up any runs.Reds need a crooked number right here to help him out.
Love Elly but his last 5 at bats have been well just awful.
Well he did hit that ball pretty hard. He’d have to hit it hard to get doubled up
Point, Espinal!!!
Anything but a double play.
Anything but a GIDP by Elly and the Reds have a shot at a big inning! Runners at 2nd with less than 2 outs have been the Reds Kryptonite this season!
This may sound crazy but why not have Elly at least attempt a bunt with 2 runners on and NO outs? Who knows, with Elly’s speed he may beat out a good bunt!
Like the idea but coach may not have so much confidence in De La Cruz’s bunting I suppose?
There’s our CF again. 😉
12 pitch second…
You gotta love the bulldog in Abbott! Gives up a leadoff double but battles back to leave him stranded!
Why can’t they institute the challenge system right now? What’s stopping them? It’s so obvious that it’s needed.
Maybe something to do with the umpires’ union.
Poop on the umpires union. 😀 haha
Ty Steve still struggling and Benson continues to hit.
That was a horrible inning by the umpire.
Made me chuckle. Not sure I have heard that before, however 1000%agree. Dude is terrible so far
Oooh. That was a big pickoff. Good job.
AA is battling and battling just like he always does.Time to back him with some runs this inning.Wish Hinds was playing cause folks watch him when he hits.
Wow Joe hits a missle… caught
McLain is so short he is out of the runners peripheral vision.
Okay Elly, you are due!!!
Somebody put some oil on that baseball. 🙂
Hunter Greene looked good in his side session off the GABP mound.
Day speculated that he might be making a start this week.
He noted that it was his opinion.
Elly get another chance to put the Reds ahead.
Well he didn’t strike out or hit into a dp. Progress lol
Hays see if you can come through this ab.
Nope
I’m watching on my phone this morning so couldn’t see if the second strike was in/out of the zone. But it’s the bad calls that put hitters in holes in key situations where games are “influenced” and where we need the ABS.
Davect- it wasn’t in the zone
Thanks, JB.
Given the encroachment of legalized gambling in sports, this has got to change.
Now, it’s Elly who’s not getting the job done in his spot. I like the idea of moving him to leadoff in order to mix things up.
TJ Freidl came into the game at .354 OBP
2 more walks today.
He is exactly who should be batting leadoff.
Elly was tried at leadoff, and it did not go well. .207/.281/.414
OK. Good to know.
He does have solid numbers from the 2-hole though.
Yeah and Elly with the league average .320 OBP is not somebody who is lead off material.
This guy behind the plate is calling balls/strikes like he has a wife in labor.
He needs a catcher’s mitt, then.
This zone is out of control.
1000%
No chance if you don’t make contact and Hays didn’t in that at bat.You want Elly and Hays up there with runners on and both times have had runners in scoring position.
To be fair the zone is so bad that players have no clue what’s a strike and it’s changing the at bat . This game will be low scoring and probably 1-0
Holy cow, Benson! 4 straight games!
I love it when someone takes advantage of an opportunity!
Will B….SMASHED
Benson hitting so well is definitely a PLEASANT surprise.
Benson might be the power outfield bat they have been looking for. Platoon him with Hines and there is the power.
Yes.
Benson is on an Aquino-like tear right now.
Good comparison.
Unbelievable! Benson homering 4 days in row. He must really want to get back at Cleveland.
Or not go back to Louisville.
Benson may be here to stay and Ty Steve on base ahead of him.
Joe looking like a good pickup, too.
Joe is that 13th guy that can sit for a week and get a hit and cover many positions. I always liked him on other teams when the Reds played them. Has a decent arm in the outfield.
Conner Joe with 2 hits is the “runner-up” for best batter award today.
Happy Mt. St. Helens Day, Will Benson.
Last Red to homer in 4 straight?
TJ Freidl – 2023
The thing I’ve noticed is different about Benson is he seems so relaxed at the plate now.
Last year he looked so tight and nervous every time he was batting, and he was desperately chasing balls and swinging out of his shoes.
Now he just looks so loose and calm. When he hits homeruns, it’s like he’s not even trying, but the ball just explodes off his bat.
Maybe someone talked to him and got him to relax. If so, that’s a sign of good coaching.
The Eric Davis influence.
They talked about it on Pete Rose night.
Relaxed…arms low.
That was a tough play to make by Elly.
Yeah he has to learn to throw the ball the opposite way that your falling. He throws that to the right of first and it will drift back towards the base.
Yup…most all of his errant throws are to the right of the 1st baseman.
Seems fixable.
Not Abbott’s best day but he’s fought through it. Looks like 3-4 innings from both bullpens. Given yesterday’s game, it feels like the Reds may be shorthanded today.
Most of our guys only went 1 inning.
But some have pitched 2 days in a row.
Unfortunately we might have to endure Barlow and Rogers today.
It is fingers crossed time – OTOH, a chance to show they’ve stepped up from the Hembree/Strickland/etc. efforts.
Abbott didn’t have it today and worked like a horse and held them to 0 runs. Great effort. ERA under 2.
Abbott dealing. How long can he go?
He’s out.
Barlow is next.
Fingers crossed.
Yep, Barlow has a four game streak as well. He’s given up runs in his last 4 games. That streak needs to end today.
Everyone in the bullpen is a lock except Rogers and Barlow. I would take Gibaut when healthy over Barlow.
Guess I didn’t realize how many errors(16) Elly had so far but he is better then that no doubt.
He only has 8 errors according to baseball reference.
He has 8 errors.
OOPS that show many steals he has not errors.
Nice escape, Barlow. (This is where I’d like to have a healthy Gibaut in the lineup.)
I just saw your post, JB. Lol
No problem. The good thing about the wide strike zone is it helps Barlow. He walks to many guys for my liking.
Barlow got us to the 7th.A few more runs would make it a tad less stressful.
Benson?!!! What about that?!!!
So this benson guy is pretty good
Will the thrill!
No way!
Benson carrying this team right now.
Benson says I will beat them all by myself just get on my back and ride.
Benson on fire.
Imagine Benson and Marte in a lineup together.
This is uncanny, but I hope it continues.
I’ll say this again. During spring training, Benson was the most amiable guy on the whole team. Tipping his hat, chatting up fans, etc. So happy for him. WTG, Will!
Good to know that and thanks for spreading the word about that.
Maybe they should put him in the 3 hole in the lineup.
Meanwhile, McLain is getting fitted for his sombrero.
I was just about to compliment Joe. lol
Benson is must see TV. Hotter than California sun. I asked for 3 runs and Benson said No problem
MM doesn’t make contact again and goes down for the third time and Joe gets picked off second but Benson is on fire.Just an absolute joy one minute to what happened the next but Reds lead and that’s all that matters.Its baseball.
I don’t like the looks of this…Mey doesn’t have his velocity today. And walked the first hitter…
When Marte is back, it may be time to send McLain down to AAA to sort out his problems there.
What problems?
McLain is .244/.370/.422/.793 the last 14 days and .300/.364/.550/.914 the last 7 days.
Steer is the big question mark. Where’s CES?
CES started baseball activities in AZ
What are you questioning about Steer who is coming around as well?
Steer last 28 days is .253/.315/.404/.719 which is MLB Avg. and the last 7 days is .304/.304/.609/.913.
McLain has come around some since being moved out of the two-spot. I’m not convinced about Steer. He did just get a hit coming off the bench. I hope you’re right.
6 for his last 21. I think he is coming out of it. More of a bad day. 5 game hit streak coming in.
The leadoff walk strikes again! Where’s Dennis?
Mey is human.
Minimal damage.
This ump’s report card might be one of the worst of the season.
Worst I have seen so far.
I think he was 69th out of 85 umpires. I looked earlier.
Heck of a job by El Tigre who clearly had a tired arm and no control of his slider, but still put up another 0.
One more run in the 8th would make me feel a lot better about the 9th.
Will the Reds play down to their competition in Pittsburgh?
That IS the question.
I’ll take those 3 outcomes from kwan, Ramirez and Santana every time. Just one more out.
Ump just gave us one. lol
Pagan!
Outstanding recovery, Pagan!
Believe Pagan is the first Reds reliever with 3 saves in 3 days since Aroldis Chapman in September 2014 against the Cardinals.
Today Ohio, tomorrow the world…
FOUR in a row. How things change so fast after the first two against the ChiSox.
29 pitch effort for Pagan on his 3rd straight game of action.
I think he gets a day or two off now.
And….this one belongs to the Reds. And….I think they have found a right fielder.
I like the way Tito went all out to win the last two.
Reds sweep!! Wow what a job done by Santi-Pagán , masterful
This game was brought to you by Will Benson.
(Yes, and some masterful pitching.)
Series sweep almost exclusively at the hand of Benson. Good for him! What will they do when he cools off? Others better start stepping up!
Back to 500….
Now let’s win tomorrow!!
Very high pitch count for the Reds today. Pirates tomorrow with Skenes having pitched today. Maybe the Reds starter can last tomorrow, maybe 7 innings. 4 game winning streak. Longest under Francona?
Three straight days of Benson and outstanding pitching. (Please play up to your rediscovered abilities in Pittsburgh.)
Cardinals lose.
Cubs are winning but Cards just lost.
Good thing Krall doesn’t read this site and didn’t trade Benson after his four whiff first game, as many were begging for!
Maybe he did read the site when they were saying to get Dunn and Hurtubise off the 26 man roster.
Benson had four K’s in his first game in 2023, too. He went back to what works!
Couple of small things that were good to see: Steer came in as a pinch hitter and did his job. Conner Joe got on base twice with solid hits and it would be really nice if he could have scored. Joe is doing a good job when he is called on and also played first and left field.