CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
RED HOTS
- Reds batters ranks third in the Major Leagues with 69 stolen bases (TB 89, Pit 70), their highest total since 2019 (80sb)…recorded 58 stolen bases all last season…have been successful on 29 of their last 31 attempts.
- Reds batters have 53 HR, third-fewest in the Major Leagues and their lowest total through 68 games since 1988 (52hr)…from 4/18-4/25, this year’s team did not produce a home run in a season-high 8 consecutive games, their longest team homerless streak since 1992.
- Reds baserunners in 58 attempts have scored 57 runs from second base on singles…both lead the Major Leagues.
- 9 Reds players have made Major League debuts this season (RHP Casey Legumina, RHP Levi Stoudt, IF Matt McLain, LHP Brandon Williamson, RHP Eduardo Salazar, OF TJ Hopkins, LHP Andrew Abbott, IF Elly De La Cruz, RHP Ricky Karcher)…12 rookies played in at least 1 game for the Reds.
- The starting time for the Reds’ game on Fri, 6/30 vs SD has been changed to 5:10 p.m. ET (from 7:10) to help alleviate the congestion anticipated from the crowd of approximately 100,000 expected to attend events on the riverfront.
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Is Game 3 (2-0) of a 3-game series vs Nick Kenney’s Royals and Game 6 (4-1) of a 10-day, 9-game road trip to StL (2-1), KC (2-0) and Hou off day, 3g).
- Tonight the Reds are looking for their third series sweep of the season (3-0 vs Tex, 4/24-4/26 & 3-0 at Cubs, 5/26-5/28) and their second 3-game series sweep of the Royals (1999).
- Following this road trip the Reds return to Great American Ball Park for a 6-game homestand vs the Rockies (3g) and Braves (3g)…went 3-4 on their most recent homestand (1-3 vs Mil, 2-1 vs LAD).
SERIES NOTES
- The Reds are 16-18 all-time vs KC, including 10-7 at Kauffman Stadium.
- The Reds’ first appearance at Kauffman Stadium, a 3-game sweep here in June 1999, was their first appearance in Kansas City since the Red Stockings and Cowboys of the American Association met in 1889.
- The first game of that June 1999 series was postponed because of a power failure…the Reds swept the next day’s doubleheader, 9-4 and 7-4 in 10 innings, before winning the series finale, 14-3…was the first doubleheader in interleague history.
SPACE CITY
- Following tomorrow’s off day, the Reds and Astros will meet for the fourth time since Houston joined the American League in 2013.
- The teams will play at Minute Maid Park for the first time since an Astros 2-1 series win there in June 2016.
- Cin and Hou most recently met in 2019 at Great American Ball Park, a Reds 3-game series sweep.
- The Reds went 10-5 in the Astros’ final National League season in 2012 and 41-20 in Hou’s last 4 seasons in the NL.
- Overall, the Reds have won 45 of the last 64 games vs Hou and 17 of the last 20 series.
- In June 2019 the Astros made their only visit to Great American Ball Park as an American League team, a 3-0 series sweep by the Reds.
INTERLEAGUE NOTES
- Before the interleague schedule expanded this season to include games vs all 15 American League teams, 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.
ONE OF A KIND
- In Mon’s 10-inning, 5-4 win, RHP Ricky Karcher became the only Reds pitcher since 1969, when the save became an official statistic, to record a save in his Major League debut…was the first Reds pitcher to make his debut in a save situation since Dauri Moreta entered the game in the seventh inning on 9/26/21 vs Wsh…is the third pitcher in the Major Leagues this season to record a save in his Major League debut, joining TB’s Braden Bristo (4/13 vs Bos) and Min’s Brent Headrick (4/19 at Bos)…SF’s Keaton Winn joined that list on 6/13 at St
Tonight’s Pitcher – #59 Ben Lively, RHP
- Posted a 1.69 ERA in his 2 relief apps (5.1ip, 1er, .238baa) and a 4.65 ERA in his 5 starts (31ip, 16er, .229baa).
- Joined the Reds from Louisville on 5/9, when RHP Luis Cessa was designated for assignment…in 5 apps for the Bats went 4-0, 2.33 (4gs, 27ip, 19h, 10bb, 16k).
- Made his Reds debut in the second inning of the 5-0 win on 5/11 vs NYM…relieved spot starter Derek Law and threw 3.0 scoreless innings, still tied for the longest appearance by a Reds reliever this season…was his first Major League appearance since 4/28/19 for KC vs LAA, his only appearance of that season, and his first win since his last appearance of the 2017 campaign (9/27/19 for Phi vs NYM).
- His start on 5/19 vs the Yankees was his first start in the Major Leagues since since 4/26/18 for Phi vs Ari.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
EIGHT IS ENOUGH: The Royals suffered a 5-4 loss for the 2nd straight game last night vs. Cincinnati, extending their losing streak to a season-high 8 games—in which they’ve been outscored 51-22 (-29)—to mark their longest skid in two years…Jordan Lyles took his Majors-most 11th loss after allowing 5 runs on 4 hits, 3 walks, 2 stolen bases and 1 wild pitch in a 37-pitch 2nd inning, but retired his last 14 batters and exited after the 6th in a 1-run game…the Royals scored 1 run in the 1st and 2nd and 2 in the 3rd on Bobby Witt Jr.’s 11th home run, but the offense recorded just 2 hits—both singles—after the 3rd inning…similarly, Royals pitchers did not allow a hit after the 2nd and retired 22 of the final 24 Reds batters, yielding just 2 walks from the 3rd inning on…Kansas City’s best opportunity came in the 7th, when they went walk, hit batter, walk with 1 out to load the bases for the top of the lineup, but Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez both struck out to leave the tying run at third.
The Royals are 3-18-1 in series play this season and are winless in their last eight sets—including seven losses and one series split—since May 15-17, when they won 2 of 3 games in San Diego vs. the Padres.
They’re 7-9 in 1-run games and have lost 4 straight 1-run games since their last win on May 28 vs. the Nats.
HBD, BOBBY!: Bobby Witt Jr. is celebrating his 23rd birthday today, and shares this date of birth with a pair of former Chiefs players, Sammy Watkins and Frank Clark, both of whom turn 30 today, Astros reliever Hector Neris (34), three-time NBA champion Bruce Bowen (52) and 1956 National League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winner, Don Newcombe, who was born on this date in 1926 but passed away in 2019.
Witt Jr. is one of eight players since 1969 to record at least 30 HR and 50 steals before his 23rd birthday.
Despite making his Majors debut last season, Witt Jr. is still the youngest player on the team, and when he debuted on Opening Day last year, he became the first player in Royals history to be born in the 2000s.
LEADS LOST: The Royals led 1-0 last night before Cincinnati’s 5-run 2nd inning, which led to Kansas City’s 24th blown lead loss of the season—and 3rd in as many games—which are the most in the Majors, 1 ahead of St. Louis (23)…the Royals have held a lead in 27 of their last 38 games (71.1%) since the start of May, but they’re 11-27 during that stretch with 16 blown lead losses, including 5 blown lead losses during their current 8-game losing streak.
The 24 blown lead losses through 67 games are two-thirds of the way to matching their 36 from last year.
The Royals are 5-20 when scoring in the 1st inning with 10 consecutive losses—including each of the last 3 games since Sunday—and have not won when scoring in the 1st since May 10 vs. the White Sox.
WHAT A RELIEF!: Taylor Clarke worked around 2 hits and a walk in the 7th Monday night to extend his scoreless streak to 16.0 innings over 15 outings, a stretch in which opponents are batting .200 (11-for-55)…it’s the longest scoreless streak of his career, is tied with Bobby Miller for the longest active streak in the Majors and is the longest by a Royal since Brady Singer’s 18.2-inning scoreless streak from April 10-May 28 of last season.
CINCINNATI STORIES: The Royals are 18-16 all-time vs. Cincinnati, though just 7-10 at Kauffman Stadium, and have lost 8 of their last 13 games vs. the Reds since 2018, after going 9-1 over a 10-game stretch from 2009-15… last night’s loss clinched the Royals fourth straight winless series vs. the Reds, and tonight they’re seeking a win to avoid what would be their second time being swept by the Reds and first since June 5-6, 1999 (3 games).
INTERLEAGUE INTRIGUE: Tonight’s finale vs. Cincinnati will wrap a stretch in which the Royals have played 20 of 29 games vs. National League teams dating back to May 12…the Royals are 8-20 (.286) in Interleague play—worst in the Majors—and their 29 Interleague games this season (including tonight) are the most among all American League teams and are tied with Pittsburgh for 2nd most in the Majors behind Milwaukee (32).
Despite a league worst 8-20 mark in Interleague play, the Royals have out-homered NL opponents 27-23.
Starting Friday night, the Royals will play 36 of their next 39 games vs. American League opponents through the end of July, the only exception being a 3-game set vs. the Dodgers from June 30-July 2.
ROYALS ON THE MEND: Kyle Isbel, who has missed the last six weeks with a strained left hamstring, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha last night and went 0-for-2 while playing 5.0 innings in center field.
Right hander Josh Staumont threw a side session today as he works his way back from a neck strain that has sidelined him since a week ago today…right hander Brad Keller, who was placed on the 15-day Injured List on May 19, is expected to throw a side tomorrow…left handers Josh Taylor and Ryan Yarbrough are expected to throw live BPs today in Arizona…Taylor was placed on the Injured List on May 28 with a left shoulder impingement, and Yarbrough, who is on the 60-day IL, has been out with facial fractures since taking a line drive off the head on May 7…former Reds pitcher Amir Garrett threw a bullpen yesterday as he works his way back from a valgus extension overload.
The Royals currently have a season-high 11 players on the Injured List, including six who were on the Opening Day roster.
HOME: The Royals have put the “home” in “home run” this season, hitting 39 dingers in 34 games at Kauffman Stadium, including 1 in each of their last 8 home games dating back to May 26…the Royals are on pace for 92 home runs at home, which would set a new franchise record and top the current standard of 88 homers at home, set in 1997 and matched in 2002 and 2017…Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. are tied for the team lead with 7 home runs at Kauffman Stadium this season as they chase Salvy’s single-season record of 27 HR hit in this ballpark during the 2021 season
TONIGHT’S STARTERS: LHP DANIEL LYNCH (0-2, 4.41)
DANIEL LYNCH is making his 4th start of the year and 46th of his career tonight vs. the Reds…it’s his 1st career appearance vs. Cincinnati…Lynch, 26, was selected by the Royals in the 1st round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia.
LYNCH LOGS QUALITY START, LOSES IN BALTIMORE: Making his 3rd start of the season, Lynch suffered his 2nd consecutive loss in Kansas City’s 3-2 defeat vs. Baltimore in Camden Yards last Friday, in which he allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (1 HR) and 1 walk in 6.0 innings, with 4 strikeouts…the damage came early for Lynch, as Austin Hays clocked a leadoff home run to give the O’s an early 1-0 lead, and Jorge Mateo drove in a run with 1 out in the 2nd inning…Daniel settled in and pitched back-to-back scoreless frames before Hays hit a leadoff double in the 5th and came around to score on another double by Anthony Santander with 1 out… Lynch retired 4 of his final 5 batters, and picked off Gunnar Henderson in the 6th.
His effort earned him the 1st quality start of his 2023 campaign, and the 7th of his career, with his last coming on Sept. 28 at Detroit…he is 3-4 when logging a QS.
The Royals fell to 4-4 when they receive a quality start so far this season.
ROAD TO RECOVERY: Lynch was returned from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the 15-day Injured List on May 28, after missing the first 53 games of the season due to a rotator cuff strain…his rehab process took him all over the country, as he made 2 starts at Extended Spring Training in Surprise, Ariz., in which he pitched 5.0 innings with 9 strikeouts, before being promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he made 1 start on May 2 vs. Wichita and struck out 6 batters in 2.1 innings of work…from there, he joined Triple-A Omaha, where he made 4 starts and combined to go 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA (7 ER in 18.0 IP) with 18 strikeouts to just 3 walks.
All stops included, Lynch recorded 25.1 innings and struck out 33 batters with just 4 walks across 7 rehab appearances from April 23-May 23.
FIRST THING’S FIRST: Daniel surrendered 79 runs in 27 starts (131.2 IP) last year, and 19 of those runs came in the 1st inning (24.1%)…this trend was an improvement from 2021, when he allowed 20 1st-inning runs in 15 starts, accounting for 43.5% of the 46 runs he allowed for the season…but Lynch’s 1st-inning woes showed up again in his most recent start last Friday in Baltimore, when he allowed a leadoff home run to Austin Hays…of the 135 runs he’s allowed in 45 career starts, 45 have come in the 1st inning, in which he has an 8.26 ERA (41 ER in 44.2 IP)… but from the 2nd inning on in his career, he owns a 4.46 ERA (85 ER in 171.1 IP).
