CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
RED HOTS
• In last night’s game, Jason Vosler’s RBI single in the 7th inning snapped a streak of 24 innings without scoring a run…It was the longest streak since a 24-inning scoreless streak from 8/4-8/7/2020.
• On Tuesday the Reds and RHP Hunter Greene agreed to a $53 million, 6-year contract extension through the 2028 season that included a $21
million option and $2 million buyout for 2029.
TONIGHT’S GAME
• Is Game 2 (0-1) of a 4-game road trip, all at Pit’s PNC Park.
• The Reds are coming off a 3-4 homestand vs the defending National League champion Phillies (2-2) and Rays (1-2).
• Following this series the Reds return to Great American Ball Park for a quick 3-game homestand vs the Rangers before heading out to face the Athletics (3g) and Padres (3g) in the first of their 3 trips to the West Coast.
SERIES NOTES
• The Reds earned a 2-1 series win vs Pit in the series that opened this 2023 championship season.
• The Reds went 14-29 at Pit’s PNC Park the previous 5 seasons, including an 11-game losing streak spanning 2018-2019 and an 8-game losing streak there to begin the 2019 season.
• Beginning in 2021 at Great American Ball Park, the Reds are 14-8 vs Pit with a 134-78 advantage in runs scored…the Reds have won 22 of the last 41 games overall vs the Pirates, including 19 of the last 28 games vs Pit at GABP.
RANGERS UP NEXT
• The Redlegs are 9-10 all-time vs the Rangers, including 6-5 at Great American Ball Park.
• Beginning Monday the Reds and Rangers will meet for the eighth time overall and for the first time since 2019, also at GABP.
• The Reds haven’t played in Arlington since 2016.
• The Reds are coming off their only interleague series of the season, a 1-2 series loss vs the Rays at Great American Ball Park.
• From 1997-2022 the Redlegs went 188-247 vs the American League, at .432 the lowest interleague winning percentage of any Major League team…in 2022 the Reds went 12-8 vs AL teams (0-2 vs Cle, 2-0 at Cle, 1-2 at Tor, 1-1 at Bos, 3-0 vs TB, 2-1 at NYY, 2-1 vs Bal, 1-1 vs Bos)…last season’s was their first winning record vs the American League since 2013 (11-9)…in the 8 seasons between the 2013 & 2022 season series wins, the Reds went 61-99 vs AL teams (.381).
LEADING OFF
• In the first inning, Reds batters rank seventh in the Major Leagues in batting average (.310), fourth in on-base percentage (.395).
• When leading off the Reds’ half of the first inning, Jonathan India is hitting .400 (.526obp, .733slg, 6-15, 3bb, 2 2b, 1hr, 6r).
• India’s 16 runs scored are tied for Fourth-most in the Major Leagues.
• India’s 6 runs scored in the first inning are tied for second-most in the Major Leagues (NYY’s Aaron Judge, 9r).
Tonight’s Pitcher – #51 Graham Ashcraft, RHP
• Tonight is making his second appearance of the season and third career start vs the Pirates…will be his second career appearance at PNC Park.
• Will take a 6.0-inning scoreless streak into tonight’s game.
• Is the eighth Reds pitcher, since 1901 and including Nick Lodolo in 2023, to begin a season with at least 17.0 innings while allowing 4 earned runs or fewer.
• Is the first Reds pitcher to begin a non-COVID season with 3 consecutive quality starts since Amir Garrett in 2017 (3qs)…no Reds pitcher has begun a nonCOVID season with more than 3 consecutive quality starts since Alfredo Simon (6qs) and Johnny Cueto (9qs) both did it in 2014.
• Started the third game of the season and on 4/2 earned the 3-1 win vs the Pirates…following 2 rainouts, didn’t pitch again until 4/10 at Atl.
• In his last start of spring training, on 3/22 vs SD, allowed 1 hit while recording 10 strikeouts without a walk in 6.0 innings…time of game was 1:52.
• In 2022, in his Major League debut ranked among the National League rookie pitching leaders in starts (T3rd, 19gs), innings pitched (4th, 105.0), ERA (7th, 4.89), strikeouts (11th, 71), opponents’ BA (8th, .281) and WHIP (1.42, 8th).
• From 8/23-9/23 missed 32 days and 31 games while on the 15-day injured list with right biceps soreness.
• In 16 starts prior to the injury went 5-3, 3.97…in his last 5 starts prior to his injury went 1-1, 2.67 (33.2ip, 32h, 10er, 8bb, 24k, 3hr, .252baa), lowering his ERA from a season-high 4.70 to 3.97.
• After 2 rehab apps for Chattanooga and Louisville (5.2ip, 15h, 10r, 5er, 1bb, 11k, 123 pitches), finished the season 0-3, 12.00 in his last 3 starts for the Reds.
• Hunter Greene threw 7.0 scoreless innings (0bb, 8k) in the 7-0 win on 6/6 vs Ari and Ashcraft followed with 6.0 scoreless innings (0bb, 4k) in the 14-8 victory on 6/7 vs Ari…for the first time since 1900, Major League rookie starting pitchers in consecutive games threw at least 6.0 shutout innings without a walk.
• In 2021 was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star, MLB.com’s Reds Pitching Prospect of the Year, the Reds’ Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June and a 3-time league Pitcher of the Week.
• His fastball, slider and curveball all have been rated by Baseball America the best among Reds minor league pitchers.
• Was selected by the Reds in the sixth round of the June 2019 draft…was signed by Jonathan Reynolds.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES:..Have won a season-high tying four straight games and five of their last six contests…Also won four straight games from 4/3-7…Have not lost backto-back games since dropping the final two contests of their season-opening series in Cincinnati. JACK IN THE BOX: Jack Suwinski is hitting .391 (9-for-23) with a double, five home runs and eight RBI in his last eight games after going 1-for-15 in his first five contests…Since April 11, Suwinski ranks first in MLB in OPS (1.551) and slugging (1.087), tied for third in total bases (25) and home runs and tied for ninth in batting average.
24: Twenty-four-year-old Jack Suwinski has homered 24 times in his first 119 games in the big leagues…That’s the second-most among all National League players age 24 or younger and tied for the fifth-most in MLB with Bo Bichette in that time…The only four players 24-years-old or younger to hit more home runs since the beginning of last season are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (35), Julio Rodriguez (32) and Juan Soto (31)…source Baseball Reference.
FAST TIMES AT PNC PARK: Last night’s game time of 2 hours and 9 minutes was the fastest of the 2023 season for the Pirates…Prior to last night, Pittsburgh’s previous nine-inning game that lasted less than 2 hours and 9 minutes came on July 4, 2015, vs. Cleveland in a game that took just 2 hours and 6 minutes in a 1-0 Pirates win.
ABOUT TONIGHT’S STARTER: Mitch Keller has posted a 2.84 ERA (19.0ip/6er) in his last three starts since allowing four runs in 4.2 innings on Opening Day against the Reds…Beginning with his start on August 30 of last season, Keller has posted a 2.78 ERA (64.2ip/20er) in 11 starts…That’s the fifth-best ERA in MLB in that time among pitchers with at least 60.0 innings pitched behind Marcus Stroman (1.64), Clayton Kershaw (1.91), Zac Gallen (2.58) and Shane Bieber (2.59).
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Mitch Keller will make his fifth start of the season and his second of the 2023 campaign at PNC Park…Keller was in line for the win in his only start at PNC Park this season after limiting the World-Champion Astros to two runs in 6.0 innings on April 11 in a game the Pirates won 7-4 in walkoff fashion…Beginning with his outing on September 6, Keller has posted a 1.80 ERA (35.0ip/7er) in his last six starting assignments along the Allegheny River.
FOUR YOUR INFORMATION: The Pirates enter today with a season-high tying four-game winning streak (the Buccos also won four in a row from April 3-7)…Last year Pittsburgh also won four straight games on two occasions…A win tonight would give Pittsburgh its first five-game winning streak since April 14-20, 2019.
GO JOE: Connor Joe is 6-for-13 with two doubles, a triple, home run and four RBI in his last three games…Beginning with the action on April 7, Joe ranks 10th in MLB in OPS (1.133), tied for seventh in slugging (.707) and tied for ninth in total bases (29) while hitting at a .341 clip (14-for-41).
THE BATTLIN’ BUCCOS: Pittsburgh brings a 13-7 record into today’s action, which is tied for the fifth-best record in all of MLB behind the Rays (16-3), Braves (14-5), Brewers (14-5) and Rangers (12-6)…A win tonight would give the Pirates their best start since going 15-6 to begin the 1992 season.
BOMBS IN BUNCHES: The Pirates have hit at least two home runs in each of the last four games…The Bucs also homered multiple times in four straight games last year from September 10-13 (game one of a doubleheader)…Prior to last year, the last time the Pirates hit at least two home runs in five straight games was from August 22-26, 2014…Special thanks to the Elias Sports Bureau.
ON THE OFFENSE: Pittsburgh has scored 103 runs coming into today…That’s the fifth-most runs in all of MLB behind the Rays (133), Rangers (112), Red Sox (111) and Dodgers (105).
GETTING STRETCHED OUT: Pittsburgh’s starters have worked at least 6.0 innings in each of the last 10 games…That’s the longest stretch since also going 10 straight games tossing at least 6.0 innings from August 3-12, 2017…During this current 10-game run of tossing at least 6.0 innings, Pittsburgh’s starting rotation has produced the best ERA (2.34) in all of Major League Baseball…The last time Pittsburgh went more than 10 straight games with at least 6.0 innings from its starting pitching staff was from June 6-19, 2015 (13 games).
LET’S HEAR IT FOR HAYES: Ke’Bryan Hayes enters today with a seven-game hitting streak…Since the streak began on April 13, Hayes is hitting .345 (10-for-29) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, four RBI, .429 OBP, .586 slugging percentage and 1.015 OPS.
DOING THE DH’ING: Andrew McCutchen enters today with an .837 OPS as a designated hitter…That’s the third-best OPS in all of MLB among designated hitters behind Miami’s Jorge Soler (.940) and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels (.841).
STARTING PITCHER – 23 – RHP MITCH KELLER
MITCH KELLER: The 27-year-old righthander will make his fifth start of the season this evening…Had a no-decision in his last start 6.0ip/3er) in a 5-4 10-inning walkoff loss Sunday at St. Louis… Earned his first win of the season on 4/5 at Boston after allowing one run in 7.0 innings.
vs. CINCINNATI: 1-4 with a 6.88 ERA in 12 career starts (53.2ip/41er)…Is 0-0 in one start this year after allowing four runs in 4.2 innings on Opening Day in a 5-4 Pirates win…Went 0-1 with a 7.07 ERA (14.0ip/11er) in three starts in 2022…Lost an 8-2 decision (4.2ip/5er) at PNC Park on 5/13, had a no-decision (4.1ip/5er) in an 8-5 win in game two of a doubleheader at Great American Ball Park on 5/7 and had a no-decision (5.0ip/1r) on 9/27 at PNC Park….Made his MLB debut at GABP on 5/27/19 in game two of a doubleheader, where he lost an 8-1 decision (4.0ip/6r) to Sonny Gray.
