After blowing the first game of the series the Cincinnati Reds came back last night and picked up a win to even up the series. This afternoon they will look to grab another victory and take the series against the Philadelphia Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05pm ET.
Starting Lineups
Cincinnati Reds | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Matt McLain – SS | Trea Turner – SS |
| Elly De La Cruz – DH | Adolis Garcia – RF |
| JJ Bleday – LF | Bryce Harper – DH |
| Sal Stewart – 3B | Alec Bohm – 1B |
| Spencer Steer – 2B | J.T. Realmuto – C |
| Nathaniel Lowe – 1B | Brandon Marsh – CF |
| Blake Dunn – CF | Edmundo Sosa – 3B |
| Will Benson – RF | Bryson Stott – 2B |
| P.J. Higgins – C | Otto Kemp – LF |
| Andrew Abbott – LHP | Aaron Nola – RHP |
Starting Pitchers
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| Andrew Abbott | 51.1 | 4.21 | 1.50 | 23 | 35 |
| Aaron Nola | 45.2 | 5.91 | 1.56 | 18 | 46 |
| Links: Andrew Abbott’s Stats | Aaron Nola’s Stats | |||||
Andrew Abbott
Most of the month of April was tough for Abbott. In his first five starts of the month he had an ERA of 8.34 and gave up 31 hits in 22.2 innings while walking 12 batters. But it appears that he’s turned things around because in the four starts since he’s also thrown 22.2 innings but has an ERA of 1.19 in them while giving up just 16 hits, though he has walked 10 batters during this most recent stretch.
The splits against Abbott this year aren’t as big now as they were earlier in the season. Left-handed hitters have had an advantage against him this season in their limited chances. Right-handed hitters haven’t stood out anywhere other than the fact that they’ve walked nearly as often as they’ve struck out against him. Over his last four starts lefties have hit just .130/.200/.130 against him.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 172 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 21 | .252 | .337 | .377 |
| LHH | 53 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | .320 | .358 | .440 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | Curve | Slider | Change | |
| Velo | 92.7 | 79.7 | 82.0 | 86.0 |
| Usage | 47% | 16% | 19% | 19% |
Aaron Nola
2026 has been a season mostly of struggles thus far for Nola. He’s had three quality starts, but he’s also failed to complete five innings in four of his last five outings. In those starts he’s given up 20 earned runs while throwing just 17.1 innings.
The splits against Nola are pretty big. Lefties are hitting for a high average, walking a lot, making plenty of contact, and hitting for power. Right-handed hitters have a solid average and hit for a lot of power when they do get hits, but they don’t make much contact against him and they almost never walk when facing him.
Splits
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 85 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 25 | .256 | .274 | .476 |
| LHH | 116 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 21 | .323 | .414 | .525 |
Pitch Usage
| 4-seam | 2-seam | Cutter | Curve | Change | |
| Velo | 92.4 | 91.3 | 86.3 | 78.5 | 85.9 |
| Usage | 28% | 18% | 9% | 32% | 13% |
When and Where
- Game time: 1:05pm ET
- Where: Citizens Bank Park
- Watch: Reds MLB Channel, Reds.tv (in-market), MLB.tv (out of market).
- Listen: 700 WLW AM (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: 93°, sunny, 5% chance of rain
News and Notes
Eugenio Suarez heads to Triple-A
And some of you said the Reds didn’t have the guts to send a veteran to Triple-A! Ok, so this isn’t what you were talking about. Eugenio Suarez is joining the Louisville Bats this afternoon to begin his rehab assignment as he works his way back from an oblique strain suffered in April. We wrote a bit more about all things involved earlier this morning when the moves was announced.
A team on the farm scored 30 runs last night
The rookie-level team that plays in Goodyear went off on Tuesday night and scored 30 runs in a 30-4 win. In their 15-run 4th inning they batted around twice and two different players had three plate appearances in the inning.
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Odds |
| Milwaukee | 28 | 18 | 0.0 | 71.6% |
| St. Louis | 28 | 19 | 0.5 | 32.9% |
| Chicago | 29 | 20 | 0.5 | 69.7% |
| Cincinnati | 25 | 24 | 4.5 | 9.4% |
| Pittsburgh | 24 | 24 | 5.0 | 37.6% |
| Playoff Odds via Fangraphs | ||||
How can a last place team without a winning record have a 37.6% chance to make the playoffs?
It’s magic! 🙂 Somebody knows something we don’t, obviously.
I think it’s a matter of looking at their roster and totaling up WAR values for offense and defense and making an analytical case as to who has the most value, as a team, and calculating the odds based on that.
It’s a long season, and everybody has ups and downs. The real surprise to me this season is how well the Cardinals are playing. Not many people expected them to be this good. I thought they were in a rebuilding year. What do I know?
Has every team in the NLC had a day in the catbird seat this season?
Baseball and Wednesday meetings … I’m pretty good with that agenda.
Many Phillies hitters have hit pretty well against Abbott… He should be careful on not hanging balls at all …
Lets get a series win!!
10-1 run. Elly score a run today
As usual the first inning looks really bad for the Reds
Gave up a run without a hit, walks kill you, come on Abbott.
You comment on walks and crickets! I comment on walks and get eviscerated! Regardless, walks are generally bad for a number of reasons!
Time for a Pete Rose/George Foster/John Vukovich/Sparky Anderson moment. As Edwin Arroyo is hitting .352(at end of completed game today) while leading league in triples, it is time to move Elly to third and Arroyo to short and replace Hayes to bench. If a star like Pete can do it then so should Elly.
Reminds me how they let Stewart blast away for almost all of last season in the minors when it was clear he was ready to rock on the Major League squad. Looks like they might do the same with Arroyo and waste his year.
Only Elly is NEVER moving to 3rd. I’d like it as well, but it won’t happen in Cincy (and probably not anywhere else he goes).
Has Elly stated he will not play anywhere except SS?
Or putting on the bench and bringing up Driessen to play 3B in 1973. For the entire season, Menke had a higher WAR total and a higher OBP. Driessen hit better and with more power (XBH not just HR).
Nice work by WillieB to get the man in from 3rd.
Nice inning overall.
Looking good so far
Nice to see some ribbies from the bottom of the lineup
If you are going to bring up Arroyo at.352 you have to bring up Marte at .388. Send down Benson and Friedl.
I know nothing in particular, but a Red’s offensive jolt is needed at this point in the season.
Sal Stewart is a ballplayer!!!!!
Two things:
-Sal is such a gamer
-45 pitches already for Abbott. Could use a short inning or two
Second time DeLa Cruz strikes out looking!
SeNd HiM DoWn. Hahahaha….
Is Stewart getting hot again?
Abbott having a weird outing…. He has given up 3 walks and a lot of pitches but keeps Phillies hitless limiting damage …The defense didn’t help much to the pitch count…
Dunn for MVP!
Higgins for co-MVP! 😉
Blake can rake
That’s 2023 Reds Minor League Hitter of the Year Blake Dunn. Put some respect on his name.
Dunn is taking advantage of his oportunities and Tito is feeling more confidence in him… Friedl is in jeopardy apparently
Dunn can become the new Friedl. Late bloomer that can give us a few solid starting years in CF and then need replaced as he enters his 30’s.
First baseman playing back, how is that not a send??
Has anybody in the Reds lineup heard of a sac fly?
Higgins has a redemption of his throwing error with 2 RBIs
and catcher’s interference.
Higgins for co-MVP! 😉
Oops, sorry, getting a little too tappy-happy!
OK, a single works! Both SPs are averaging 20+ pitches per inning so far! Fire up the bullpens!
Back of order is producing. Reds will go to World Series.
Spencer Steer is playing very well at 2nd. Hes wasted in the outfield!
I don’t think he’s wasted filling a team need, but he can absolutely play 2B at the Major League level. That was a really good play.
His flexibility is very handy to have. Especially when paired with his 800 OPS. I wonder what his WAR will be at the end of the year. Seems like playing all those different positions should give you more doesn’t it?
As WAR assumes the player is used at his most valuable defensive position, it actually penalizes versatile players like Steer. Like any single metric, it’s not perfect.
Exactly the type of player every winning team needs. Comes to play — no matter what.
Nice 9-pitch inning by Abbott! Some more runs would be nice!
Nice play by Steer. He comes to play every day.
As Cowboy mentioned — he knows he’s playing every day, though he may not know exactly where!
Spencer steer shows off his vertical with leaping 4-3 double play
OPS over .800 now
I don’t like this kind of quick innings by the Reds hitters… that helps a lot Nola and Phillies bullpen right now…
I’d rather face a tiring Nola in the 6th, then a fresh bullpen arm.
Whoa
Geno double in AAA DH today and slated to play 3b tomorrow
Jim day just said Geno could be back THIS weekend
I think Benson goes down and Bleday Myers Friedl and Dunn are OF with Steer as #5
Geno Sal Steer and Lowe can manage CI and Dh with Hayes last man on bench
Could be Hayes the bat-boy? (just kidding)..
Another inning for Abbott? Phillies running up his pitch count on a hot day.
Abbott has done another good job but at 91 pitches I think Tito will bring in the bullpen to work the rest of the game…Maybe Abbott could face only Harper starting the 6th
Dunn again!
Maybe Tito is thinking of Dunn as a next leadoff hitter trial….
PH RBI two-bagger by Myers. Pour it on, baby!
Blake dunn and Dane Myers arent going anywhere when Geno comes back
Both are nice outfielders and competing at the plate
I guess you’re implying Benson will be the odd man out?
I think it will be between him and Dunn who goes.
I think an every day lineup that includes Bleday in RF, Dunn in CF, Steer in LF, Sal at 1B, McLain/Arroyo at 2B, Elly at SS, Suarez/Arroyo at 3B, anybody at DH, and Stephenson at C being a pretty solid lineup offensively and not too bad defensively. There is a lot you can play around with in the infield and at DH there and then you can have Myers and maybe Benson coming off the bench in the OF to give the starters a day off here and there. Guys like Lowe, Bleday, and Dunn are playing their way into every day roles which, unfortunately, leaves Friedl and Hayes the odd guys out and I don’t think anybody would argue with those two being the odd guys out.
Dunn and Meyers make Benson and Friedl look bad, stealing their lunch money.
I thought Abbott was going to pitch only against Harper… This homer had seen coming after Abbott reaching near 100 pitches…it wasn’t necessary…
It’s possible Francona thought he needed to try to get Abbott thru the 6th given this sketchy bullpen. And as I type this—boom.
Bullpen doing bullpen things… all 8 of them are questionable and highly scary at this point. I would hate to be Tito and try to figure out who to use to finish a one run game now.
FART! (Is that an acceptable swear word here?)
Need more runs. And the bullpen to regain April form.
Yes, like that!
The Reds need to score more runs or it’s back to .500 at 25 and 25.
This was a Tito miscue maybe… I think the idea was after Abbott retiring Harper bring in a righty to face Bohm and Realmuto …
I think he was trying to get Abbott through 6 innings. Didn’t work, however in my opinion one can’t blame Francona for the decision.
Lefty Brock was warming, so lefty was facing them either way.
Would rather the guy pitching well to keep pitching.
Realmutto is not feared anymore anyway.
Help me to understand why Burke who can get it up there at 97/98 throws not one,not two but three straight off speed pitches the last one at 86 to a hitter with no power at all.Who is calling these pitches?Good grief.Do you think he may have been looking for it again?Tiger threw 1 slider last night which had been getting hammered and Ash gets beat on a slider on Monday.If you have got the power stuff then at least make them beat you with it.
100%
Blake Dunn is a different player than the guy they sent down last spring. He made big changes in the second half and may well have carried them over to 2026.
Love his poise this time around. Such a high floor guy, perfect backup OF if he doesn’t hit enough to start.
Lowe comes through in the clutch ….Something Steer can’t do
You win the comment of the day…
Hall of Fame comment right here folks
Lowe hits it high!
Reds batters taking a great approach at hitting today.
Absolutely. Nice to see.
Another Philly gift.
Speed kills
Please throw strikes Phillips
Silly not to have Dunn steal there…..3 run lead, playing with house money, get greedy.
A 3-run lead…We’ll see the bullpen now….Avoid the long ball!!
The Phillies are an old baseball team. Dombrowski may have made a mistake running it back this bunch. And they are bad defensively.
I agree. MLB no longer favors older players.
Very weird. Some really good players, too.
Good scoreless by Phillips and he left Harper to leadoff the 8th instead of batting with a runner on base …
Whoever the Reds bat first struggles.
A weird 0-5 game with 3 Ks by Elly…
I enjoy Cowboy, but he’s talking stupid here. Doesn’t understand analytics and has no interest in doing so.
Agree. Just a cursory look at batted ball profiles and pitch values on Fangraphs explains so much. That said, Cowboy is not match for John Kruk in the not doing your homework club.
Heh.
He certainly did not make his case very clearly IMO. Analytics are useful. Still, I agree that results — tangible production on the field (hits, runs, etc.) and wins — are ultimately what matter. So, I see what he was saying, even though he may be misguided.
I’ll bet Cowboy has no problem with Sal Stewart’s batted ball profile today in the 9th.
To be sure! 😉
Sal has had a game today — both at the plate and on the field.
Ashcraft – 10 pitches, 9 strikes, down in order.
That’s the way we like it!
I love McLain but he is 1-14 in this series with 5 punch outs.Steer at second and Sal at third may get several looks going forward not to mention Lowe playing first and Geno at DH.I got to like that and maybe then you can live with what you get in center and behind the plate.Heck that leaves a spot in the outfield with Bleday in left or right.Maybe Dunn gets a few at bats or whats that guy they sent down to work on a few things.That guy that did ok last year.Hit 15 homers I believe it was with a good arm and can run.Last I heard he still has a few things to work on but maybe just maybe he can help.This offense is not hopeless as in the past with Joe and Hampson and many many others.Just have to make some roster changes and yes some tough calls.Greene coming back soon and Lowder with Burns,Nick and AA.I can see something cooking here.GO REDS
Ashcraft threw a nice 8th inning… Whos gonna close? Santillán again? Johnson?
CRUSHED
Sal visits the Upper Tank
THE ROOKIE, FOLKS!
If all holds, Reds take series from hottest team in baseball on their own turf (and almost swept them)!
Today, Elly De La Cruz becomes the first Reds’ player since Pete Rose to appear in 268 consecutive games.
A real testament to his work ethic, but kind of an indictment of the front office when it comes to managing the health of their most valuable asset.
Elly needs to get a rest once in a while and today would have been perfect.
Tito in the past has said he would rest him.
He DH’d…so strenuous.
Cowboy and Sadak talking like the game is over after Sal’s homerun. They must not have seen our bullpen lately. I don’t think I can rest easy even up 5.
McLain is NOT a top of the order bat. Period.
Be cool if Dunn could continue this kind of progress and become a leadoff hitter, because as of right now we do not have a true leadoff guy.
Absolutely. His speed is unreal too. He’s making progress. Would love to see him get the opportunity to hit leadoff and see what he can do. He looks so much better and more comfortable this time around.
First two hitters in Reds lineup – 0-10, 4 ks. It’s a funny game.
Been working with the game on and audio up. Got to love this result.
Also glad for offense, it helps. Nice to see Sal get in a groove. Steer, Lowe and Bleday too. Dunn has been impressive.
Also hits from a catcher? Pinch me. Nice!
Fifteen hits despite oh for ten from the top two in the order. Can’t imagine that happens too often. Nice win
VERY IMPRESSIVE WIN
Nice to see — especially when much seemed so dreary just a few days ago. Reds take series from hottest team in baseball on their own turf (and almost swept them)!
Get a few key players back/on track and let’s get humming — GO REDS!
All of the sudden things are looking up. Stewart starts hitting again. Steer continues to hit (except when there’s runner at 3rd base), and this Dunn dude is raking. We have a 85% win when Abbott or Burns pitches; winning percentage drops to 30% when other pitchers toe the m?und. McLain is allergic to batting early in the line up, I told Francona that many times but he thinks he knows better.
A great win securing the series too at Philly …The offense brokeout and Abbott threw a solid 5.1 innings. Phillips, Ashcraft and Moll close the door…. This team looks different when the pitching does the job…
Great game by Sal. Abbott did well to settle down and get 5+ from his start after the high pitch count first inning.
Past time to pull the plug on Benson. If you’re trying to win, you have to get better on the margins. This is that.
When Geno is back, that might be the end of the line for Benson.
Real shame, I love his attitude and passion, but we just can’t have an outfielder hitting below the Mendoza line late in May, even if he does get on base.
Nice W. Good SP effort. Decent RP work. Good hitting up and down the lineup.
26-24 after 50 games with injuries to Greene, Lodolo, Suarez, Trevino, Ferguson for all or most of those games.
Not bad. Some SPs need to improve. Some batters need to become hitters. Bullpen needs to be steady most games.
“ 26-24 after 50 games with injuries to Greene, Lodolo, Suarez, Trevino, Ferguson for all or most of those games.”
Well said bit of sanity for a change.
Sanity? What kind of fanatic are you? 😉
Suarez would say, “It was a good day Jim Day!”
Good job by the middle and bottom of the lineup. What a shot by Sal. Phillies play by play Tom McCarthy mentioned that very few travel that far at Citizens. Anybody remember Chris Hersey? Utility outfielder with a ten foot hole in his swing but had big sneaky power at times. 2012 he hit one out in Arizona, over the batters eye in left center, into the second level concession area, two fans enjoying a beer at a table had to jump out of the way as the ball destroyed one of those beers with it eventually coming to a rest after more fans had to move as it bounced into a line of people standing in que at a beer garden. Thom Brennaman and Chris Welsh estimated the HR at about 470 feet. Sal’s shot today seemed to be a definite deja vu moment.
Believe that was Chris Heisey. Big hustle guy.
Yeah. Spell check dooms me again.