CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
EXTENDED
- Yesterday the Reds extended the contract of manager David Bell for 3 years, through the 2026 season.
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Is Game 2 (1-0) of a 3-game series vs Ally Salvage’s Dodgers and Game 5 (2-2) of an 11-day, 10-game road trip (1-2 at Mil, 1-0 at LAD, 4g at Chc).
- Following this road trip the Reds return to Great American Ball Park for a 6-game homestand vs the Nationals (3g) and Marlins (3g).
SERIES NOTES
- The Reds earned a 2-1 series win vs LAD in June at Great American Ball Park…their 9-8 win on 6/6 snapped the 9-game losing streak to the Dodgers at GABP dating back to a 3-1 win there on 9/17/21.
- Joey Votto in 89 career apps vs LAD is hitting .303 (94-310, 22 2b, 1 3b, 15hr, 56rbi, .397obp, .526slg, .923ops), including .271 in 43 apps at Dodger Stadium (42-155, 11 2b, 7hr, 24rbi, .331obp, .477slg, .809ops).
CUBS UP NEXT
- The Reds’ 3-game sweep from 5/26-5/28 was their first series sweep of the Cubs since 7/2-7/4, 2021 (3g at Great American Ball Park) and their first series sweep at Wrigley Field since 8/12-8/14, 2013 (3g).
- In his career against the Cubs, Joey Votto ranks second among all active players with 48 HR, trailing only Albert Pujols (57hr), and is tied with Pujols for the most RBI vs Cubs (146)…Votto’s 48 HR are the second-most by a Reds batter vs the Cubs (Frank Robinson, 53)…his 226 games vs Cubs are second-most by a Reds player (Pete Rose, 243).
BIG ROAD MACHINE
- Beginning 5/26, the Reds are 22-7 over their last 5 road trips covering 10 road series.
- The Reds won 7 straight road series before losing each of their last 2 road series, both to the Brewers.
- The Reds won 7 straight road series for only the third time in their history… won 8 straight road series in 1976 (6/25-8/12) and 1923 (7/2-8/25)… courtesy @EliasSports.
- Went 8-1 on their road trip to StL (2-1), KC (3-0) and Hou (3-0)…for only the second time ever, won 8 games on a road trip of 9 games or fewer (8-0, 9/21-9/27, 1964)…was their first road trip of any length with at least 8 wins since 5/28-6/9, 1999 (9-3).
RUNNING MEN
- The Reds and Rays share the Major League lead with 119 stolen bases, the Reds’ highest total since 2017 (120sb)…in 2022 recorded 58 stolen bases…the Reds are trying to lead the National League in steals for the first time since 2015 (134sb).
- The Reds recorded 50 stolen bases in June, their highest steals total in a calendar month since September 1912 (53sb).
- 5 times this season recorded at least 5 stolen bases in a game (6sb on 6/2 vs Mil, 9sb on 6/3 vs Mil, 5sb on 6/25 at Bal, 6sb on Tue at Wsh, 5sb on 7/8 at Mil)…prior to 6/2, the Reds hadn’t recorded 5 stolen bases in a game since 4/10/17 at Pit.
- Their 9 stolen bases on 6/3 vs Mil (Jake Fraley 3, Spencer Steer 2, Jonathan India 2, Will Benson, Stuart Fairchild) was their highest single-game total since 5/30/1976 vs LAD (9sb)…the Reds’ single-game record since 1900 for stolen bases in a game remains 10 (5/29/1913 at StL).
- With Elvis Peguero pitching, Elly De La Cruz on 7/8 at Mil became only the fourth Reds batter ever to steal second, third and home in the same inning (Hans Lobert 9/27/1908, Dode Paskert 5/23/1910, Greasy Neale 8/15/1919)…became the first Major League batter to steal second, third and home in the same inning since Mia’s Jon Berti did it on 8/25/2020 at NYM…became the first Reds batter with a straight steal of home since Brandon Phillips did it on 7/10/2009 at NYM.
RED HOTS
- The Reds are the first team in Major League history to move into first place alone in 9 games or fewer after falling 5 or more games under .500 while facing a deficit of at least 5 games…on 6/9 were 29-35 and trailed the first-place Pirates by 5.0 games…beginning 6/10 won 9 straight games to move into first place alone on 6/19.
- The Reds’ 12-game winning streak from 6/10-6/23 tied their modern club record (5/16-5/27, 1939 & 4/30-5/12, 1957).
- The Reds went 18-9 in June, their highest victory total in any month since June 2014 (18-10).
- From 6/14-7/8 Reds batters established a new franchise record for consecutive games with at least 1 home run (22g, 45hr), a streak snapped in the 1-0 loss at Mil in the final game heading into the All-Star Game break…the 1956 Reds held the team record by homering in 21 consecutive games.
- The Reds have used 52 players…RHP Michael Mariot was on the roster for 1 day (7/8) but did not appear in a game.
- 12 Reds players have made Major League debuts this season, the most in the Major Leagues (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, RHP Randy Wynne, RHP Jake Wong, IF Christian EncarnacionStrand)…16 rookies played in at least 1 game for the Reds.
- Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer on 7/4 at Wsh became the first set of rookie teammates in Major League history to finish in the same game 4-for-4 with at least 1 RBI (since RBI became an official statistic in 1920)…courtesy @EliasSports.
Tonight’s Pitcher – #34 Luke Weaver, RHP
- Tonight is making his 10th career appearance and seventh start vs LAD…will be his fifth appearance and fourth start at Dodger Stadium.
- Left his start on 7/18 vs SF after he was hit by a Michael Conforto line drive off the back of his left elbow…x-rays were negative…did not miss his next start, 5 days later vs SF.
- Has been charged with 2 pitch timer violations, on 5/31 at Bos (Masataka Yoshida) and 6/18 at Hou (Cory Julks).
- In the 4-3 loss on 4/20 at Pit, came off the 15-day injured list to make his 2023 season and Reds debuts…in the first inning allowed all 4 runs on 3 hits, including 2-out, back-to-back home runs by Connor Joe (3-run) and Jack Suwinski (solo)…in his last 5.0 innings faced only 16 batters and retired his last 10 batters…Joe’s 3-run HR snapped Weaver’s career-high 29.0-inning homerless streak (24g) dating back to his only start of 2022 (6/18/22 vs Min, Gary Sánchez).
- On 3/8, left his third spring training appearance with right forearm tightness…didn’t pitch in another Cactus League “A” game for the Reds.
- On Opening Day went on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain, snapping his 5-season streak on an active Opening Day roster (Cardinals 2018,
Diamondbacks 2019-2022). - On 4/9 and 4/14 made 2 rehabilitation apps with Louisville (0-0, 3.00, 9ip, 3h, 3er, 4bb, 9k, 1hr, 0.78whip, .107baa).
- On 1/13/23 was signed to a 1-year contract through the 2023 season.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
NO CIGAR: The Dodgers nearly rallied back from a late, four-run deficit, but ultimately came up a little short, falling to the Reds, 6-5, in the first game of a three-game series with Cincinnati. The loss drops the Dodgers’ record in the first game of a series to 23-11 (.677). Tonight, as the organization prepares to induct Orel Hershiser into the ‘Legends of Dodger Baseball,’ the Boys in Blue will continue their nine-game homestand (1-3) by looking to even the series with the Reds, with the first pitch at 6:10 p.m. Following the conclusion of the series with a 1:10 p.m. matinee tomorrow, the Dodgers will enjoy an off day on Monday, before closing out the stand with three games against the Oakland Athletics next week (Aug 1-3). The Dodgers hold a 3.0-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West and have held a share of first place every day since the All-Star break. The Dodgers have the third-best home record in the NL at 30-19 (.612), just behind Atlanta (33-19, .635) and Miami (32-20, .615). Los Angeles is the only team in baseball boasting three players with 25 or more home runs (Mookie Betts-27, Max Muncy-25 and J.D. Martinez-25). In fact, no other team in baseball has more than one player with 25 or more homers. The first 40,000 fans in attendance tonight will receive a special Orel Hershiser ‘Legends of Dodger Baseball’ bobblehead, presented by Bank of America. The ceremony to honor Hershiser is set to
begin at 5:20 p.m.
PLENTY OF HITS, BUT…: The Dodgers outhit the Reds, 12-8 last night, but went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and made several outs on the bases in a 6-5 loss. The loss overshadowed the Dodger debut of Amed Rosario, who went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez and David Peralta also had two-hit games for Los Angeles, which hit into a season-high tying three double plays on the night. On the mound, Bobby Miller was saddled with his second loss of the season and his career, primarily due to the Reds’ three-run first inning. After the first frame, Miller was excellent, allowing just two baserunners in the next 4.0 innings.
BIG BOPPIN’ BETTS: All-Star Mookie Betts went 1-for-3 with a run scored and two walks last night and is slashing .356/.483/.744 with eight homers, 21 RBI, 24 runs scored and 24 walks in his last 24 games. Betts is tied for third in the NL in home runs with 27 while ranking fifth in slugging (.560), third in OPS (.942), third in runs (81) and fourth in walks (65). Betts is slashing .308/.407/.632 at Dodger Stadium this year, to go along with a 1.039 OPS at home. According to SportRadar, in the history of Dodger Stadium, just three players have had a higher OPS in a season than Betts’ mark in 2023: Mike Piazza, 1997 – 1.066; Gary Sheffield, 2000 – 1.061; and Cody Bellinger, 2019 – 1.052. Since May 1, the 2018 American League MVP is hitting .292 (83-for-284) with 23 homers, 57 RBI and a 1.000 OPS. During that span, he is fourth in the Majors in homers, third in runs (64), third in OPS, tied for sixth in RBI and fifth in extra-base hits (42).
STEADY FREDDIE: Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI last night and according to ESPN Stats & Info, Freeman was the first player in Dodger history with at least 20 homers and 35 doubles before the end of July. Freeman ranks second in the Major Leagues with 88 runs scored, one behind Ronald Acuña Jr. (89). He also leads the Majors with 35 doubles and is second with 58 extra-base hits and a .329 average. Freeman’s career best in runs scored is 120, established in 2021. Freeman has reached base safely in a Major League high 27 straight games since June 24 and during that time he is slashing .358/.444/.661 with 18 extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 28 runs scored. His career-long on-base streak is 46 games, set in 2016.
MILLER TIME: The Dodgers would like to wish a very happy birthday to right-handed reliever Tyson Miller, who turns 28 today. Miller was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 12. He was originally selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2016 First-Year Player draft.
WHAT A RUN: On this date 27 years ago, Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda announced his retirement as Dodger manager. Lasorda racked up 1,599 wins as the Dodger skipper and led the club to two World titles (1981, 1988), four NL pennants and eight division titles.
vs. CINCINNATI: The Dodgers lost two of three games to Cincinnati this season at Great American Ballpark from June 6-8 and again last night, dropping their 2023 record vs. the Reds to 1-3. However, the Dodgers have dominated the Reds since 2013, posting a 41-23 record with a run differential of +86, including three different winning streaks of 8+ games in that span. Despite the dominance over the last 10 years, the two teams have kept it tight over their long history with the Dodgers winning 1,146 games and the Reds 1,108 games.
PROVIDING THE POP: The Dodger offense continues to be at the top of the Major Leagues in various categories, including walks (435, 2nd), runs per game (5.64, 2nd), extra-base hits (369, 3rd), home runs (166, 2nd), slugging percentage (.454, 3rd) and OPS (.791, 3rd).
TONIGHT’S STARTER vs. REDS: RHP EMMET SHEEHAN (3-1, 6.75 ERA in 6 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- New York native picked up his first big league loss on July 23 against the Rangers, tossing 3.2 innings and giving up eight hits, eight runs and five walks while striking out four
- Became the first starting pitcher since at least 1967 to fire 8.0 consecutive hitless innings to begin his Major League career according to Elias ( Billy Rohr; April 14, 1967)
- Made his Major League debut versus the Giants on June 16, spinning six no-hit innings, only giving up two walks while striking out three in the no decision… joins Ross Stripling as the only Dodger pitchers to pitch at least six no-hit innings in their MLB debut (April 8, 2016)
- Owns a 4-1 record across 12 games (10 starts) with Double-A Tulsa with a 1.86 ERA (11 ER/53.1 IP) with 88 strikeouts and 23 walks…has limited the opposition to a .131/.246/.235 slashline • He led the Texas League in ERA, strikeouts, batting average against (.131) and WHIP (0.88)
VS. REDS:
- Will face Cincinnati for the first time in his career
