CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
STREAKING
The Reds have won 3 consecutive games for the second time this season…following a 5-4 loss to the Pirates on Opening Day, the Reds won a season-high 3 straight games (2-0 vs Pit, 1-0 vs Chc)…their longest winning streak in 2022 was 5 games (7/7-7/12).
TRANSACTIONS
• Today the Reds selected from Class AAA Louisville the contract of IF Matt Reynolds (#3) to fill the roster spot vacated by IF/OF Wil Myers…to make room for Reynolds on the 40-man roster, the Reds transferred to the 60- day injured list RHP Tony Santillan (right knee strain).
• Yesterday the Reds placed on the 3-day bereavement list RHP Graham Ashcraft, recalled from Louisville RHP Casey Legumina (#65) and placed on the injured list, retroactive to Wed, IF/OF Wil Myers…Myers was scratched from Wed’s starting lineup with an illness…IF Jason Vosler, who was designated for assignment on Mon to make room on the roster for OF Henry Ramos, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville.
TONIGHT’S GAME
• Is Game 1 of a 3-game series vs Sergio Almodovar’s Athletics and Game 1 of a 6-game road trip that features an upcoming 3-game series at SD’s Petco Park.
• This road trip is the first of the Reds’ 3 visits to the West Coast.
• The Reds are coming off a brief 3-game homestand, a 3-0 series sweep of the first-place Rangers…was the Reds’ first series sweep of the season… the Reds won all 3 games in their final at bat, including walkoff wins Mon and Wed and a 7-6 win on Tue highlighted by a 6-run eighth inning. • Following this road trip the Reds return to Great American Ball Park for a 6-game homestand vs the White Sox (3g) and Mets (3g).
• Wednesday the Reds completed a stretch of 20 games on 20 consecutive days (7-13) following rainouts on 4/5 vs Cubs and 4/6 in the Phillies’ home opener…enjoyed a beautiful, sunny off day here yesterday.
SERIES NOTES
• The Reds and Athletics are meeting for their ninth series during the regular season and for the first time since 2019, also at Oakland Coliseum.
• The Reds are 9-13 during the regular season vs the Athletics, 5-9 at Oakland Coliseum.
• In 2013, the Athletics became the last current Major League team to visit Great American Ball Park (est. 2003)…the American League West rival last played in the Queen City in 2016.
• The Reds and Athletics met twice in the World Series…Oakland won in 7 games in 1972, while Cincinnati capped its wire-to-wire championship season with a 4-game sweep in 1990.
PADRES UP NEXT
• The Padres won all 6 games in 2022 and 12 of the 13 games over the previous 2 seasons.
• Beginning in 2013 the Reds are 8-21 at Petco Park and lost their last 8 games there dating back to a 4-2 win on 4/20/19.
• The Padres swept the last 2 series in San Diego (4-0, 3-0), including their first ever 4-game series sweep vs the Reds (6/17-6/20, 2021).
RED HOTS
• In the last 14 games beginning 4/13, the Reds’ bullpen has posted 2.09 ERA (56ip, 44h, 13er, 17bb, 63k, .212baa), including an ERA of 1.70 in the last 10 games beginning 4/17 (37ip, 25h, 7er, 12bb, 43k, .189baa).
• Reds relievers haven’t allowed a home run since the sixth inning on 4/18 vs TB (Taylor Walls, solo off Casey Legumina)…the active season- high homerless streaks of 8 games and 29.2 innings are the bullpen’s longest since 9/12-9/21, 2022 (9g, 34.2ip).
• TJ Friedl and Jonathan India each has appeared in all 25 Reds games, and each has amassed 25 hits (Tyler Stephenson has 25g, 24h)…Scooter
Gennett (25g, 28h) was the last Reds player to reach those numbers, in 2018…Friedl and India are the first teammates to produce at least 25 hits while appearing in each of the Reds’ first 25 games since 2015, when Joey Votto (25g, 30h) and Zack Cozart (25g, 28h) did it.
• In Wed’s 5-3 walkoff win vs Tex, Nick Senzel’s first career walkoff HR (2-run off Jonathan Hernández) was the Reds’ first home run since 4/17 (by Kevin Newman off TB’s Jalen Beeks)…the 8-game homerless streak was the longest by Reds batters since 1992, when they produced homerless streaks of 8 games (7/4-7/11) and 9 games (4/15-4/25).
Tonight’s Pitcher – #85 Luis Cessa, RHP
• Tonight is making his sixth career appearance and second start vs the Athletics, his fourth appearance and second start at the Coliseum.
• In the 14-3 loss on 4/16 vs Phi, became the fifth pitcher since 1900 to allow at least 9 runs in the first inning and then pitch into the fourth (Mil’s Dave Bush 7/20/2010 at Pit, Col’s Mark Redman 4/26/2008 at LAD, SD’s Brett Tomko 8/9/2002 at Cin, Chi’s Nixey Callahan 9/6/1900 at Phi)…courtesy @EliasSports.
• Made his fifth Opening Day roster (2016, 2019, 2021 for NYY and 2022, 2023 for Cin).
• In 2022, in his second season with the Reds went 1-3, 4.30 in a career-high 10 starts and 3-1, 4.91 in 36 relief apps.
• In August 2022 joined and remained in the rotation after the Reds lost to trade or injury starting pitchers RHP Luis Castillo (to the Mariners), RHP Tyler Mahle (to the Twins), RHP Robert Dugger (right shoulder pain), RHP Hunter Greene (right shoulder strain), RHP Graham Ashcraft (right biceps soreness), RHP T.J. Zeuch (back soreness), RHP Justin Dunn (right shoulder tightness) and LHP Mike Minor (left shoulder soreness).
• Beginning 8/22 at Phi made his last 9 apps of the 2022 season as a starter (1-3, 3.77, .226baa).
• Between games of the day/night doubleheader vs Pit on 7/7/22 went on the 15-day injured list with a left intercostalis muscle strain…missed 20 games (13-7) until he was reinstated on 8/2, after RHP Tyler Mahle was traded to the Twins.
• After he came off the 15-day IL on 8/2, posted a 3.26 ERA (.211baa) in his last 15 apps and 9 starts of the season.
• During 2023 spring training made 1 appearance for Mexico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
• Pitched the sixth and seventh innings of Mexico’s 10-inning, 5-4 loss vs Colombia in Arizona Pool C (2ip, 2h, 1er, 0bb, 1k, 25 pitches).
• Returned to the Reds after Mexico’s 5-4 quarterfinal win vs Puerto Rico and finished the spring with 1 “A” game appearance, started and received no decision in the 4-3 loss at Mil (3ip, 2h, 2er, 1bb, 2k).
• Is the only player, manager or coach in Reds history to wear uniform #85.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS NOTES:
No release available.
