Nick Lodolo's Return Did Not Rescue Reds Yordan Alvarez Hit 13th

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo could not rescue the Reds and their losing streak reached eight games as the Houston Astros bested ravaged them in a 10-0 decision.

Mike Burrows the Astros starter pitched a career-high seven innings and kept the Reds at bay, allowing just three hits and a walk. He struck out six.

"He came into the game throwing about 60 percent off speed. His off speed was good," Terry Francona said. "Then he started to get the fastball by a lot of our barrels. Then his change up got better as the game went on."

Lodolo made his first start of the season after recovering from a blister on his left index finger.

Lodolo allowed a single to Yordan Alvarez in the first inning with no score. He retired the first two batters of the second inning but gave up a triple to Brice Matthews and the first home run of the season to Zach Dezenzo. Dezenzo played at Ohio State University and missed the start of the season with an elbow strain. He was recalled on Tuesday from Triple A Sugar Land.

"The first home run, wasn't a bad pitch," Lodolo said. "The pitch to Alvarez came back over the plate. Overall, I threw the ball better than I think I did. Those two pitches standout but I feel good."

The Reds loaded the bases in the fourth against Astros' starter Mike Burrows but Spencer Steer popped out to shallow right and Tyler Stephenson struck out to end the threat. 

Lodolo hit Jose Altuve with a pitch one out into the sixth inning but Alvarez lined his 13th home run of the season on the first pitch of his at bat. Isaac Pareded, the next batter, doubled into the left field corner. Reds' manager Terry Francona, brought Pierce Johnson in from the bullpen.

Lodolo pitched 5 1/3 innings in his first start, allowing four runs on five hit, two of them home runs, one walk and he hit a batter. He had just one strikeout.

The Astros stretched their lead in the eighth inning against Tejay Antone. Altuve doubled on an 0-2 pitch, advanced to second on a ground out to first by Alvarez and scored on a ground ball up the middle. It was fielded by Matt McLain but he didn't have a play at the plate and had to throw to first.

The Astros pounded Tony Santillan in the ninth. Cam Smith and Brice Mathews singled and Zach Cole hit his second home run of the season. Christian Vazquez lofted his third home run and ended Santillan's appearance.

"It was a game, I really didn't want to pitch him," Francona said. "He pitches on adrenaline a lot. We always go back and look to see why. I think it is different things."

Backup catcher Jose Trevino came in for the fourth time this season. His knuckleball was hit for three singles before he got Paredes to fly out and Walker to ground into a 5-3 double play. 

The Reds hold on to a record above .500 at 20-19. The losing streak of eight games is the longest since, April 30 through May 8, 2024 exactly two years ago. The Reds try to prevent a nine game losing streak like the one they suffered from April 26 through May 5, 2022 almost exactly four years ago in the 100 loss season.

"I don't ever think our guys don't compete," Francona said. "It's not going the way we want it to, right now. It hasn't been a fun week for anyone. This is when me and the coaches have to be there for them. We are going to go through this with them. It is always going to be us. It is not going to be us when we win and they when we don't win."

Nick Lodolo Is Reds Hope For Healing As Jim Dandy To The Rescue

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo may not be Jim Dandy as in the Black Oak Arkansas hit song from the 70's but the Reds hope is he comes to the rescue.

Lodolo missed nearly a quarter of the season so far with a blister on his index finger that is most important for his best pitch hard slider.

Lodolo won nine games in each of the last two seasons and has a career, 24-22 record with a 4.06 ERA in 75 starts.

He will face the Houston Astros for the first time in his career.

Mike Burrows, a 26-year old right hander will take the ball for the Astros.

He was an 11th round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 out of Waterford High School in Connecticut.

Burrows made 19 starts for the Pirates last season before being involved in a three-way trade with Houston and the Tampa Bay Rays on December 19.H

Burrows had a 2-4 record with a 3.94 ERA for the Pirates.

He made one start against the Reds, pitching five innings allowing four runs on three hits.

This season he is 1-4 record with a 5.97 ERA for the Astros. He pitched six innings in his last start against the Boston Red Sox last Friday, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk.

"He has been giving us innings. He has great stuff and we can expect him to go on a run. So far, he's had one hit or inning that he's given up runs," Houston manager, Joe Espada said of Burrows.

The Reds lineup:

TJ Friedl CF

JJ Bleday LF

Elly De La Cruz SS

Sal Stewart 1B

Nathaniel Lowe DH

Spencer Steer RF

Tyler Stephenson C

Matt McLain 2B

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

The Astros lineup is:

Jose Altuve 2B

Yordan Alvarez DH

Isaac Paredes 3B

Christian Walker 1B

Cam Smith RF

Brice Mathews CF

Zach Dezenzo LF

Christian Vazquez C

Nick Allen SS

Reds Send Jose Franco To Triple A Louisville Make Room For Nick Lodolo

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Nick Lodolo will make his first start of the season for the Reds against the Houston Astros to start the six-game home stand.

Lodolo left his last spring training start against the Cleveland Guardians on March 23 with a blister on his left index finger. He has missed time with blisters in each of the last three seasons.

Jose Franco was sent to Triple A Louisville to make room for Lodolo on the roster.

Franco appeared in eight games for the Reds, covering 14 2/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs for a 4.30 ERA. His last three appearances were scoreless, including a two inning stint against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday (050726).

Rhett Lowder left the game yesterday early after three innings. He got a cortisone injection on Friday.

"He got the MRI. He is structurally good," manager Terry Francona said. "We are thrilled with. They gave him an injection in the AC joint to calm it down. We are going to see how the next couple days go. Potentially, he will throw a side on Sunday."

"We are going to error on the side of caution but he is not going on the IL, yet. There is a chance. He has only been feeling it in the games. We want to see him ultra aggressive in the side to see how he feels. The last thing we want is for him to go out and pitch an inning and have to come out of the game."

Eugenio Suarez is healing from an oblique strain.

"He is 50 percent better," Francona said. "He's been allowed to start swinging the bat. He took about 50 swings yesterday in the cage. He's taken ground balls and been running. He is going to stay away from the hitting to make the healing, maybe, go quicker."

Hunter Greene is throwing long toss at 115 feet in Arizona.

Caleb Ferguson will pitch an inning for Louisville today and pitch an inning plus on Tuesday. 

Franco is going to follow Chase Petty on Sunday and throw two innings. 

"The idea is to stretch him out more and more but not too much at once," Francona said.

Petty is the likely choice to start if Lowder needs to miss a turn.

Reds Nightmare Ends Seek Safety At Home

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The nightmare road trip ended with a thud. The Chicago Cubs used the Reds against themselves to cruise to an 8-3 drubbing.

It extended the Reds losing streak to seven or every game on the trip. The Cubs have won nine games in a row.

 This series has been frustrating because of  how maddeningly close the were while playing good baseball. The trip ended with self inflicted wounds.

Rhett Lowder left the game after he walked the first two batters in the fourth inning. He left with right shoulder fatigue. In the first three innings he gave up only one hit, Michael Conforto’s second home run of the season.

Connor Phillips relieved him. The last time he relieved Lowder, he walked the first four batters he faced, after Lowder walked three batters faced.

Lowder also walked the first two batters in the third inning but a double play got him out of trouble.

Michael Busch hit a ball toward Spencer Steer at first base. Moving to his right the ball ticked off his glove into right field to load the bases.

Phillips walked Conforto to score Bregman. It was the fourth run, Phillips has walked in on the trip. Reds pitchers have issued 14 walks with the bases loaded this season,

The next play will haunt the Reds.

Dansby Swanson hit a high chop to Ke’Bryan Hayes at third. He stepped on third to remove the force play and threw home and easily beat Happ at the plate but Tyler Stephenson caught the ball as if the force was in effect and did not apply the tag. Happ scored the third run for Chicago. 

What should have been two outs and runners on first and second with a two-run deficit was a three with no outs.

Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to score Conforto. Miguel Amaya singled after Crow-Armstrong stole second to make it 5-0. Nico Hoerner doubled Amaya scored when Stephenson couldn’t hold the throw. The home plate umpire called him out until the ball popped loose. Moises Ballesteros capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

The Reds scored on Sal Stewart’s 10th home run of the season. It came off starter Shota Imanaga. Blake Dunn hit his first home run in his first start, coming off Gavin Hallowell.

The Reds left the bases loaded in the sixth and ninth innings, needing a key hit to deal them back into the game.

The Reds left 15 runners on base and were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Dunn had a bunt single with two on to load the bases. JJ Bleday doubled home Stewart in the ninth. De La Cruz walked but pinch hitter, Nathaniel Lowe, struck out on a close 3-2 pitch that stood up under his challenge.

Rhett Lowder Seeks Redemption To Avoid Cubs Streak

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Dateline: Cincinnati

A fairytale story turned into a nightmare. 

Rhett Lowder, returning from injury, was pitching well until he faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last outing. That lasted just 1 1/3 innings.

He walked the last three batters he faced and his relief, Connor Phillips,  walked four in a row. Lowder was charged with eight earned runs.

Prior to that debacle, Lowder had three quality starts of six innings or more, including a long outing of 6 2/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants on April 15.

Lowder has one five inning scoreless start against the Cubs. He gave up three hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Shota Imanaga, the 30-year old, left handed son of Nippon, He has a 3-2 record with a 2.40 ERA. In four of his last five starts, he has pitched six innings or more, twice going seven innings. Imanaga has allowed one run in two of those outings and two have been scoreless.

He has three career starts against the Reds with a 1-0 record and an even 3.00 ERA.

The Reds lineup:

Dane Myers CF

Matt McLain SS

Elly De La Cruz DH

Sal Stewart 2B

Spencer Steer 1B

Tyler Stephenson C

JJ Bleday LF

Blake Dunn RF

Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B

The Cubs lineup:

Nico Hoerner 2B

Moises Ballesteros DH

Alex Bregman 3B

Ian Happ LF

Michael Busch 1B

Michael Conforto RF

Dansby Swanson SS

Pete Crow-Armstrong CF

Miguel Amaya C

A True Walk Off Sends Reds To Sixth Straight Loss

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Michael Busch walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th sending the Reds frowning with its sixth straight loss.

The Reds have lost each of the last four games by one run in the home team’s last at bat. 

Brady Singer toughed out six innings but the Reds struggled to provide support.

 Three times in six innings the Reds had runners at the corners with no outs. They mustered one run.

TJ Friedl drew a walk to start the game against Colin Rea. Friedl went to second on a wild pickoff attempt by catcher Carson Kelly. JJ Bleday singled hard to left to put runners in first and third with no outs. Bleday was caught stealing. Friedl scored in Elly De La Cruz ground out.

The Reds put runners at the corners with no outs again when Matt McLain and Friedl opened the inning with singles. Bleday struck out. De La Cruz topped the ball to Michael Busch at first base. He threw McLain out at the plate.

In the sixth Sal Stewart started with a walk. He went to third on Nathaniel Lowe’s single. Stewart took off for home and was thrown out by Alex Bregman. The rally fizzled when Jacob Webb got Will Benson and Jose Trevino to ground out.

Singer fell behind in the bottom of the first. After two outs, Bregman singled and Reds’ killer and UC grad hit his ninth home run.

The Cubs added two more in the fourth off Singer. Happ singled to lead off the inning. Seiya Suzuki doubled him home. Busch singled. Suzuki stopped at third and scored on a double play by Kelly.

McLain homered for the third time this year, leading off the fifth.

Sam Moll and Pierce Johnson held the lead after the first two Cubs batters reached in the seventh.

Tejay Antone back from his third ACL surgery dispatched the Cubs with Friefl’s help. He struck out Bregman. Friedl picked Happ’s bid for a second home run high off the ivy in center. Anyone struck out Suzuki looking.

It looked like a story book ending when Steer lead off the ninth with his sixth home run. It came against Corbin Martin. Benson singled. Pinch hitter Tyler Stephenson singled.

Cubs manager, Craig Counsell called on Hoby Milner out of the bullpen. McLain bunted to move the runners but Benson beat the throw to third. Pinch hitter Dane Myers struck out. Bleday singled to score Benson to tie the game. De La Cruz came close to a grand slam but Suzuki caught it near the wall, lost his balance. He fell on the seat of his pants. Stephenson scored easily. McLain didn’t break stride and scored from second base to give the Reds an insurance run.

It was looking like a fairy tale win for Antone on his first game back.

Graham Ashcraft, who has one save, subbed for the injured Emilio Pagan.

Ashcraft, a right hander who is tough on lefty hitters, struck out Busch a lefty on a successful challenge by Stephenson. Kelly singled on a 3-2 pitch. Another Reds thorn in their side Pete Crow-Armstrong golfed a low pitch out of the strike zone just over the basket in left field to tie the game.

He closed out the inning and for the second straight night the game went to the 10th inning.

Ke’Bryan Hayes, a defensive replacement, was the ghost runner. Milner walked Lowe. Blake Dunn ran for him.

Trent Thornton replaced Milner on the mound. Steer bounced a 1-0 pitch to Bregman at third. He started a double play. Benson grounded out.

Brock Burke a left hander entered in the 10th. Nico Hoerner was the ghost runner. Miguel Amaya pinch hit for left handed, Michael Conforto, who won the first game of the series with a home run. Amaya bunted Hoerner to third. 

Francona walked the right handed Bregman intentionally. It turned the switch hitting Happ around. Burke struck him out. Francona ordered Suzuki walked to load the bases and bring the left handed Busch to the plate. Burke missed with four pitches, sending the Cubs to a seventh straight win and dropping the Reds five games behind them.

Brady Singer Key To Stop The Bleeding

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Brady Singer is the next in line to stop the Reds from hemorrhaging. He is 2-2 with a 5.57 ERA. 

The Reds won his last three starts. His last a 9-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits. The two prior starts were quality six inning starts, he allowed three earned runs in a win against the Minnesota Twins and a one earned run against the San Francisco Giants.

Singer has 1-2 record in three starts against the Chicago Cubs with an ERA of 4.60.

Colin Rea will pitch for the Cubs.

The eight year veteran is 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in four starts and three relief appearances. He has one quality start which came on April 20, against the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits.

Rea's last start was a 5 1/3 winning effort against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.

The 35-year old right hander, has 10 starts and 11 appearances against the Reds in his career. He is 5-3 with a 5.67 ERA. He has allowed 11 home runs to the Reds in 54 innings.

Emilio Pagan Is Out For A While Tejay Antone Makes Miracle Return

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The Reds were forced to remake its roster mid way through the four-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Closer, Emilio Pagan, was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. He was taken off the field on a stretcher.

The Reds re activated, Pierce Johnson, from the bereavement list after the death of his grandfather.

Left handed starter, Brandon Williamson, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Teejay Antone contract was selected from Louisville. Antone is returning from his third elbow surgery. Antone is 32. The right handers was the fifth round pick of the Reds out of  Weatherford College in 2014 after pitching at TCU.  Williams and Nick Lodolo, who will come of the IL on Friday also pitched at TCU.

Antone missed the 2017 season after surgery. He made his Major League in 2020. He made four starts and nine relief appearances. His record was 0-3 with a 2.80 ERA. He had a 2-0 record with a 2.14 ERA in 2021 before he was injured.

He missed 2022 completely.

Antone returned in 2023. He made one start and four bullpen appearances and no record with a 1.59 ERA before he went down again. He returned in 2024 with four games and a total of two innings. Antone made it back last season, pitching in three minor league levels in a total of 15 games and 15 innings.

The Reds sent Antone to the minor league camp on March 15. He pitched in nine Cactus League games, covering 8 1/3 innings with a 7.56 ERA. Antone got off to a good start in Louisville. He pitched in 12 games in relief. He had six scoreless appearances to start the season. He comes to the Reds with a 1-1 record and a 2.25 ERA.

Left handed reliever Caleb Ferguson is on a rehab assignment with Louisville.

Cubs Hand Reds Another Tough Loss

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Dateline: Cincinnati

The Chicago Cubs squeezed out a 3-2 win in 10 innings for its seventh straight wins, while handing the Reds a fifth straight loss.

JJ Bleday hit his fourth home run and second of the series against Jameson Taillon in the first inning to give the Reds a quick lead.

Andrew Abbott was back to his all-star self, shutting down anh offense that has scored on average six runs per game.

The Reds had the bases loaded in the fourth inning but Matt McLain flied out to left field.

Nathaniel Lowe hit his sixth home run of the season in the sixth. It also came against Taillon, who has given up 19 home runs against the Reds in his 21 career starts against Cincinnati.

Abbott went into the bottom of the sixth with a 2-0 lead. He got Alex Bregman out on a line out to center field. Ian Happ was robbed of a hit by a diving stop by second baseman, McLain. Abbott walked Seiya Suzuki. Dansby Swanson singled to center. Abbott was left in the game to pitch to left hand hitter, Michael Busch. He walked to load the bases.

Manager Terry Francona took Abbott out and installed Connor Phillips.

Abbott pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, on four hits, four walks and four strikeouts. It was his second strong outing in a row.

Phillips ended the threat when pinch hitter Moises Ballesteros topped a ground ball toward the mound. Phillips charged, fielded and flipped underhand to catcher Tyler Stephenson to force Suzuki out at home.

Phillips came back out for the seventh inning. Peter Crow-Armstrong singled with one out. Nico Hoerner walked. Bregman singled to left to break the shut out. Happ struck out and Suzuki grounded out.

The Cubs got even in the eighth against Tony Santillan, when Busch hit his third home run of the season to tie the game.

The Reds were hitless after Lowe's home run. The only base runner they had was Elly De La Cruz, who reached on an error by Busch at first base. The Cubs bullpen, Javier Assad, Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia shut down the Reds through the ninth inning. McLain was the ghost runner on second base when Ryan Rolison was on the mound in the ninth. He struck out two but walked Dane Myers before De La Cruz grounded out.

Sam Moll assignment was to send the game into the 11th inning but he didn't get an our. With Swanson on base at second at the bottom of the 10th. De La Cruz whiffed on a short hop, hit by Busch. The game winner was proclaimed a hit when the ball got past the Reds' shortstop, allowing Swanson to run home with the game winning run.

The Reds' fifth straight loss was the third straight one-run game after starting the season with seven one-run wins. 

Reds Closer Leaves Game Injured

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Dateline: Cincinnati

Reds closer Emilio Pagan grabbed his hamstring on his first pitch to Nico Hoerner in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

The Reds and Cubs were tied 2-2 and Pagan was trying to hold the Cubs to send the game to extra innings.

He grabbed his left hamstring and had to be taken off on a cart.

Pagan continued to pitch after he felt a tight hamstring in the game against the San Francisco Giants on April 14. He made five appearances since then.

Rookie Jose Franco entered the game. He walked two but pitched a scoreless inning to send the game to extra innings.