CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
- TJ Friedl left yesterday’s game after the fifth inning with soreness in his left oblique…he is day-to-day…is 1 of 3 Reds players to have appeared in every game this season (2B Jonathan India, C Tyler Stephenson).
- In yesterday’s 5-0 win vs Mets, RHP Ben Lively (3ip, 4h, 0bb, 1k) recorded his first win since his final appearance of the 2017 season (9/29/17 for Phi vs NYM, 6-2 win)…yesterday’s was Lively’s first Major League appearance since 4/28/19 for KC vs LAA.
- RHP Kevin Herget’s 3-inning save in yesterday’s 5-0 win vs Mets was his first Major League save and the first 3-inning save by a Reds pitcher since RHP Sal Romano saved the 10-1 win on 8/10/19 vs Cubs.
- TJ Friedl (37g, 38h) and Jonathan India (37g, 42h) each has appeared in all 37 Reds games, and each has amassed at least 38 hits…Joey Votto (37g, 39h) was the last Reds player to produce those numbers, in 2017… Friedl and India comprise the first pair of teammates to produce at least 38 hits while appearing in each of the Reds’ first 37 games since 2013, when Votto (37g, 43h) and Jay Bruce (37g, 40h) did it.
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Is Game 1 of a 3-game series vs Abner Perez’ Marlins and Game 1 of a 6-game road trip that will conclude with 3 games at Col’s Coors Field.
- The Reds are coming off a 3-3 homestand vs the White Sox (1-2) and Mets (2-1).
- Following this road trip the Redlegs return home to Great American Ball Park for 7 games vs the Yankees (3g) and Cardinals (4g).
SERIES NOTES
- The Reds went 15-6 vs Mia over the previous 3 seasons (6-1 in 2019, 5-2 in 2021, 4-3 in 2022) following 4 straight losing season series to the Marlins. • Between the 2014 and 2019 winning season series, the Reds went 10-18 vs Mia (3-4, 3-4, 2-5, 2-5).
- The Reds are 16-19 at Marlins Park / loanDepot Park, including 3-0 with the roof open and 13-19 closed.
ROCKIES UP NEXT…
- Beginning Monday the Reds make their annual visit to Coors Field.
- Last season the Rockies earned the 4-2 series win, including their first series sweep of the Reds since September 2010.
- Beginning in 2002 and with a minimum of 40 games, the Reds’ .338 winning percentage at Coors Field (22-43) is tied for their second-lowest at any current road ballpark in that span (Phi’s Citizens Bank Park, 21-43, .328; LA’s Dodger Stadium, 22-43, .338).
- The Reds’ 3-1 series win from 5/30-6/2, 2016 is their only series win at Coors Field since 8/27-8/29, 2012.
Tonight’s Pitcher – #51 Graham Ashcraft, RHP
- Tonight is making his third career appearance and start vs the Marlins…will be his second start at loanDepot Park.
- In Sun’s 17-4 loss vs WSox allowed a career-high 8 runs in 1.2 innings…was the shortest start of his career and the shortest start by a Reds pitcher to that point in the season…was charged with all 8 runs in the second inning after throwing a perfect first…entered Sun’s start leading all National League pitchers in bWAR (2.1), the third-best bWAR among all players in the Major Leagues (Gerrit Cole 2.5, Ronald Acuña Jr. 2.2).
- Between a solo HR by Pit’s Bryan Reynolds in his season debut and a 2-run HR by WSox’ Hanser Alberto’s on 5/7 in his seventh start, Ashcraft recorded a career-high homerless streak of 33.0 innings.
- Became the first Reds pitcher to begin a season with 6 starts without allowing more than 2 earned runs in any of those starts since Luis Castillo began the 2019 campaign by allowing 2 ER or fewer in each of his first 7 starts.
- In his first 3 starts (19ip, 3er) became 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.
- Produced 5 of the Reds’ 8 quality starts.
- Became the first Reds pitcher to begin a non-COVID season with 3 consecutive quality starts since Amir Garrett in 2017 (3qs).
- 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 the 5-3 walkoff win on 4/26 vs Tex, was pitching 2 days after the death of his 82-year-old grandmother, Ann Ashcraft, a Rangers fan who lived in Fort Worth… the next day went on the bereavment list…in his next start, on 5/2 at SD, allowed 1 run in 6.0 innings.
- 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).
- 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.
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
No release available.
