After a 5-2 road trip to Texas and Florida, the Cincinnati Reds are back at home tonight to begin a home stand against the Los Angeles Angels. This game is scheduled to begin at 6:45pm ET, but there’s a chance that mother nature isn’t going to play along – though the rain is forecast to be gone by 8pm ET if it does show up. The television broadcast for the game is ONLY on Apple TV.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Angels | Cincinnati Reds |
| Zach Neto – SS | TJ Friedl – CF |
| Mike Trout – CF | Matt McLain – 2B |
| Nolan Schanuel – 1B | Elly De La Cruz – SS |
| Jorge Soler – DH | Sal Stewart – 1B |
| Yoan Moncada – 3B | Eugenio Suarez – DH |
| Jo Adell – RF | Spencer Steer – LF |
| Josh Lowe – LF | Will Benson – RF |
| Logan O’Hoppe – C | Tyler Stephenson – C |
| Adam Frazier – 2B | Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B |
| Jack Kochanowicz – RHP | Chase Burns – RHP |
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Chase Burns | 11.0 | 0.82 | 0.91 | 4 | 16 |
| Jack Kochanowicz | 9.2 | 4.66 | 1.55 | 7 | 10 |
| Links: Chase Burns’s Stats | Jack Kochanowicz’s Stats | |||||
Chase Burns
The first two starts this season for Burns have gone quite well. He’s given up just six hits in 11.0 innings and has allowed just one run. The Reds have won both of his starts, but they’ve also scored just two runs in each of those starts.
The career splits for Burns show that he’s been significantly better against right-handed hitters. They are hitting for no average, they aren’t walking, they aren’t making any contact, and in the cases where they do make contact there are not hitting for any power. Lefties, though, hit for a solid average, draw walks at a high rate, and they have hit for a good amount of power against him.
Career Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 108 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 40 | .194 | .231 | .282 |
| LHH | 123 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 43 | .252 | .344 | .467 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-Seam | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 98.6 | 90.8 | 91.1 |
| Usage | 57% | 35% | 8% |
Jack Kochanowicz
In his first start this season the Houston Astros got to Kochanowicz for five earned in 4.0 innings where he walked five batters. Last time out he picked up the win while tossing 5.2 shutout innings against Seattle.
For his career, Kochanowicz hasn’t found a ton of success against lefties or righties. Both groups have hit for a high average against him, walked often, and made plenty of contact. The large difference is that right-handed hitters haven’t hit for much power against him, while lefties have shown a good amount of power when he’s been on the mound.
Of note – In 2025 Kochanowicz threw a curveball every so often but he has not thrown one this season.
Career Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 340 | 84 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 33 | 46 | .284 | .363 | .409 |
| LHH | 483 | 128 | 21 | 1 | 19 | 42 | 61 | .298 | .371 | .485 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | 2-Seam | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 96.4 | 96.0 | 87.1 | 90.1 |
| Usage | 22% | 31% | 18% | 28% |
When and Where
- Game time: 6:45pm ET
- Where: Great American Ball Park
- Watch: Apple TV
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 70°, cloudy, 25% chance of rain
News and Notes
Roster Moves
This afternoon the Cincinnati Reds optioned Jose Franco to Triple-A Louisville and called up right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas. We wrote about each player a bit more in our piece from when the moves were announced if you wanted to get a little more detail on each guy.
Chase Burns misses bats
From OptaStats: Chase Burns has struck out at least nine batters in 6.0 IP or fewer in five of his first 10 career MLB starts. No other pitcher to make his first career start in the modern era (since 1901) has had more than three such outings through his first 10 MLB starts.
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Milwaukee | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 51.8% |
| Cincinnati | 8 | 5 | 0.5 | 20.4% |
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 54.2% |
| St. Louis | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 9.2% |
| Chicago | 6 | 6 | 2.0 | 42.4% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
Cubs pulled their pitcher with a no-no. Next guy up – 2 runs and a loss. Shocker. Will any team ever learn?
Perhaps because he had thrown 100 pitches thru his six innings.
It’s hard to let go of our 1970s mentality, isn’t it?
Evidently.
Any idea how the fresh arm is going to be used? I live in Louisville and semi regularly check the Bats box scores. Can’t recall noticing him pitch
“The television broadcast for the game is ONLY on Apple TV.”
Growl!…. smh MLB wants me to pay another $12.99 per month to watch this game. The Reds are only scheduled to play on Apple once a month at least for the next few months.
Might watch the Bats and do GameDay for the Reds.
Let’s win.
Frustrating, I get it.
I will say that’s there’s some decent shows on Apple. Wife loves The Morning Show and I’m digging Your Friends & Neighbors. Shrinking and Murderbot are also excellent.
Fubo already has more shows than I can watch already. lol
Fair enough! I can appreciate that.
Apple does offer a seven day free trial if anyone hasn’t used their free trial up already. Maybe that helps someone who wants to watch tonight.
Yes to Pluribus, too. Really a weird show.
I hear great things about Pluribus. It’s on my watch list.
Pluribus is great IMO
It wouldn’t annoy me so much if Apple did a good job with the broadcast.
Why don’t I feel good about a 5-2 road trip? Maybe the way the Reds finished the trip?
Water under the bridge at this point! Need to somehow find some offense as the Reds have only scored 39 runs in 13 games so far! That equates to only 3 runs per game!
Here’s hoping Burns brings his A-game tonight and the Reds don’t treat baserunners like orphans!
Go Reds! Set off some fireworks at GABP and get back to winning!
I hope tonight’s game isn’t a Walk in the Park for the Angels Dennis!!
Makes no difference at all. Among the 4 games in Miami, 2 games count as wins and two count as losses.
This 2026 Reds team IS NOT the Big Red Machine reincarnated. It is a slightly above .500 team if all players are healthy.
In fact, even the Big Red Machine underachieved in 1971-72-73-74.
It should be illegal for the Friday night game that I can sit down and watch to be on a service I don’t have. Radio it is.
MLB Money Grubbers. 😉
Vs. righties this season: Benson .200 avg, 2 BB, 9k’s, Steer .160 avg, 1 BB, 8k’s, Marte .272 avg, 2 BB, 2 k’s. Don’t believe Marte has started 2 consecutive games against righties. Doesn’t seem quite right
He’d be much better off playing every day in AAA.
The Reds would be much better off with him playing everyday in Cincinnati
“The Reds would be much better off with him playing everyday in Cincinnati”
Doesn’t appear that’s the play. Right now it’s not helping him get better. If it’s a discipline problem then why is he even up? Perplexing
I thought it was red uniforms tonight?
Tomorrow night.
The black city connects are Friday nights, the red city connects are Saturday nights.
Nice start to the game Burns. Like how he attacks the zone.
I believe that’s on Saturdays and black on Fridays.
In response to SR. Sorry.
Friedl one pitch = not a lead off hitter Tito.
Its obvious the Reds are really struggling at the plate.Doesn’t seem to matter if they swing early in the count or work the count and then swing.I am sure they have a plan but its not working after 13 games.I guess you stick to what has worked in the past and keep going.
The pitchers are pounding the zone against Reds hitters since many games ago and they can’t hit hard the most of the times.. They make swing to the first pitch very often but failed consistently
Send a message to mlb and the Reds
Boycott Apple mlb friday
I bought tix tomorrow
No one is paying $$$$$ to watch Apple TV baseball
Do something with your wife or kid and listen to WLW
I paid the $4 to add Apple TV to my Peacock TV bundle. I figure between the Reds game, 3 seasons of Shrinking, and a movie or two and it will have easily been worth it.
Sounds good. I just have the free Peacock version. Don’t watch it that much.
I “watch” Peacock every day. When I get in bed every night I turn on The Office and then set the TV sleep timer for 60 or 90 minutes. I can fall asleep without it, but it’ll take longer. It’s a comfort thing for me.
Everyone needs a sleep aid of some kind. Whatever works.
Apparently my wife upgraded my sons phone so we got 3 months free and Im watching
Still
Just a bad decision on my part
Yard might need mowed watching this
Thought Adell had a home run there, sure glad it stayed in the park.
If the Reds don’t want to play Marte everyday and don’t have confidence to bring up Hinds in his place, send Marte down to Louisville to get ABs everyday for his development and bring up Bleday. Marte, Hinds, Dunn and HRod in an iron sharpens iron competitive situation at Louisville. Same with Williamson, Franco, Petty and Aguiar once Lodolo is healthy. Bleday is better suited for a platoon type situation in Cincy. Mix and match the OF based on matchups.
How long before the Reds score a run tonight? Taking bets! Better yet, how long before a Reds batter gets a hit! Painful to watch what are MLB hitters fail repeatedly to do what they are trained to do!
LOL. Your comments are always good for a laugh.
lol
That adds a lot!!’
Hope u feel better
Burns lost control and command …giving a pair of meatballs and forcing a run with a four-pitch walk … not good
Bases loaded Walk to the # 9 Hitter. C’mon. Don’t let this game get out of hand!
Didn’t take long! Here we go with the Reds pitchers and walks! Hopefully my neighbors can’t hear me yelling at the TV!
I’m surprised you have any “working” tvs left in your house. 🙂
Inning never gets started if they didn’t have KBH pulled wayyyyy over on a lefty hitter?
Burns throws 100 so if anything play them to go the other way. That should’ve been a routine out
Suarez, nice oppo field hit.
Hinds watch tonight so far:
Single with EV 104.1 MPH
Line out to CF EV 100.6 MPH
Hinds with a single and a line-out. Probably get called up in September like Stewart. I can see why he’s blocked though with all these sluggers in our lineup who clearly outhit him in Spring Training too
Do I detect some SLIGHT sarcasm there? 😉
Unless he gets to play every day then leave him down there.Already Marte who was starter last year is in some kind of platoon with Benson.If an outfielder can’t start on the Reds he has to be really really bad.
That’s the point. He SHOULD be starting every day.
Steer saw 4 straight fastballs and Ty Steve saw 3 in a row.Nothing fancy just here it is see if you can hit it.Sad
Tyler hit it 97
Steer hit it 100.
Sounds like they hit it to me.
Nice catch Friedl!
That washed up Friedl with the hit steal at the wall on Trout.
Burns isn’t fooling anybody. If he can’t throw strikes the Angels are waiting for a nice fat one to hit.
The things aren’t going well…
That’s about 5 well hit balls that seem to just be dying in RF tonight.
the sad thing is 2 runs seems like a mountain for this offense.
I know it’s early, but I feel like 2 runs may be all the Angels need to beat the Reds!
KBH quick out as usual. Gotta keep his pitch count down. TJ Ks on ball 4 & 5. I’m out
“KBH quick out as usual.”
Poor Hayes. Even GameDay has a note under his last PA.
“Ke’Bryan Hayes is struggling, going 3-for-31 in 10 games this season.”
Maybe Hayes can learn how to bunt
As last season happened, 2 runs seems unsurmountable right now… They can win games only if the pitching and defense allow 1 run at the most…
This offense is awful. Friedl could have walked on 2 pitches. 2 runs seems like a huge mountain to climb.
Same team other then Sal and Geno.
Where are all the commenters who say its too early in the season to be worried? Must be checking their rose-colored glasses! 🙂
Its way to early to be concerned. My goodness 8-5. LOL… frustrating sure,however again 13 games in
Its way to early in the season to be worried. LOL… 8-5..
What, me worry? I’m not Mad about our hitting thus far. This is only Game No. 14. I’m trusting in Francona, Meader, and Krall to make the appropriate roster moves when necessary. As Aaron Rodgers said about 10 years ago RELAX!!
Reading your post and laughing really hard! LOL
The Angels, at the start of this game. Had a team batting average of .201 versus our .208. Wow.
Neto slugs one out
Burns bashing incoming
Just like Lowder yesterday
No reason at all to bash Burns, Lowder or Williamson, our three young quality pictures. These guys aren’t going to be perfect every game. Our offense needs to back them up now and then and it isn’t getting done.
Of course, we can ask Burns , Lowder and Williamson always pitching 6 scoreless innings… Burns has surrendered four 2-out runs
These pitchers are pitching with no margin for error with this offense and it is beginning to show.
Four runs are a little bit too much for this crew to overcome.
Hate to say it, but this game is probably over for the Reds. I want them to come back, but they have to put up at least 5 runs, and hold the Angels right where they are.
This is not a good start to this home stand. Bodes ill for the next week. The same problems exist…no offense.
Burns is young as is Lowder and they have a great upside.Same with young position players such as Elly,Sal,MM and even Marte. Now worries about any of them cause they will get better.
Somebody better start to worry about this offense soon because things are really going bad.
One more inning for Burns in all likelihood due to an inflated pitch count! Walks (3) have a tendency to contribute to that!
I mean this guy that is pitching for the Angels, kind of a middle to bottom of rotation right handed starter, based on his history. And the Reds can’t make a dent in him, at all.
Someone said it yesterday. We have the tendency to make mediocre pitchers (or worse) look like Cy Young with this offense. Most unfortunate.
Ohhhhhhh the Bad Times. We definitely saw it coming.
A not very impressive performance against a not very impressive pitcher. I guess it is hard to give up that 70s mentality. You know back when winning was a thing. And the game wasn’t governed by people who think they understand math.
Who is good with photoshop? We need some MISSING signs with OFFENSE shown as missing. A couple hundred copies posted up around the ballpark.
Hind walks in his third PA. That’s nine walks and 10 Ks in 49 PA so far. You can add stolen base to that.
I just came in and checked to game/score…..broken record ….reds: 4 innings and 1 hit….seems like the same ol story
Its early and the veterans players on this team will be given every chance to turn things around..Won’t happen and it shouldn’t.Friedl in center,Steer in left and Hayes at third are not going anywhere regardless.Ty Steve is not going anywhere.Geno certainly isn’t going anywhere and swapping out bench players for anybody in the minors unless they let them start the majority of the games is useless.Some of these will begin to hit and some may be on the decline.We will see.
You arent wrong roger
Friedl was tasked with getting on base
Steer was tasked with being a productive hitter and hayes was tasked with spraying the ball around and turn the order over
Benson had his chance and still stinks
Marte is absent when he needed to show up
Stephenson and McLain are chasing India and Senzel never getting a second good contract as they regress
things looking up?!
Can’t believe this pitcher is walking the bottom part of our order. Thank you very much.
Wow Hayes walked after some bad approach but now Friedl comes…Let’s see if he can comes through
and that is called looking a gift horse in the mouth… or something like that…
Well we got one in. That’s something. 🙂
PATHETIC
Pathetic …Why they change the approach of being patient? They can’t hit even a single with RISP… Unbelievable…
Watching GameDay. Did Friedl actually swing on a 1-0 count after that pitcher had just walked three batters?
Looks like McLain grounded out on a 1-0 count too. Yikes
The guy walks the bases loaded, with one out. At least Friedl didn’t hit the ball hard enough for them to turn a double play.
And I will wager that one run is all they get tonight. I don’t know how you fix this. Just calling up Rece Hinds and JJ Bleday is not going to fix the rest of the lineup.
Correct. It’s not one player. It’s fairly morose throughout the lineup. Too many non hitters. Same old thing year after year. Fans begged them to get the hitters. They got Suarez and I’m glad they did. BTW only 2 hits vs. this Angels juggernaut. Both by Geno. Where’s Elly? Where’s MM? Where’s TS? Where’s Friedl? Where’s Steer? Hayes? We already knew. Benson? Meh. Can’t survive with so many hitting 200 or below. Stewart? Bright spot. We’re not a young team overall, and as they say, we are what the back of our card says we are. I agree with someone’s recent comment that a few of our players probably had “career” years a couple seasons ago. Many felt that was a harbinger of things to come. Sadly, it seems it was not. Go Reds.
Yep
Bases loaded, one out, and the Reds score one lonely run! Yep! That’s our offense!
And thats without getting a base hit to score the run! Laughable or pathetic.
Friedl is clueless
Last season, the Reds lost 3 games in a row by 1-0 scores…I somehow believe the offense is worse than last season….is that possible?
No…they got Stewart.
Grounding out on a ball in 1-0 count when the pitcher has already walked 3 guys in the inning is rough.
Burns desperately needs that third pitch to come around, and he needs a 4th viable offering after that. He gets ahead; they chase the heat and he wins. He gets behind; they sit on a center cut heater and square it up. A good change would keep them honest at least.
Tell ya what. I’m not sure how much a hitting coach matters but I’m ready to try something different. It’s not just because of this year either.
Just mostly poor at bats, little to weak contact through so many hitters. Definitely cause for concern. Not like it’s one week, it’s been multiple now.
I question reds advance scouting and lack of a comprehensive game plan for hitters and pitchers.
Exactly. Which hitter is performing better now or last year in ‘25 than in ‘24 before Valaika took over? None of them. They all have regressed.
An argument could be made that it is true at least to some degree.
If any of us were as bad as him at our jobs we’d all be looking for work … But like Phil said “where you gonna go”
It may not matter what the club or hitting coach’s approach is if we don’t have the players to accomplish it. Thought this last year, with Francona’s and Valaika’s reported higher contact/lower power philosophy — we might not have the right players for that so it might take another season to get it going. Stewart is a step in the right direction but who else?
He’d better not mess with Stewart. I have a strong feeling Salbert would say, “No Thank You”. I know how to hit.”
Friedl not a centefielder anymore
Friedl low baseball IQ . Just like many of his teammates.
Kochanowicz has a career 5.58 ERA. Can’t say he’s a Cy Young candidate like Skenes, Crochet, or Alcantara…
Reds came into today with the 3rd lowest run differential in the NL, which indicates they’ve been more lucky than good so far. Need to make a change in the OF at least. Not much they can do at catcher or 3B.
Move Elly to third . Arroyo and MM up the middle. Or MM to SS and Stewart 2B with Lowe at 1b
Time to end the benson fantasy . Send Marte down . Give Rece as much rope as they have wasted on benson. Fake an injury with Friedl and give Hector a shot . Or Jorge .
look at these batting avg’s….who would think someone (Suarez) with a .235 avg would be 2nd best in the lineup….a leadoff man with a .157 avg ….unreal, and of course a 3rd baseman hitting an amazing .091….we could have our pitcher batting and doing that !!
Pitchers batting averages when they were required to hit were around .170
Maybe we could swing a trade with the Rockies and bring Michael Lorenzen back!! Platoon him with Friedl in CF or Benson in RF when he’s not pitching. It worked when our previous Field Manager did it!!
Once again, a lineup with 5 guys batting under .200. Sorry, but some of these guys aren’t likely to get back to their baseball card averages. The best idea I’ve seen lately is the Alvin Garcia’s suggestion that the Yankees pursue Marte. For the right return, the Reds could well benefit.
I often get the feeling the Reds keep players around too long without producing offensively on a consistent basis. What’s the purpose of the minors other than to refine talent and get them to the majors. Offensive change must be made. Hinds should be called up and given a real chance to prove himself.
Is anything to be done about this anytime soon, Mr. Kall? Hope so.
Welcome to the Reds Mr. Nicolas! And you’ll fit right in with the 3 walks!
He only has 1 walk (so far). Sam Moll had two of them earlier in the inning.
Dennis my pregame worry is happening!! The Angels are having a Walk in the Park in the 8th inning!!
This game is looking similar as yesterday’s
It’s like Vuja De all over again!
yogi Berra quotes never get old!
Crowd is booing on the radio. Time to get rid of Nicolas. Two trades with the Pirates in the past year that Krall’s been fleeced.
To be fair, I’m not confident Callihan will be a productive MLB player. Nice kid, though. But yeah, Nicolas seems like just another Mey or Big Sugar minus a couple ticks on the gun.
You fall behind in the count 3-1 with the bases loaded you are going to throw a big fat tomato down the middle of the plate. I saw that one coming What a disaster the last few days have been. Ugh
Nicholas served a fastball in the middle of the middle to Soler in 3-1 count… result Grandslam…
Very well could have the worst run differential in the National League after this one now
At this pace, PAgán and Santillan will have a lot of rest …
This is pitiful.
Sal got his foot stepped on . I have been complaining about him leaving his foot on the bag .
Do better Tito
Worthless Home run Elly.
He shouldn’t have even tried.
You win the dumbest comment of the night.
Way to go PJ Higgins! This stuff is fun! I love baseball.
P. J. has been the highlight of the game, hands down!! LOL
How much longer Reds FO? Time to make some changes! This team as currently structured is an embarrassment to the City of Cincinnati!
Based on what we’ve seen over the last two years, the FO is not capable of making well thought out decisions.
I just ripped my shirt collar.
How much does K. Hayes make PA? Roughly, $15,000 each last year. Next time, give one of us on RLN a call. I’d be glad to SO on 3 pitches for $15k. And some of you on here might even manage a hit. Who couldn’t use an extra $15k for 5 minutes of work.
PJ Higgins most effective Reds pitcher on this night.
I’m not giving up on the Reds yet, but definitely don’t see any reason not to make some changes with call ups and send downs to try and motivate a team offensively.
Pressure is not an unhealthy motivator for professional well paid players. It should be expected. LIt’s team game effort that does require good individual performance to be successful, so with difficult times you must make changes.
Send down Friedl and Marte to Louisville and play them daily and re-focus. Try 6-8 weeks. Marte simply needs to get more AB’s.
I wouldn’t consider any return of either until they show good improvement and consistency with a fair degree of sustainability. That would like: BA at .275+, OBP at .310+, and BB’s / SO’s
close to equal.
Bring up Hinds and Bleday and play daily in OF with Myers in CF. Benson and Steer as backups and cover rest days.
Move Stewart to 3B and insert/alternate Lowe and Steer at 1B. Keep McClain, Cruz, Suarez, and Stephenson as regulars and at same positions.
As for Hayes, he would be relegated to pinch runner/ hitter and defensive replacement at 3B. All the while, he would focus on his hitting approach.
If all is working well and improving team performance with BA / OBP / SLUG% / RISP / and turn RF/RA differential to a positive and gradually increase, leave it alone.