CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
RED HOTS
- Louisville IF Christian Encarnacion-Strand today was named International League Player of the Week…Chattanooga RHP Connor Phillips was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week.
- Reds batters are tied for third in the Major Leagues with 65 stolen bases (TB 87, Pit 70, Oak 65), their highest total since 2019 80sb)…recorded 58 stolen bases all last season…have been successful on 25 of their last 27 attempts.
- Reds batters have 52 HR, tied for third-fewest in the Major Leagues and their lowest total through 66 games since 2001 (50hr)…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.
- LHP Andrew Abbott threw 6.0 scoreless innings in Mon’s Major League debut and win vs Mil and 5.2 scoreless innings in Sat’s win at StL…is the first Reds pitcher to begin his Major League career with at least 11.2 scoreless innings since Amir Garrett in 2017 (2gs, 12ip)…since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893, is the only Reds pitcher to begin his career with consecutive scoreless starts of at least 5.0 innings… courtesy @EliasSports.
- Elly De La Cruz is the second Major League player since 1900 to produce within his first 3 career apps a single, double, triple, homer and stolen base (Bill Bruton, Milwaukee Braves, 1953)…courtesy @EliasSports.
- 8 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)…11 rookies played in at least 1 game for the Reds.
- 3B/OF Nick Senzel (right knee) yesterday began workouts with Louisville… yesterday’s game in Columbus was rained out…he could begin a rehab assignment tomorrow night vs St. Paul…would join Joey Votto (left rotator cuff, left biceps surgeries), OF Henry Ramos (right hip strain) and OF/1B Wil Myers (kidney stone, left shoulder sprain) currently rehabbing with the Bats.
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Is Game 1 of a 3-game series vs Peter Brooks’ Royals and Game 4 (2-1) of a 10-day, 9-game road trip to StL (2-1), KC (0-0) and Hou (off day, 3g).
- 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 14-18 all-time vs KC, including a 2-1 series win at KC in their most recent meeting (2021).
- The Reds’ first appearance at Kauffman Stadium, a 3-game sweep there 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 this series and Thursday’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…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).
Tonight’s Pitcher – #34 Luke Weaver, RHP
- Tonight is making his second career appearance and start vs the Royals.
- In Tue’s dramatic walkoff win vs LAD, left trailing, 4-3, but was charged with 3 runs scored on Freddie Freeman’s grand slam off Alex Young…the Reds overcame a 5-run, fifth-inning deficit by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth.
- 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.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
TROUBLESOME TRIP: The Royals suffered an 11-3 loss in Baltimore yesterday to complete an 0-6 trip, their longest winless trip in six years, since they went 0-7 at Texas and the White Sox from April 20-26, 2017…the weekend series in Baltimore marked their seventh 3-game sweep of the season, matching their total from all of last year…the Royals took an early lead yesterday on a pair of doubles in the top of the 1st, but the Orioles hung a 3-spot on opener Carlos Hernández in the bottom half…Salvador Perez tied the game in the 3rd with his team-leading 13th home run of the season, but Baltimore responded again in the bottom half with 3 runs off bulk pitcher Mike Mayers, beginning a streak of 8 unanswered runs as the Royals had only 3 hits after the 3rd inning. Ê The Royals were outscored 41-14 (-27) on the 0-6 road trip and recorded only 2 home runs while allowing 8…the offense hit .208 (40-for-192)—including .200 (6-for-30) in scoring situations—and scored 3 runs or fewer in each of the last 5 games, while the pitching staff allowed at least 6 runs in 5 of the 6 games.
Since the Royals took a perfect game bid into the 8th inning en route to a 7-0 win in St. Louis on Memorial Day, they have lost 9 of their last 10 games, during which they’ve been outscored 56-23 (-33)…the Royals only win during this 10-game stretch was a 2-0 victory vs. the Rockies on June 4, eight days ago.
ROSTER MOVE: The Royals announced today that outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has been designated for assignment…Bradley Jr., 33, hit .133 (14-for-105) in 43 games with the Royals…in a corresponding move, outfielder Dairon Blanco was selected from Triple-A Omaha…Blanco, 30, set the Storm Chasers record with 45 stolen bases in 107 games last season, but broke his own record with 47 steals in 49 games this year, which leads both Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball…Blanco hit .347 (60-for-173) with Omaha, which ranks 4th in the International League, and his .444 on-base percentage ranks 3rd…Blanco made his Major League debut with the Royals last season and went 2-for-7 (.286) with 2 RBI and a stolen base in 5 games.
HBD, DAMON!: Royals First Base Coach Damon Hollins is celebrating his 49th birthday today and shares this date of birth with Guardians pitcher Aaron Civale (28), Marlins outfielder Avisaíl García (32), 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui (49) and Hall of Famer Bill Foster, who was born in 1904 but passed away in 1978.
LEADS LOST: The Royals held a brief 1-0 lead yesterday in Baltimore before losing 11-3 to mark their 22nd blown lead loss of the season, which is tied with St. Louis for the most in the Majors, 1 more than the White Sox and Athletics (21 each)…the Royals have held a lead in 25 of their last 36 games (69.4%) since the start of May, but they’re 11-25 during that stretch with 14 blown lead losses, including 3 on the just-completed 0-6 trip.
WHAT A RELIEF!: Taylor Clarke has not allowed a run since May 2 vs. Baltimore and has recorded a career-high 15.0 scoreless innings in 14 appearances since, a stretch in which opponents are batting .176 (9-for-51) with 2 extra-base hits (.466 OPS), 5 walks (3.0 BB/9) and 15 strikeouts (9.0 K/9)…it’s the 2nd-longest active scoreless streak in the Majors and is the longest by a Royal since Brady Singer’s 15.1-inning streak last August.
CINCINNATI STORIES: The Royals begin this 6-game homestand tonight with the 1st of 3 games vs. the Reds, who are visiting Kauffman Stadium for the first time since 2021…the Royals are 18-14 (.563) all-time vs. the Reds, which is their 2nd-best record vs. any opponent, trailing only their 15-7 (.682) record vs. San Francisco… despite that success, the Royals have lost 6 of their last 11 meetings vs. the Reds since 2018, after winning 9 of 10 games vs. the Reds from 2009-15…they last met from July 5-7, 2021 here in Kansas City, where the Reds took 2 of 3…the Royals have lost a series and split two since they last swept the Reds in a 2-game set in 2018.
Royals Hall of Famers Cookie Rojas, Hal McRae and Jeff Montgomery all played for the Reds before coming to Kansas City…Monty, who is in his 14th season contributing to Royals broadcasts on Bally Sports Kansas City, was selected by the Reds in the 9th round of the 1983 Draft and played his first of 13 big league seasons for Cincinnati in 1987…prior to the 1988 season, he was traded to Kansas City and he spent the remaining 12 seasons of his career in a Royals uniform from 1988-99, while becoming the club’s all-time leader in saves (304) and earning three All-Star selections.
Amir Garrett, who is currently on the Injured List with left elbow valgus extension overload, was selected by the Reds in the 2011 Draft and spent his first five big league seasons with Cincinnati, before being acquired by Kansas City in March 2022 for Mike Minor…others to play for both franchises include Reggie Sanders, who played for the Reds from 1991-98 before ending his career with Kansas City from 2006-07, and re-joined the Royals organization in 2017, working as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations and Leadership Development…Mike Moustakas was selected 2nd overall by the Royals in 2007 and won a World Series here in 2015, before spending three seasons with the Reds from 2020-22.
Perez, a seven-time All-Star leads all qualified catchers (min. 70% of games at the position) with 13 homers…he leads American League catchers in extra-base hits (27), slugging percentage (.502) and OPS (.810) and ranks 2nd in hits (63) to Rutschman (64) and 2nd in RBI to Heim (46).
Salvy is tied for the team lead in hits and also leads the Royals in HR and RBI, and is one of four players in the Majors who lead their team in all three categories, according to Elias, along with Shohei Ohtani, Bo Bichette and Ryan McMahon…Perez is attempting to become just the fourth player in Royals history to lead the team in hits, HR and RBI, and would join Amos Otis in 1971, Carlos Beltrán in 2002 and Billy Butler in 2012.
TONIGHT’S STARTERS: RHP ZACK GREINKE (1-6, 4.59)
ZACK GREINKE is making his 14th start of the season and 528th of his career tonight vs. the Reds, breaking a tie with Jerry Koosman and Hall of Famer Jack Morris for 37th on the all-time starts list…it’s his 15th career start vs. Cincinnati and 1st since 2017 as a member of the Diamondbacks…Greinke, now in his 20th season in the Majors, is a six-time All-Star, a six-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner and was named the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2009 with the Royals.
Among active pitchers, Greinke ranks 1st in starts (527) and innings (3313.2), 2nd in wins (224) and 3rd in strikeouts (2,932)…he is one of three pitchers in Major League history to win a Cy Young Award, a Rawlings Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award, along with Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser.
LAST START: Greinke suffered his 6th loss of the season in Kansas City’s 6-1 defeat last Tuesday night in Miami, in which he was charged with 5 runs on 4 hits and no walks in 4.1 innings, with 3 strikeouts…he retired 12 of his first 13 batters—the only baserunner reaching on an error in the 1st—before the Marlins got their 1st hit to begin the 5th, a solo home run by Jesús Sánchez…that was the 1st of 3 straight hits to begin the frame, the 2nd of which included an error by Edward Olivares that allowed the runners to advance to second and third…Nick Fortes then reached on a fielder’s choice when Bobby Witt Jr. failed in his attempt to get the runner at third, loading the bases with no outs…Greinke got the 1st out of the inning on a strikeout before Luis Arraez hit an RBI single, after which Jackson Kowar was summoned and allowed a 2-out, bases-clearing double to Bryan De La Cruz, capping Miami’s 5-run inning that broke a scoreless tie…Zack was originally charged with only 1 earned run in the 5th inning, but the official scorer after the game made all 5 runs earned, raising his season ERA more than half a run from 4.05 to 4.59.
WALKING ON WATER: Zack’s pinpoint control has been on full display this season, his 20th in the Majors…the 39-year-old has issued only 9 walks to the 273 batters he’s faced through 13 starts (66.2 IP) for a 1.2 BB/9 and 3.3 BB%, both of which rank 2nd in the Majors behind Seattle’s George Kirby… after issuing a season-high 2 walks in 3.2 innings on April 27 at Minnesota, he’s issued only 3 walks to 138 batters over his last 7 starts (35.2 IP).
He has had 4 starts this season in which he did not issue a walk over at least 5.0 innings, which trails only Framber Valdez, Patrick Corbin, Anthony DeSclafani and Kirby (5 each) for the most such starts in the Majors in 2023…led by Greinke and Brady Singer (4 each), the Royals have had 12 starts this year in which their pitcher recorded 5.0 innings without issuing a walk, which is tied with the Dodgers and Mariners for the most in the Majors.
SEEKING SUPPORT: The Royals offense has scored just 19 runs in Greinke’s 66.2 innings this season for a 2.57 run support average, which is the lowest mark among all qualified pitchers…the Royals have supported Zack with 1 or 0 runs in 9 of his 13 starts, and have supported him with a total of 1 run over his last 4 starts (20.0 IP)…run support has been an issue for Zack since he returned to Kansas City last season…he’s won just 5 of his 39 starts since the start of last year, despite pitching to a 3.98 ERA (90 ER in 203.2 IP), and his 3.23 run support average during that time is the lowest in the Majors.
VS. REDS: Greinke is 8-2 with a 2.38 ERA (25 ER in 94.2 IP) in 14 career starts vs. Cincinnati, but has not faced them in six years, since July 19, 2017 with the Diamondbacks…he’s allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 14 starts vs. the Reds and has not lost to them since June 12, 2014 with the Dodgers.
