PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES:…Opened their 137th season as a member of the National League with a 5-4 win against the Reds Thursday afternoon.
RICH ON THE HILL: Rich Hill will make his Pirates debut this afternoon in the second game of the season-opening series against the Reds…Hill signed a one-year contract with the Pirates on January 5 after spending 2022 with Boston, where he went 8-7 with a 4.27 ERA in 26 starts…Last year Hill held opposing hitters to a .231 batting average against (45-for195) and .379 slugging percentage while throwing his curveball, using the pitch 35.9 percent of the time according to Baseball Savant.
LOVING LEFTIES: Today the Pirates will be opposed by southpaw Nick Lodolo in the second game of this season-opening series…Last year the Pirates hit the sixth-most home runs (55) against lefthanders in all of Major League Baseball…The only five teams to hit more homers off southpaws were the Astros (72), Rangers (72), Giants (69), Yankees (67) and Dodgers (57).
A MEMORABLE OPENER FOR Z: Rob Zastryzny earned the win in his Pirates debut Thursday afternoon, which was his first since June 19, 2018, against the Dodgers and third overall in his career… Zastryzny’s first career win came on August 29, 2016, against the Pirates in an 8-7, 13-inning walkoff at Wrigley Field.
CRUZ’N RIGHT INTO 2023: Thursday afternoon Oneil Cruz hit Pittsburgh’s first home run of the season with a solo shot in the third inning…He became the first Pirates leadoff hitter to homer on Opening Day since Nate McLouth on March 31, 2008, at Atlanta…He also became the fifth Buccos shortstop to homer on Opening Day and the first since to do it since Jay Bell on April 26, 1995.
ENDY IN INDY: Endy Rodriguez, rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 prospect by Baseball America, homered in his season debut last night with Triple-A Indianapolis…Pittsburgh’s minor league system entered the 2023 campaign with two of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects behind the plate…Endy Rodriguez is rated 55th among Pipeline’s top 100 prospects while Henry Davis is No. 57…The Pirates and Mets are one of two organizations with two catchers rated among MLB Pipeline’s top seven prospects at that position.
PIRATING: Ji Hwan Bae has recorded multiple stolen bases twice within the first 11 games of his big league career after swiping a pair of bags in Thursday’s win…Last year the only three Pirates to record multiple stolen bases were Bae (September 23 in his MLB debut), Greg Allen (August 19) and Ke’Bryan Hayes (September 12).
44 – LHP RICH HILL
RICH HILL: The 43-year-old lefthander is making his Pirates debut this afternoon…Signed a one-year contract with the Pirates on 1/5.
vs. CINCINNATI: 5-3 with a 3.48 ERA (67.1ip/26er) in 14 career appearances (12 starts)…Will be facing the Reds for the first time since 7/31/21 as a member of the Mets
CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
REDS HOTS
• The Reds today sent to Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment 1B Joey Votto (8/19/22, surgeries to repair the left biceps and torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder)…in today’s doubleheader at Nashville, he is scheduled to play 1B in Game 1 and DH in Game 2.
• Last night the Reds acquired from the Mariners cash considerations for IF/ OF Nick Solak, who on Opening Day was designated for assignment.
• Thursday’s Opening Day paid crowd of 44,063 was the largest during the regular season at Great American Ball Park.
• Thursday, for the first time since 1968, every Major League team opened the season on the same date…inclement weather and postponements prevented it from happening in 2018 and 2021.
• Opening Day rosters and inactive lists included 269 players representing 19 countries and territories outside of the 50 United States, third-most all-time behind 2020 (291, with expanded 30-man active rosters) and 2022 (275, with expanded 28-man active rosters).
TODAY’S GAME
• Is Game 2 of the 2023 championship season and Game 2 of a 6-game homestand that concludes with a 3-game series vs the Cubs.
• Following this homestand the Reds will travel to Phi (3g) and to Atl (3g) for their first road trip, including the Phillies’ home opener on Thu.
SERIES NOTES
• Dating back to last season, the Reds have lost the last 8 games vs Pit… their 7-game losing streak to finish the 2022 campaign was their longest vs the Pirates since a 7-game skid from 7/20-9/28, 2018.
• Beginning in 2021 at Great American Ball Park, the Reds are 12-8 vs Pit with a 125-75 advantage in runs scored…the Reds have won 22 of the
last 37 games overall vs the Pirates, including 17 of the last 25 games vs Pit at GABP.
• The Reds are 14-29 at Pit’s PNC Park the last 5 seasons, including an 11-game losing streak spanning 2018-2019 and an 8-game losing streak there to begin the 2019 season.
THE SKIPPER…: David Bell is in his fifth season as a Major League manager (251-296, .459, 2020 Wild Card)…was hired on 10/22/18…on 9/22/21, the club announced a 2-year contract extension through the 2023 season.
• David and his father, Buddy, is the fourth father-son duo to serve as Major League managers, joining George & Dick Sisler, Bob & Joel Skinner and Bob & Aaron Boone…Buddy managed Det (1996-1998), Col (2000-2002) and KC (2005-2007).
• David previously spent 4 seasons in the Reds organization’s player development department as a manager, at Class AA Carolina from 2009-2011 and at Class AAA Louisville in 2012.
…AND HIS CREW: Returning to David Bell’s staff are bench coach Freddie Benavides (10th season on the Major League staff), 3B coach J.R. House (5th), pitching coach Derek Johnson (5th), game planning/infield coach Jeff Pickler (5th), bullpen catcher José Duarte (5th), coordinator of advance scouting Kyle Arnsberg (2nd) and hitting coach Joel McKeithan (2nd).
• New to the staff in 2023 are assistant hitting coach Terry Bradshaw, 1B Coach Collin Cowgill, assistant hitting/integrated performance coach Tim LaMonte, assistant pitching coach Alon Leichman (alone LISHE-man), bullpen coach Matt Tracy and bullpen catcher Joe Singley.
SHORT HOPS: For the seventh consecutive year, the Reds started a different shortstop on Opening Day (Zack Cozart 2012-2017, José Peraza 2018, José Iglesias 2019, Freddy Galvis 2020, Eugenio Suárez 2021, Kyle Farmer 2022, Jose Barrero in 2023).
• It is the Reds’ longest such streak since 1900 for that position.
• 3 previous times since 1900, there were stretches of at least 7 straight Opening Days without consecutive starts at shortstop by the same player (though not necessarily 7 different shortstops): 1906-1914 (Mike Mowrey, 2 starts), 1968-1974 (Dave Concepcion, 3 starts) and 2004-2012 (Alex Gonzalez, 2 starts)…notes courtesy @EliasSports.
• In 2022, Kyle Farmer led the Reds with 97 starts at SS…on 11/18/22, he was traded to the Twins for RHP Casey Legumina.
Today’s Pitcher – #40 Nick Lodolo, LHP
• Is making his first start of the season in the Reds’ second game…will be his second career apppearance and start vs the Pirates.
• In his 2022 Major League debut season received 2 third-place votes in the BBWAA’s Jackie Robinson Award voting for National League Rookie of the Year.
• In 2022 ranked among the National League rookie pitching leaders in ERA (4th, 3.66), wins (T5th, 4), strikeouts (3rd, 131), starts (T3rd, 19), innings pitched (5th, 103.1), opponents’ BA (4th, .235) and WHIP (3rd, 1.25).
• Led all Major League pitchers in hit batters (19), 4 shy of Jake Weimer’s 1907 single-season franchise record.
• Went 1-2, 5.52 in his first 3 career starts, but then from 4/28-7/4 missed 69 days and 61 games while on the injured list with a lower right back strain…was transferred from the 15- to the 60-day injured list on 6/21, when IF Donovan Solano came off the 60-day IL.
• Following 4 rehabilitation starts from 6/13-6/29 at ACL Reds (1gs) and Louisville (3gs), came off the injured list on 7/5 and finished the season 3-5, 3.35 over 16 starts.
• In his last 9 starts of the season beginning 8/17 went 1-3, 2.75 (55.2ip, 35h, 17er, 15bb, 67k, 6hr, .182baa, 0.90whip)…the Reds went 3-6 in those 9 starts.
• Beginning 8/17, finished the season ranked among the National League leaders in that span in starts (T3rd), innings pitched (T5th), ERA (8th), strikeouts (7th), opponents’ BA (4th) and WHIP (5th).
• On 9/9 at Mil (8ip, 0bb, 11k) and 9/14 vs Pit (6.1ip, 0bb, 11k) became only the second rookie since 1893, the year the pitching mound was moved to its current distance, to record in consecutive apps 0 walks and at least 11 strikeouts, joining Dwight Gooden (9/12 & 9/17, 1984, 16k vs Pit, 16k at Phi).
• Is only the third Reds rookie since 1900 to record in consecutive apps at least 11 strikeouts, joining Gary Nolan (6/1 & 6/7, 1967, 12k vs Cubs, 15k vs SF) and Bruce Berenyi (8/24 & 8/29, 1981, 12k vs NYM, 11k at NYM).
• Was selected by the Reds in the first round (7th overall) of the June 2019 first-year player draft…was signed by Paul Scott…was Texas Christian University’s highest-ever baseball draft pick.
