CINCINNATI REDS NOTES:
RED HOTS
• In 2022, the Reds didn’t earn their fourth win of the season until the 26th game (5/7)…began last season 3-22 to become only the third team in modern Major League history to begin a season with as few as 3 wins over the first 25 games (1988 Orioles 2-23, 2003 Tigers 3-22).
• Reds manager David Bell missed Friday’s game at Phi following the removal of a cyst from his neck/shoulder area…the procedure was performed in Cincinnati…returned to the Reds’ bench on Saturday.
TONIGHT’S GAME
• Is Game 1 of 3-game series vs Jeff Lombardi’s Braves and Game 4 (1-2) of the Reds’ first road trip of the season, a 7-day, 6-game jaunt that
included a rainout followed by a 2-1 series loss at Phi.
• Following this series the Reds return to Great American Ball Park for a 7-game homestand vs the Phillies (4g) and Rays (3g), who will play in Cincinnati for a second straight year (3-0 Reds sweep from 7/8-7/10).
• The Reds opened this season with a 3-2 homestand vs the Pirates (2-1) and Cubs (1-1, 1ppd).
SERIES NOTES
• The Reds are 25-23 vs Atl in the last 48 regular season games, including 3-4 in 2022, and went 4-2-1 in the previous 7 season series.
• The Reds went 2-1-2 in their previous 5 regular season series at SunTrust/Truist Park, including a 5-3 win on 8/18/17 in their inaugural game at the new ballpark.
• The Reds also suffered a 2-game series sweep loss at Truist in the 2020 Wild Card Series.
• The 7-6 loss in the second game of the 2022 season, at Truist Park, was the Reds’ 1,000th loss to the Braves since 1900.
• From 1997-2016 the Reds went 27-42 at Turner Field and didn’t win a series at that park after 9/4-9/6, 2009 (0-3-4 in 7 series, 8-14 in 22 games).
PHILLIES UP NEXT, AGAIN…
• The Reds and Phillies will meet for the second consecutive weekend, this time at Great American Ball Park…the Reds are 34-40 all-time vs Phi at GABP, including 1-2 last season.
…FOLLOWED BY THE RAYS
• The Reds are 13-5 all-time vs TB, including 7-2 in Cincinnati.
• Overall the Reds won 4 of the previous 6 series vs the Rays.
• Dating back to the 2014 season, the Reds have won the last 4 games vs TB at GABP, including last season’s 3-0 series sweep here in July.
• The Rays last won in Cincinnati on 4/12/14 (1-0 win).
REHABBING
• 1B Joey Votto is with Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment (7g, 6gs at 1B, 1gs at DH, 4-28, .143, 1 2b, solo HR, 3rbi, 3bb, 17k)…began his rehab on 4/1 at Nashville and hit a solo HR off Caleb Boushley on the first pitch he was thrown… on 8/19/22 had surgeries to repair the left biceps and torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder.
• IF/OF Nick Senzel is with Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment (5g, 2gs in CF, 2gs at 3B, 1gs at DH, 5-17, .294, 2 2b, 2rbi, 1sb, 4bb, 5k, 1hbp, .867ops)…on 11/14/22 had surgery to repair a sesamoid fracture in his left great toe.
• RHP Tony Santillan is rehabbing with Louisville (2g, 2ip, 1bb, 3k)…threw a perfect seventh inning in Fri’s 5-3 loss vs Indianapolis (1ip, 1k, 11 pitches)…is recovering from a low back Pars stress fracture.
• RHP Luke Weaver (right elbow flexor strain) is with Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment…started and threw 4.0 hitless innings in yesterday’s 8-1 loss vs Indianapolis (2bb, 4k, 14bf, 61 pitches).
• RHP Lucas Sims (low back spasms) is with Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment…threw a scoreless fifth inning in yesterday’s 8-1 loss vs Indianapolis (1h, 0bb, 1k, 4bf, 12 pitches).
2022: A SEASON OF RECORDS
• 66 players appeared in at least 1 game for Reds, a new club record for number of players in a season…the previous franchise record was held by the 2003 Reds (57 players).
• 38 players pitched in at least 1 game for the Reds, a new club record for number of pitchers in a season and including position players Matt Reynolds (2g), Max Schrock (1g) and Alejo Lopez (3g).
• 17 pitchers started at least 1 game for the Reds, tying the 2003 club record for number of starters in a season.
• Reds pitchers hit 110 batters, a new Major League single-season record (2021 Cubs pitchers, 98hbp)…the previous club record for batters hit by Reds pitchers in a season was 80 in 2005.
• 10 Reds pitchers recorded at least 1 save (Ross Detwiler, Alexis Díaz, Buck Farmer, Ian Gibaut, Joel Kuhnel, Dauri Moreta, Tony Santillan, Lucas Sims, Hunter Strickland, Art Warren), tying the 2021 single-season franchise record.
2022 YOUNG GUNS
• In 62 combined starts, Reds rookie starting pitchers RHP Hunter Greene, LHP Nick Lodolo and RHP Graham Ashcraft went 14-26, 4.34 (334ip, 161er)…all 3 made their Major League debuts in 2022.
• 6 times in 2022 the Reds started rookie pitchers in 3 straight games (last, 7/31-8/2, Lodolo, Greene, Ashcraft).
• In LHP Reiver Sanmartin (Game 2), Greene (Game 4) and Lodolo (Game 6), in 2022 the Reds used as many as 3 rookie starting pitchers in the first 6 games of a season for only the second time in their history…the 1902 Reds staff used 3 rookie starting pitchers in their first 5 games, and 4 of their first 6 games that season were started by rookie pitchers (Bob Ewing 2 starts, Len Swormstedt, Martin Glendon).
Tonight’s Pitcher – #51 Graham Ashcraft, RHP
• Tonight is making his second appearance of the season and his first career appearance vs the Braves…never has faced any of the Braves’ hitters.
• Started the third game of the season and earned the 3-1 win vs the Pirates.
• 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).
• From 8/23-9/23 missed 32 days and 31 games while on the 15-day injured list with right biceps soreness.
• In 16 starts prior to the injury went 5-3, 3.97…in his last 5 starts prior to his injury went 1-1, 2.67 (33.2ip, 32h, 10er, 8bb, 24k, 3hr, .252baa), lowering his ERA from a season-high 4.70 to 3.97.
• After 2 rehab apps for Chattanooga and Louisville (5.2ip, 15h, 10r, 5er, 1bb, 11k, 123 pitches), finished the season 0-3, 12.00 in his last 3 starts for the Reds.
• Hunter Greene threw 7.0 scoreless innings (0bb, 8k) in the 7-0 win on 6/6 vs Ari and Ashcraft followed with 6.0 scoreless innings (0bb, 4k) in the 14-8 victory on 6/7 vs Ari…for the first time since 1900, Major League rookie starting pitchers in consecutive games threw at least 6.0 shutout innings without a walk.
• Greene & Ashcraft comprised the third set of Reds rookie pitchers since 1901 to make consecutive starts of at least 6.0 scoreless innings, joining Mike Regan & Hod Eller in 1917 and Sal Romano & Robert Stephenson in 2017.
• Made his Major League debut in the 3-2 win on 5/22 at Tor…replaced in the rotation scheduled starter RHP Connor Overton, who following the previous day’s game was scratched with a stress reaction in his lower back…Ashcraft already was with the team as a substitute player for the series in Toronto.
• 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.
ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Reds tonight open a three-game series with the first of six scheduled meetings between the two teams this season…The teams will play again, June 23-25, for three games at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
• Atlanta has gone 4-3 against Cincinnati in each of the past two seasons…Prior to 2021, Atlanta had not won the season set with Cincinnati since going 5-2 in 2014…From 2015-2019, the Braves went 15-19 (.441) against Cincinnati.
• The Braves are 8-9 against the Reds here at Truist Park since the facility opened in 2017, and have won just one of the five series here between the clubs…The two teams split four games in 2022 and 2019, while the Reds won three-game sets in 2017 and 2018…Neither club has swept the other here.
• Since 2017, the two teams are 17-17 against each other in 34 total games…Cincinnati has outscored Atlanta by just one run, 159-158, in these games.
• RH Bryce Elder has never faced the Reds…. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-hander made his season debut on April 5 at St. Louis, and pitched
6.0 scoreless innings to earn the win, 5-2…Elder pitched to a 2-4 record with a 3.17 ERA (19 ER/54.0 IP) over 10 appearances and nine starts
with Atlanta last season, including the only shutout by a Braves starter on the year.
• RH Graham Ashcraft has also never faced Atlanta, nor has he pitched against a member of the Braves’ current roster…The 6-foot-2, 245-pound native of Huntsville, AL pitched 7.0 innings of one-run baseball in his season debut, beating the Pirates, 3-1, on April 2…The right-hander made his major league debut last season and went 5-6 with a 4.89 ERA (57 ER/105.0 IP) over 19 starts for the Reds.
LOSS: Atlanta fell to San Diego, 10-2, last night for the Braves’ fourth loss of the season and their third in as many nights…Each of Atlanta’s eight hits last night were singles, the club’s first game of the season in which it did not collect an extra-base hit.
• The Braves’ eight-run loss was their largest setback of the season…Their most lopsided defeat last season was April 14 at San Diego, by a 12-1 score.
• Atlanta did not lose three straight home games at any point last season…The club lost at home on consecutive days just twice all year, with the final time coming on April 23-24 vs. Miami.
• The Braves last lost three straight here in Atlanta from August 12-24 of 2021, when they dropped the finale of a three-game series to Cincinnati and then lost two straight to New York-AL to open the next homestand.
• Atlanta has not lost four straight at home since a five-game skid here in May, 2021.
• Atlanta never held a lead last night and has trailed throughout in all four of its losses this year…The Braves are one of five teams in baseball this season to win every game in which it has led.
NO LONG LOSING STREAKS?: Atlanta has lost three straight games, matching its longest losing streak for all of last season…The Braves have not lost four straight games since dropping two apiece to Colorado and San Francisco, August 14-18, 2021.
• The Braves’ three straight losses game in games No. 8-10.
• Atlanta was the final team in the majors to suffer through a three-game skid last year, with the club’s first coming August 6-7, games No. 108-110… Last season marked the deepest a team has gone into a season without a three-game skid since 2001, when the Mariners did not suffer through their first until games No. 147-150 (a four-game streak).
• Last season marked the deepest by games played the Braves had ever gone into a season without losing three games in a row.
• The Braves did not have a losing streak longer than three games last season, and only lost three straight four times… The last Braves team without a losing streak longer than three games was the 2004 club.
• The Braves went the entire season without being swept last year, becoming just the sixth team since 1990 to go an entire season without being swept and the first team in a full season to do so since the 2004 Braves.
OUTFIELD ASSISTS: Ronald Acuña Jr. threw out Manny Machado at second base last night, the right-fielder’s third outfield assist of the season…His three assists are tied for second most in the majors, trailing just Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos (4).
• Acuna’s Jr.’s first two assists came in the same game, April 4 at St. Louis…He is the first Braves outfielder with two assists in a single game since he did so himself on June 21 of last season vs. SF.
• Acuña Jr. is one of two outfielders in baseball with multiple multi-assist games since the start of last season…Teoscar Hernández did so three times last season for Toronto.
• Last season, Acuna Jr.’s 97.9 mph average on throws from the outfielder was hardest by a right fielder in baseball, and trailed just KC’s Nate Eaton (98.1 mph) for hardest overall.
BULLPEN: The Braves’ bullpen covered 4.2 innings last night against San Diego, the sixth time this season it has worked at least 4.0 frames.
• Those six occurrences are tied for the third most by major league bullpen, behind only Boston (9) and Houston (7).
• Additionally, the bullpen’s 40.1 innings pitched overall are the most in the National League and stand as fourth most in the majors.
• Despite its frequent usage, Atlanta’s ‘pen maintains the second-best ERA in the National League (2.90) and the fifth-best in baseball.
• Milwaukee (0.84) is the only N.L. club with a better bullpen ERA.
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #55 Bryce Elder
Tonight’s Game
• Set to make his 11th career start, 12th appearance and his first outing against Cincinnati.
• This will mark his second appearance against the NL Central…the first was his last outing against St. Louis
• Held the Cardinals to two hits and three walks over 6.0 scoreless frames in his last start.
• Pitching to 1.40 ERA with a 2-1 record over his last six starts after being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, dating to August 14, 2022.
• His 1.40 ERA is tied for the third lowest in baseball among pitchers with at least five starts during that span.
• In that stretch, Elder is averaging 6.1 innings pitched per outing, tied for the fourth highest rate in the majors.
• Through 10 career starts, Elder has pitched 57.2 innings.
• His 57.2 frames tossed through his first 10 starts are tied for the thirteenth-most in Atlanta franchise history and the most since Tommy Hanson’s 61.0 innings pitched in 2009.
• His career innings pitched rank T-13th most among Atlanta-era pitchers through their first 10 starts.
2022 Recap
• Made nine starts and pitched in 10 total games during his debut season, compiling a 2-4 record with a 3.17 ERA (19 ER/54.0 IP)…Surpassed his rookie innings limit in his final start of the season, but was rated as Atlanta’s No. 4 prospect during the season.
• Made his major league debut, April 12, and beat the Nationals, 16-4…Pitched 5.2 innings with six hits, three runs and four strikeouts…Allowed a pair of home runs.
• Pitched the first shuout of his career, September 26 at Washington, allowing just six hits and one walk…Struck out six…The Braves beat the Nationals, 8-0.
• The outing is the only shutout by a Braves pitcher on the season.
• Elder became the first Braves rookie to throw a shutout since Paul Marak in 1990.
• Started on August 14 at Miami…He pitched 7.0 innings in that start, allowing three hits and one run in the no-decision, and fanned a career-most 10 batters… The Braves beat the Marlins, 3-1.
• Became just the third Braves player in the live-ball era (since 1920) to log a double-digit strikeout effort within the first six games of his career…He joined LHP Mike Minor (12 strikeouts at the Cubs in his third career game) and RHP Ryan Weber (10 strikeouts vs. Washington in his fifth appearance).
• Was added as the 27th man for Atlanta’s doubleheader at New York on August 6, and pitched 2.1 innings of relief against the Mets in Game 1.
• Walked six batters in his start, April 24, and five in his start on April 17, after issuing zero bases on balls in his debut.
• The 11 walks are the most for any Braves pitcher in a two-game span since 2012, when Tommy Hanson also walked 11 between his starts on July 20 and July 25.
• Made 18 appearances and 17 starts for Triple-A Gwinnett on the season, and went 6-5 with a 4.46 ERA (52 ER/105.0 IP) and 97 strikeouts for the Stripers.
• Became the seventh pitcher in franchise history to debut with a start against the Nationals/Expos, and the first since Manny Banuelos pitched 5.2 scoreless innings on July 2, 2015 in his first career appearance.
• Including Elder, the seven pitchers combined to go 3-2 and compile a 3.23 ERA (14 ER/39.0 IP), including four starts of at least 5.0 innings and no more than two runs allowed.
• Atlanta improved to 5-2 in games in which a starting pitchers debuts against Washington, including wins in each of the last five such games.
Career
• Was originally drafted by Atlanta in the fifth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Texas…Was the fifth member of the 2020 draft class to debut, and the lowest-selected pick to do so.
• Of the first five members to play in the majors from the 2020 draft class, three were selected with the first 11 picks in the draft – Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson (No. 1 overall), the Angels’ Reid Detmers (No. 10) and the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet (No. 11).
• The other two were both selected by Atlanta, and chosen with the 126th (Spencer Strider) and 156th (Elder) overall selections.
• Made his professional debut during the 2021 season and pitched across three levels of the Braves’ farm system…Went a combined 11-5 with a 2.76 ERA (41 ER/133.2 IP) and 151 strikeouts in 24 games, all starts.
• Named the Double-A South Pitcher of the Week for July 5-July 11, and Double-A South Pitcher of the Month for July…In nine starts he went 7-1 with a 3.21 ERA (20 ER/56.0 IP).
